London Bootcamp – a unique growth programme for Swedish tech startups

The London Bootcamp growth programme is now open for registrations. 

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK organises London Bootcamp, a growth programme specially designed for Swedish tech businesses looking to build a presence and connection with London and the UK market. 

Contents of the programme

The participating businesses get the opportunity to learn from, connect with and meet leading tech experts, successful entrepreneurs and seasoned investors from the tech and financial capital of Europe.

The programme offers a range of dedicated seminars and workshops, on topics ranging from practically setting up in the UK, how to find customers and distributors, to lessons learnt from entrepreneurs already established the UK, and what investors are looking for. Speakers and mentors include senior business professionals, seasoned entrepreneurs and best-in-class field experts. 

 

What's in it for you?

  • Connect with the wider VC, angel and investor community in London – the world’s largest financial centre.
  • Opportunity for one-on-one coaching with market experts.
  • Go-to-market strategy: pricing and business model.
  • Business Development, Sales, PR and Scaleup Marketing.
  • Understand the opportunities available in the UK market, the fifth largest economy in the world.
  • Practically understand the necessary steps for setting up and successfully running a business in the UK.
  • Learn from seasoned entrepreneurs and businesses who have already made it in the UK.
  • Gain unique insight from established local experts across a range of fields.
  • Share experiences and challenges with other like-minded entrepreneurs currently on the same journey.

Who can participate?

  • You have a limited company (AB) registered in Sweden
  • Your tech product or service has been launched
  • You have raised a series A round OR revenue focused and generating 6MSEK or equivalent p/a 
  • You are growing at a rapid rate
  • You have ambition for international growth
  • You are able to partake in the bootcamp on-site throughout the week
  • You have developed a plan to enter the UK market
  • You have a desire to learn and share your entrepreneurial experience

Hear it from the participants

In 2022, 10 Swedish tech businesses and startups participated in the programme. Hear what they had to say about their experiences.

Previous participating companies 2022

Alva Labs

Alva Labs

Drazen Jurman, Regional Sales Manager UKI

Alva is a candidate and talent assessment platform that helps recruiters to objectively predict which candidates have the best potential to succeed in their role, identify candidates with the right role/culture fit, helps build diverse teams and improve employee retention. Alva is built on years of scientific research on which selection methods are best to predict performance and success. It is simple to use and easy to integrate with all major ATS systems. Using Alva eliminates unconscious bias and makes recruitment a more data driven process.

Dynamic Code

Dynamic Code

Jonathan Lowther, UK Country Manager

Dynamic Code make precision laboratory diagnostic tests, using their own self-sampling methodologies. Their end to end solution is connected by all of their inhouse manufacturing of test kits, logistics, lab analysis, commerce and customer journey together.

Gofrendly

Gofrendly

Claudia Gård, Co-founder & COO and Ulrika Lilja, Co-founder & CMO

Gofrendly is a women only social network. Gofrendly provides women (only) with a better social life through social innovation, members’ care, and experiences in an AI-driven community app.

Gordon Delivery

Gordon Delivery

Kristina Liljestrand, Head of Expansion & Ali Ghoce, CEO & Founder

Gordon Delivery is an independent last-mile partner, which means that all customers' deliveries can ride together, making it more cost-efficient and better for the climate. Their world-leading AI platform offers real-time route optimisation and automation of complex workflows in chilled deliveries. Gordon Delivery offers an unbroken cold chain from production to the end customers' door steps or lockers with help of refrigerated vehicles and distribution centres. Gordon is currently market leading in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Among their customers are large grocery retailers and mealkit companies such as HelloFresh. Up next: UK

Hubert

Hubert

Fredrik Östgren, Co-founder and CEO & Alexander Beyer, Sales Director

Hubert helps high-volume recruitment teams automate the candidate screening to find the most promising candidates through structured, competency-based, and data-driven AI chat interviews. Hubert can automatically handle large volumes of job applicants, reduce screening time and costs by over 80%, provide a great candidate experience (NPS of 8.3 for user experience). All applicants are given the opportunity to present themselves at an interview and you make more data-driven hiring decisions through structured interviews. No more stiff knock-out questions and confusing GMA tests! Each applicant is invited to a chat-based interview. The interview consists of different types of questions matching minimal requirements, experience, competencies, and valuable skills to the job profile. Hubert automatically analyses the interview using state-of-the-art AI technology. Recruiters are presented with a sorted shortlist based on job fit and drive.

