Inside the walls of the incubator there are young business developers working with very different, highly advanced and exciting innovation projects. They face big challenges when they deep dive into the business ideas assigned to them. They work in teams of 2-3 persons and they work hard to achieve their goal – to embark on a journey of a lifetime.
Life in a cubicle
It is a snowy Tuesday in March with only a few months left until graduation and the innovation projects are full of activitiy. Busy teams are discussing their projects and some are settling down in their cubicles with a hot cup of coffee from the kitchen ready to start a new day full of exciting activities. People are coming and going, some are on their way to meet potential customers and others are off to seek financing. One week never looks the same as another. They meet experts from all sorts of business areas; one of the teams have already hired a chemist to help them with their product development. Another team is planning to arrange an international conference for surgeons to discuss and get feedback on their product. The stimulating environment creates the businesses of tomorrow. One of the former Encubator projects Oxeon, who recently was awarded as “The fastest growing company in Sweden” and given the DI Gasell-award, stopped by for a visit to give some advice to one of the teams. It is a dynamic setting full of activity where Encubator connects the teams to a broad network keen to help in any given situation, and one contact often leads to another.
From idea to incorporation
The ideas provided to the teams to develop are carefully selected. This year there are ten innovation projects in the incubator, five will likely become incorporated. Each team is convinced to be among the prosperous ones. The teams work freely with responsibility towards the goal of venture creation. Everything is the real deal, not merely an academic exercise.
The incubator and its network
To enable a successful year and prosperous innovation projects, the teams have access to an extensive support structure. All projects have a designated business advisor as well as an alumni coach who regularly meet the teams. In addition, Encubator provides valuable connections to private
and public investors as well as professional in-house legal competence. Each team is also given the opportunity to get free external coaching from leading audit and legal firms in Gothenburg. At the same time they are provided the most advanced entrepreneurial education in Sweden.
The incubator environment provides everything that a small business could ask for. All projects have their own space in a fully equipped office environment with access to kitchen, dining area and conference rooms. The office facilities are located together with Encubator and university faculty in central Gothenburg.
Innovative, supportive, inspiring and fun are some of the words the teams used when describing their time in the incubator. It is an open and collaborative atmosphere where the teams help each other. Several of the projects will soon add on to the 47 companies created out of the encubation process thus far.
