Scaling up of Sweden’s clean technology entrepreneurs

Serendipity will assess each of the four startups in the early stages of the programme to ensure the startups complement the mentorship with strategic business development.
Venture Cup fast track their national winner from the environment and energy category to the final 10 of the Zennström Green Mentorship Award.
VINNOVA will provide the overall winner with funding to increase the probability of the startup achieving a level of development that helps them to scale.

The Zennström Green Mentorship Award was created by Zennström Philanthropies to find, support and highlight the importance of Sweden’s innovative green businesses. The competition is looking for ‘disruptive’ or transformative solutions that tackle ‘green’ challenges across a range of sectors.

The programme will provide business mentoring to four startups and one of the four winners will receive personal mentorship from Niklas Zennström. Our aim is to provide these startups with mentorship and tailored business development advice to ensure they are more market-and investor-ready by the end of the year and therefore achieve a level of scale that can be disruptive or even transformative in years to come.  More information can be found on the website gma.zennstrom.org

Any entrepreneur needs to think big and think global. Any idea to solve environmental challenges needs to find its market and a profitable business in order to create an impact and spread around the world. One of the keys to success is to find and line up with global enterprises acting customers, partners and suppliers. Cleantech Inn Sweden is excited to bring our industrial partner program to the Green Mentorship Award, a great initiative to promote and support promising entrepreneurs to think big, think global and make a difference. – Richard Englund, Cleantech Inn Sweden

‘A grant from VINNOVA would add significant value to the Zennström Green Mentorship Award, improve the probability that the overall winners success and create an exciting collaboration between Zennström Philanthropies and VINNOVA.’ – Kjell Håkan Närfelt VINNOVA

Environmental issues are some of the most critical challenges of our time. Supporting and developing innovative technologies is key to reach new solutions, and The Zennström Green Mentorship Award is a great initiative to do so. With its global access and combined experience of building ventures and developing teams, the Green Mentorship Award platform provides the prerequisites needed for innovative teams and technologies to reach global impact. The programme aligns the interests of Zennström Philanthropies and Serendipity Innovations, and we are very exited to work together in bringing new solutions forward.  – Daniel Katzenellenbogen, Serendipity Innovations

“This is the next step for our entrepreneurs in developing their green businesses. The partnership gives the entrepreneurs important support to continue develop and scale their technology successfully after the Venture Cup process is finished.”- Maria Olsson, National Manager Venture Cup.

Zennström Philanthropies supports and engages with organizations that work with identifying and solving obstacles in climate change, the marine environment and green entrepreneurship as well creating ecosystems to support new green businesses.

For more information contact:

Catriona Power
Environment Programme Officer
cp@zennstrom.org

Published:

2014.06.12 By Petronella Warg