Oneflow

Oneflow

Sebastian Hagerborg, Head of Global Expansion

Oneflow helps teams of any size to thrive at work and businesses to grow. Our world is undergoing huge digital transformation. But contracts are stuck in the dark ages: a frustrating mess of legacy systems, paper, and PDFs — stuck together with an e-signature. Oneflow imagined a better contract workflow. One free from friction that flows seamlessly. Where contracts are effortless, admin non-existent, and progress made at the tap of a button. And people can get on with what they do best. So they built just that, making contracts smarter and an experience so delightful, it feels like magic.

Parently

Parently

David Knutsson, Founder & CEO

Parently provides access to new and pre-loved products when users need them. Remove them when they are no longer needed and fully recondition ready for the next user. Parently’s mission is not only to move families from being consumers to circular users. They disrupt the industry because producers will maintain the ownership of their products. Parently is the enabler for world-renowned brands to take a large step towards the SDG goals. Together with them, they can design a value retention ecosystem that will not only be more sustainable but also give parents an easier life.

Tyra

Tyra

Johan Ekman, CEO

Tyra is one of the highest rated EDtech applications in Sweden. With high user-friendliness, free support and aimed a specific market, one of the benefits of working native is according to Tyra that they keep true to the needs of preschools. The application offers a lot of features and is adaptable to the needs of each preschool. By continuing to develop the application, they also secure continuous improvement of current features and an ongoing launch of many more new features tailored to their clients.

VisBook

VisBook

Arne Hegstad, Head of Sales & Harald Lundemo, Chief Commercial Officer

VisBook is an all-in-one platform that integrates all parts of the hotel business into one complete property management system. Hoteliers and their staff can manage everything from booking, check-in, housekeeping and accounting to restaurant, spa, and conference in one place. With VisBook’s solution, every department uses the same software. This greatly enhances operational efficiency and improves cross-team communication, whilst optimizing the guest experience. Our ethos is: Less admin. More fun. VisBook brings ease and flexibility to your hotel management, so you can focus on providing a memorable guest experience while we handle the administration. With more than 1,000 customers across the Nordics, VisBook is ready to bring the many benefits of a unified Property Management System to UK hotels.

Wintrgarden

Wintrgarden

Michelle Fee Maier, CEO

We see an unprecedent demand in talent and with 70% of all job seekers being passive candidates, employers need to become proactive in the talent attraction process! Wintrgarden helps organisations to build, manage and engage their talent pipeline. With our SaaS-based platform, international enterprises such as Vattenfall or Volvo Group form their very own talent community. Employing our powerful marketing and content toolbox they can convince relevant candidates that their organisation is the right choice when it’s time to seek the next opportunity. Our customers convert relationships into hires before the competition does and get a clear ROI on their talent attraction efforts.

Previous speakers 2022

Peter Sandberg.

Peter Sandberg.

Chief Executive, Swedish Chamber of Commerce

Peter Sandberg is Chief Executive at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce since 2018. He holds an MSc in Political Science and Economics from Lund University and has previously worked in press and communications roles at the Swedish Embassy and Chamber of Commerce in London respectively. He has worked at the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in New York City as Director of Program and VP, and when returning to London, joined the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association where he was part of the management team in his role as Director of Commercial Development & Membership.

H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit.

H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit.

Ambassador of Sweden to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Embassy of Sweden

Elisabet Vinberg Hearn

Elisabet Vinberg Hearn

Co-founder Think Solutions & AI Forum Advisory Board member

Elisabet is a leadership strategist and business owner with extensive experience in how to build winning cultures and teams, facilitating change success with client organisations all around the world. She has co-written three multi-award-winning leadership books, including Amazon bestselling “The Leader’s Guide to Impact” (FT Publishing). Her 4th book ‘Supercharged Leader: Develop your mind and skillset to deal with anything’ will be released by Pearson Business May 2024. Elisabet is a leading voice on future leadership, leading transformation, cultural differences in an international world, and inclusive and innovative business cultures.

