Top Startup Accelerators & Incubators in Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm has emerged as one of Europe's leading startup hubs, earning the nickname "The Unicorn Factory" due to its impressive track record of producing billion-dollar companies. The city's ecosystem combines strong technical talent, innovative culture, and robust support infrastructure for entrepreneurs.

This guide explores the leading accelerators and incubators shaping Stockholm's evolving startup landscape. These programs support domestic and international startups seeking to establish themselves in the Swedish market.

Top 20 Startup Accelerators & Incubators in Stockholm, Sweden

1. Sting

Target Audience: Early-stage tech startups with a team.

Niche: Technology and scalable innovations.

Sting is one of Scandinavia's leading accelerators, having supported over 300 entrepreneurs since 2002. It offers funding up to SEK 500,000 and comprehensive support programs for tech startups. Their program includes intensive coaching, access to industry experts, and strong networking opportunities within the Nordic ecosystem.

2. SSE Ventures

Target Audience: Early-stage startups with a Stockholm School of Economics connection.

Niche: Student and alumni entrepreneurship.

SSE Ventures was founded in 2022 as the Stockholm School of Economics venture development arm. It provides early-stage funding through convertible notes to promising startups and leverages the school's extensive network to support portfolio companies.

3. +Impact Accelerator

Target Audience: Social impact startups.

Niche: Sustainability and social innovation.

Impact Accelerator specializes in supporting startups focused on social impact and sustainability solutions. It offers non-dilutive financing and comprehensive resource access to selected startups and creates connections between impact-focused entrepreneurs and relevant stakeholders in the sustainability sector.

4. Ericsson One

Target Audience: Tech startups with a telecom focus.

Niche: Telecommunications and digital innovation.

Ericsson One is a corporate accelerator program launched by telecommunications giant Ericsson. It provides coaching, technical resources, and access to global markets for selected startups and focuses on innovations that can benefit from Ericsson's extensive global network and expertise.

5. Food Tech Village

Target Audience: Food and agriculture startups.

Niche: Food innovation and agricultural technology.

Food Tech Village is a specialized accelerator focusing on food technology and agriculture innovations. It supports startups working to improve food supply chains and sustainable agriculture solutions and provides industry-specific mentorship and connections to food industry partners.

6. Hyper Island

Target Audience: Digital and creative startups.

Niche: Digital innovation and creative technologies.

Hyper Island is a creative business school offering entrepreneurship programs focused on digital innovation. It combines educational resources with practical startup development support and emphasizes digital technologies and innovative thinking in its approach to startup development.

7. Ignite Sweden

Target Audience: B2B startups seeking corporate partnerships.

Niche: Corporate-startup collaboration.

Ignite Sweden is a national initiative focused on connecting startups with established corporations. It facilitates matchmaking between innovative startups and corporate partners and creates structured collaboration opportunities to foster growth and innovation.

8. Feminvest

Target Audience: Female-founded startups.

Niche: Women entrepreneurship.

Feminvest is dedicated to empowering female entrepreneurs through targeted support and investment opportunities. It provides education, mentorship, and access to its investment network and creates a supportive community for women entrepreneurs in Sweden.

9. Propel Capital

Target Audience: Early-stage startups across sectors.

Niche: Early-stage investment and development.

Propel Capital is an investment arm of Sting that focuses on early-stage companies across various sectors. It provides both capital and strategic support to portfolio companies and leverages Sting's extensive network and resources to accelerate startup growth.

10. KTH Innovation

Target Audience: Student and researcher startups.

Niche: Research commercialization.

KTH Innovation is the Royal Institute of Technology's (KTH) innovation support system. It helps students and researchers commercialize their technological innovations and provides access to research facilities, mentorship, and funding opportunities.

11. Nordea Startup Accelerator

Target Audience: Fintech startups.

Niche: Financial technology innovation.

Nordea is a specialized accelerator program that focuses on innovations in financial technology. It provides mentorship and networking opportunities within the Nordea banking ecosystem and offers startups access to banking expertise and potential partnership opportunities.

12. Sparx Accelerator

Target Audience: Early-stage service startups.

Niche: Service industry innovation.

Sparx Accelerator focuses on accelerating early-stage service industry startups. It provides comprehensive mentorship and networking opportunities and helps startups develop and validate their service business models.

13. Drive

Target Audience: Mobility and transportation startups.

Niche: Mobility solutions.

Drive Sweden is an incubator program specializing in mobility and transportation technology solutions. It supports startups developing innovative approaches to transportation challenges and provides access to industry expertise and testing opportunities.

14. Startup Sweden

Target Audience: Early-stage Swedish startups.

Niche: National startup development.

Startup Sweden is a national initiative supporting early-stage startup development across Sweden. It provides mentorship programs and funding opportunities for promising startups and creates connections between regional startup ecosystems within Sweden.

15. Growspark

Target Audience: Growth-stage startups.

Niche: Growth acceleration.

Growspark offers tailored support programs for growth-oriented startups across industries. It focuses on scaling strategies and operational excellence and provides hands-on support in key growth areas.

16. Impact Startup Bootcamp

Target Audience: Impact-driven early-stage startups.

Niche: Social impact and sustainability.

Impact Startup Bootcamp is an intensive training program for impact-driven startups. It provides focused mentorship and resources for social enterprises and helps startups develop sustainable business models with social impact.

17. Founder Institute

Target Audience: Pre-seed startups and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Niche: Early-stage startup development.

Founder Institute is a global pre-seed startup accelerator with a structured development program. It helps entrepreneurs validate their ideas and build viable businesses and provides access to a global network of mentors and founders.

18. SSES Ventures

Target Audience: Student entrepreneurs.

Niche: Academic entrepreneurship.

SSES is part of the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship ecosystem. It provides resources and mentorship to student entrepreneurs and creates connections between academic institutions and the startup ecosystem.

19. Transferator

Target Audience: Research-based startups.

Niche: Technology transfer.

Transferator focuses on commercializing academic research and innovations. It helps researchers transform their research into viable businesses and provides specialized support for technology transfer processes.

20. Nestholma

Target Audience: B2B startups.

Niche: Corporate collaboration.

Nestholma specializes in connecting startups with corporate partners for co-creation opportunities. It facilitates meaningful partnerships between startups and established companies and provides structured programs for developing successful corporate-startup collaborations.

AcceleratorApp's Closing Thoughts on Startup Accelerators and Incubators in Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm's startup ecosystem showcases remarkable strength through these 20 accelerators and incubators, each offering unique value propositions and industry focuses. The city's support infrastructure spans from academic entrepreneurship to corporate innovation, creating comprehensive backing for startups at all stages.

The ecosystem particularly fosters innovations in sustainability, technology, and social impact, reflecting Sweden's values and strengths. This diverse support system has been crucial in establishing Stockholm as one of Europe's leading startup hubs.