Million-Dollar Competition Heats Up with Last-Minute Switch
As the Startup World Cup kicks off in San Francisco this week, an unexpected change in Sweden's lineup added extra tension. With a $1 million prize at stake, Nordic entrepreneurs are preparing to take the global stage in front of Silicon Valley's top investors.
The Startup World Cup Finals, hosted by Pegasus Tech Ventures, have been held in San Francisco since 2017.
One of the competitors this year is Digiclean Solutions from Borås, Sweden. When SVNB reaches founder Charlotte Stigen Låstberg, she is on a flight to California.
"I hope to be able to network, make new connections, receive feedback, and gain input on how we can scale Digiclean globally."
She adds that winning would "be magic" and give the company a new growth platform.
"It would give us a stronger foundation for our journey, especially regarding scalability. We could push our mission of transforming the chemical supply model to focus on sustainable outcomes rather than just selling more chemicals”, says Stigen Låstberg.
Digiclean Solutions specializes in sensor technology for industrial manufacturing, focusing on optimizing process fluid usage. Their innovative platform ensures more efficient resource use and minimizes environmental impact by providing automated chemical management solutions.
Startup Stilfold was initially set to represent the Swedish startup community, but the company had to cancel its plans to attend at the last minute.
"It's unfortunate, but we simply have too much going on right now," says Jonas Nyvang, Stilfold's founder.
Konfidens, founded by Aleksander Erichsen, will represent the Norwegian startup community. Konfidens has developed tools to streamline private practices for psychologists, offering features such as secure video calls, session management, and payment processing. Konfidens also provides research-based instruments to improve therapist-patient matching, addressing the gap in effective mental health treatment outcomes.
The Startup World Cup, organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, will culminate in the grand finale at the Hilton Union Square on October 4, following a week of semi-finals, networking events, workshops, and fireside chats with well-known tech industry leaders.