Ranj Begley

Ranj Begley

Chief Content Officer and Managing Director UK, Readly

Ranj Begley is the Managing Director of Readly UK, the ground-breaking, all-you-can-read digital magazine service, and Chief Content Officer for the whole of the international Readly operation which has a consumer footprint across 50 territories worldwide. Begley built the UK company from the bottom up, brick by brick, from its launch in 2014 to its current market-leading and award-winning position in 2020. Prior to founding Readly UK, Begley held a number of senior management positions in marketing and business development roles in publishing and fulfilment companies including Dovetail, Highbury House, CDS Global and UBM plc.

Olga Beck-Friis

Olga Beck-Friis

COO & Co-Founder, PocketLaw

Olga Beck-Friis is co-founder of PocketLaw - an all-in-one, digital solution for companies to solve their everyday legal needs. The company was founded in 2018 and employs 30 people in offices in Stockholm and London. Before starting PocketLaw, she worked as a management consultant at McKinsey in Stockholm, focusing on digital strategy and transformation across the private and public sector. She now lives in London to lead PocketLaw in the UK but has spent several years in the UK before that, pursuing a bachelors and masters degree at Cambridge University.

Christian A. Hvamstad

Christian A. Hvamstad

Chief Strategy Officer, Director & Co-Founder, Wastefront

Christian A. Hvamstad is a former financial services executive turned entrepreneur, investor and advisor. After 15 years with Nordea (UK), SEB (UK/NO), First Securities (NO) and Orkla Capital Mgmt. (NO) he moved on to manage a former clients private office in London managing active ownerships in AI, AR Gaming and Renewable Energy companies. This experience triggered him to set out a path to his current ventures. Through his family company, Jagca Capital, he has co-founded an energy transition frontrunner, Wastefront, and DLT RegTech pioneer, Alt Ave. In addition he is invested in an Equity Capital Markets disruptor, Appital, and lifestyle and consumer electronics company, Meters Music.

Chris Moore

Chris Moore

Technology Specialist, Department for International Trade

Chris Moore is a corporate VC and Open Innovation practitioner with exceptional people skills, strong scientific, marketing and commercial background, outstanding knowledge of the European technology base, advocate for the arts and fluent in French. He specialises in open innovation, technology transfer, change management and corporate VC.

Carsten Amdi Jensen

Carsten Amdi Jensen

Deputy Head of Corporate Banking, Danske Bank

Carsten has more than 20 years of experience in working with international corporate customers in the Nordics, Germany and currently, the UK.  Carsten has had a varied banking career, having worked within international relationship management, global cash management, business development and personal banking. Supported by his team in London, he is currently working closely with external colleagues across the Nordic region, to maintain and develop customer relationships across all business segments. Throughout his career, Carsten has successfully led and been involved in cross-cultural collaboration with multiple stakeholders across a large organisation.

Amanda Trewhella

Amanda Trewhella

Managing Associate, Employment Law, Freeths

Amanda is a specialist employment solicitor who advises businesses on the employment law regulations they need to know when setting up their UK operations.  She advises on all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and the drafting of HR policies and employee handbooks, through to advising on business reorganisations, disciplinary and grievance procedures, and drafting and negotiating settlement agreements and severance packages. Amanda works closely with our business immigration team to provide the strategic employment and immigration advice and support needed by European and International businesses when opening up a new base of operations in the UK.

Claus Andersen

Claus Andersen

Partner, Freeths

Claus is a partner in our highly regarded corporate group. He specialises in assisting European and International businesses with the setting up of their UK operations. Claus’s advice support covers all aspects of corporate and commercial work with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, licencing agreements and regulatory advice to companies and businesses in the Life Sciences and technology sector. Claus has also a wealth of experience in relation to inward investment, i.e. overseas companies investing into the UK. Claus has for more than 15 years advised a number of businesses from Scandinavia, Central and Western Europe, Asia and the US about investing in the UK and what such businesses should look out for in that process.

Johan Aurén.

Johan Aurén.

Founder & Managing Director, Accountum

Based in London since 1998, Johan gained his qualification as a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and Chartered Tax Adviser (CIOT). He founded Accountum Limited (formerly Aurén & Co) in 2009. Johan is a Liveryman and member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, a member of the London Chartered Accountants business panel at the Bank of England and the London Chartered Accountants Taxation Committee. He is the Honorary Secretary of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, a Council member of the Anglo Swedish Society and a Trustee of the Swedish Church in London.

