Innovate Nordics 2025

The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York (SACCNY), in partnership with Ernst & Young (EY) is pleased to present

the 2025 edition of Innovate Nordics Acceleration Program & Investor Summit. This year’s program, with a focus on Life Science, provides top Nordic innovators with the tools, insights, and connections needed for a successful U.S. entry. Participants will benefit from tailored workshops, pitch training, legal and financial guidance, and access to SACCNY’s vast network of corporations, mentors, and investors. The program takes place in both Stockholm and New York.

The Application is officially open. The last day to apply is February 24th.

Apply now

Innovate Nordics is a unique initiative offering a deep dive into all the essential information, knowledge, and tools needed to enter the U.S. market effectively.

Spearheaded by SACCNY’s carefully selected professionals and facilitated by industry experts in the U.S., the Innovate Nordics program provides invaluable insights and expert advice through a series of carefully selected workshops. Additionally, participants gain access to SACCNY’s unparalleled network of Nordic and global corporations, mentors, and investors.

Companies accepted into the program will participate in the Innovate Nordics pitch competition in Stockholm and New York. There, they will compete for the prestigious SACCNY&EY Innovate Nordics Award, which includes a one-year membership and access to SACCNY’s premium workspace, Gateway, at 900 3rd Avenue, New York.

Worried about cost? Our valued partner, EY, will sponsor the program fee for all accepted companies (excluding accommodation and travel expenses)!

Application deadline

February 24th, 2025

Kl. 23:59 CET

Pictures from previous Innovate Nordics

Program Agenda 2024

January - March

Application process

Deadline for applications on February 24th

Applications are reviewed by SACCNY and EY

May

Stockholm, May 8th

Introduction & Pitch

Kick-off

Keynote speakers and panel discussion

Networking and mingle

April

Introductory meeting

Pitch Review & Coaching Tailored to the U.S.

Inter-Cultural Professional Training

Workshops

May

New York delegation trip

Reception and mingle at the residence of Sweden’s Consul General

Roundtable talk with stakeholders, industry leaders and peer companies

B2B matchmaking and meetings

Pitch competition and investor summit

Keynote speakers

Panel discussion

Price award ceremony

What’s in it for you?

There is more to the program than the pitch competition! In this acceleration program, you will learn about various topics preparing you for an efficient and cost-effective U.S. market entry. Read more about what we will cover below.

Access a comprehensive overview of the American banking system through SACCNY’s banking partners, addressing key aspects such as setting up local bank accounts, money transfers, fraud prevention, and more.
Gain access to valuable networking opportunities with industry peers, investors, and stakeholders in New York.
Embark on visits to various companies in New York City, where you’ll gain invaluable insights into their internationalization experiences.

Discover opportunities to leverage incentives aimed at addressing climate change as a Nordic company establishing a presence in the U.S., enabling you to navigate and capitalize on the growing emphasis on sustainability initiatives. You will also receive practical tools and strategies to integrate sustainable practices into your daily business operations.
Benefit from specialized coaching that highlights the nuances between American and Scandinavian business cultures, equipping you with the skills to adapt successfully to the U.S. business environment.
Gain valuable insights into navigating the legal and regulatory landscape of the U.S., covering crucial topics such as establishing a legal entity, taxation, intellectual property, immigration laws, and more, with support from SACCNY’s trusted legal partners.

Receive expert guidance on effectively reaching and engaging with American audiences, ensuring that your message resonates and drives meaningful connections with key prospects and stakeholders.
Get all the tips and tools necessary to develop and execute a successful pitch well-tailored to American clients, investors, and partners.
Gain comprehensive insights into building and managing teams in the U.S., including attracting and retaining local talent and fostering a positive company culture, with guidance from SACCNY’s professional recruiting partner.

Previous Innovate Nordics Participants

Grönska is an end-to-end company revolutionizing food production by developing technology for vertical farming and producing city-grown vegetables and herbs. You can find their products at a wide range of grocery stores in the Stockholm area.
In 2018, Grönska built Europe’s largest vertical indoor farm.
PlasticFri is all about minimizing the negative impact of plastics by making eco-friendly alternatives. Our innovative technology is based on several years of research and development and built on proprietary multi-step processes by utilizing renewable resources such as agricultural waste, wild plants, non-edible plants and wood fibers.
Founder duo Allen and Max have been recognized several times such as being named one of Sweden’s most powerful leaders in sustainability, selected by Forbes magazine as the top 30 most influential entrepreneurs, featured on the prestigious “Forbes 30 under 30” list and awarded the Prince Daniel Fellowship.
Founded by scientists with the explicit mission to make climate science truly accessible by those who need it to solve climate change, CarbonCloud translates decades of climate research into actionable insights for the food industry through a scalable SaaS platform and the world’s largest carbon footprint dataset.
CarbonCloud’s customer portfolio includes some of the most committed food companies from around the globe such as WWF, OATLY, and Dole.
Spowdi is a green-tech company driving an agricultural evolution with the help of the sun. The company was founded in 2016 and its globally patented technology to move and distribute water enables small-hold farmers to secure an efficient and profitable food production system, save water, and leave the fossil-fuel era behind.
Spowdi has, amongst other things, led panels at COP28, and won the World Economic Forum ‘Top Innovator’ award for climate smart farming solution.
C Green makes wet waste valuable by converting wet biowaste into solid hydrochar with their patented OxyPower HTC™ technology. OxyPower HTC™ converts wet sludge into a solid, odorless material that can be used as soil improvement or biofuel.
C Green has established the world´s first OxyPower HTC™ plant at Stora Enso packaging paper mill in Finland.
Enjay is a Swedish cleantech company specialized in energy efficiency. The company´s first solution, Lepido, is the first in the world to offer profitable energy recycling from restaurant ventilation. The innovation enables reducing the annual emissions of CO2 by 500 million metric tons, one entire percent of the projected world-wide CO2 emissions by 2050.
The company has won several awards for their innovation and has provided their services to companies such as Strawberry Hotels, VOLVO, and Burger King
C Green makes wet waste valuable by converting wet biowaste into solid hydrochar with their patented OxyPower HTC™ technology. OxyPower HTC™ converts wet sludge into a solid, odorless material that can be used as soil improvement or biofuel.
C Green has established the world´s first OxyPower HTC™ plant at Stora Enso packaging paper mill in Finland.