Invest Stockholm has entered into a partnership with Impact Hub, the world’s largest network for social entrepreneurs, in order to create a larger and more diversified startup scene. The partners will use their efforts to increase entrepreneurship in the outer parts of Stockholm, as well as to take steps to encourage more women to start their own businesses.

Stockholm has one of the world’s best startup ecosystems, with excellent access to startup hubs, financing options, meeting places and events. In addition, there are plenty of first-generation entrepreneurs who are eager to invest in, and share their experience and contacts with the next generation of startup entrepreneurs.

Invest Stockholm, together with Impact Hub, is now taking the next step in its support of the startup scene by ensuring that the chances of operating a successful business will be just as good for social entrepreneurs and for startups located outside of the center of Stockholm.

“In the next few years, we will be focusing on assisting businesses in these outlying areas, and increasing the number of businesses led by women, who are an under-represented group on the Stockholm startup scene. Our goal of becoming one of the most open and creative cities in the world will be realized by making our startup scene more diverse, and by having more women starting their own businesses. We also need more innovative companies that focus on the global challenges we face, both environmental and social,” explains Invest Stockholm’s Ariane Pousette, who is in charge of helping startups grow in Stockholm.

Impact Hub focuses on companies that wish to contribute to integration and the improvement of society through innovative and disruptive solutions. Impact Hub is a global organization with more than 100 hubs around the world. Each “Impact Hub” has been founded by a group of local innovators who want to make a difference in society, each in its own way and based on the challenges that their particular society faces.

“The Impact Hub network stretches over more than 50 countries on five continents. Its experience of the nature of social entrepreneurship, the challenges these companies encounter, such as their difficulty in raising capital for this type of business, make Impact Hub a valuable business partner for the City of Stockholm. We must get better at supporting businesses with innovations that answer societal needs,” Ariane Pousette concludes.

“It’s time to take the next step and support social entrepreneurship. In our partnership with Invest Stockholm, Impact Hub will use the opportunities that will finally enable us to highlight those who really need our assistance. Women, and especially women with children, are the key to the fundamental change our entire society is waiting for. Consequently, together with Invest Stockholm, our focus will be to highlight this group and make them visible. Our goal has been, and will always be, to ensure that everyone should have the opportunity to contribute to the change we need”, says Jesper Kjellerås, founder and CEO of Impact Hub Stockholm.

From a wider perspective, it is worth to note that for a longer period of time Scandinavian companies have been consistently investing their capital in startups, which can afford to spend more time to innovative research on product development.

Scandinavian companies operating in Poland are also supporting innovative sector For example Fortum Power and Heat Poland  recently invested in Infinited Fiber Company Ltd - a Finnish start-up developing the technology of producing cotton-like fibers from recycled materials.

Source: https://www.mynewsdesk.com

Photo: Pixabay