Melina Jacovou

Melina Jacovou

Founder & CEO, Propel

Melina’s career has spanned 25 years and she is one of the most recognisable figures in the UK digital industry. As a pioneer of talent for the digital economy, Melina founded Propel London in 2001 and the agency is now one of the UK’s largest independent digital talent businesses. Through her invaluable expertise in digital talent, she has helped hundreds of businesses grow through the acquisition of skilled digital professionals. She has also invested in and advised many high growth tech companies and has mentored founders in the digital ecosystem.

Josh Winfield

Josh Winfield

Global Talent Visa Lead, Tech Nation

Josh is the Global Talent Visa lead for Tech Nation, supporting the best and brightest technical and non-technical talent thrive in the UK's digital technology ecosystem. Passionate about business growth, Josh has previously worked in a number of start-ups internationally (including his own), supporting Product, Events and Operations functions, before leading the team behind NatWest's digital business accelerator. Josh is an avid cricket, wine and bass-guitar player and can mostly be found watching films when not at work! 

Benjamin Webb

Benjamin Webb

Founder and Managing Director, Deliberate PR

Since 2012, Benjamin’s agency, Deliberate PR, has been bringing Swedish tech and cultural startup concepts to the UK: using his country as a gateway to the winder English-speaking world, and helping his clients secure media coverage that makes them attractive to investors and users. In 2015, Deliberate PR opened an office in New York, to help Swedish startups make the move from UK to US market. Swedish clients include Tictail, Toca Boca, Lifesum, FishBrain, Football Addicts, Magine TV, Acast, and Bokförlaget Max Ström. Benjamin, a graduate of Cambridge University, has worked within the media industry for over a decade, including time within the Film Publicity department at Freud Communications, as co-Director of a Consumer PR agency, and in editorial capacities for The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph newspapers.

Cecilia Nikpay

Cecilia Nikpay

Reporter, Affärsvärlden

Cecilia works from London as a freelance writer for the weekly business magazine Affärsvärlden; for the current affairs magazine Fokus, and for the journal Axess, which explores cross-disciplinary themes linked to culture, society, and politics. Her articles range from in-depth reportages and interviews to personal columns and book reviews. Before entering journalism, she worked as a management consultant for Enjoin Partners and for McKinsey & Company in Germany. She has also had roles in start-ups and hence reports on business with some knowledge from the front-line. Cecilia has a Master of Science in business and economics from the Stockholm School of Economics, and also studied philosophy, literature, and film in Mainz.

Eric Johansson

Eric Johansson

Fintech Editor of Verdict

Eric Johansson is the fintech editor of Verdict, the leading online publication decrypting the world of technology. With a decade of journalistic experience under his belt, he specialises in covering new startups and the impact Big Tech firms have on the world. He is also a popular participant tech industry podcasts and speaker at industry events.

Katrine Marçal

Katrine Marçal

Reporter, Dagens Nyheter

Katrine works for the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. She has given keynotes at institutions such as Oxford University Business and Economics Programme, London School of Economics and The Royal School of Technology in Stockholm. In her role as a financial journalist she has interviewed many of the world's leading economic thinkers. Some of her interviews have been viewed more than a million times on YouTube. Katrine's second book Mother Of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored In An Economy Built For Men became a bestseller in Sweden in 2020 and will be published in several languages during 2021 and 2022.

Alex Haddon.

Alex Haddon.

Managing & Creative Director, IC Design

Born in Stockholm, Sweden but resident in London since 1985. In 1998 Alex set up the brand communications agency IC Design and loves running this business in one of the most creative cities in the world. IC Design supports its clients to leverage the incredible power of branding and design to achieve growth and transformation.

Nick Baines

Nick Baines

Co-Founder, Nara Communications

Nick Baines is co-founder of Nara Communications, a PR agency specialising in raising the profile of startups and scaleups. By securing the right kind of media exposure, Nara helps early-stage tech companies raise capital, hire top talent, increase market share and drive brand awareness and credibility. Nara works with Swedish technology companies such Alva Labs, Bower, PocketLaw, Quartr, Wehype, and Warpin. Nick has won accolades including Clio Awards, Fast Company World-Changing Ideas and a Cannes Lions Innovation Grand Prix. He is a published short story writer and biographer with an academic background in philosophy and business ethics.

Ulrika Werdelin

Ulrika Werdelin

Founder and Director, Lind Leadership

Ulrika has over 25 years of C-suite and Board experience at the heart of investment organisations such as Goldman Sachs, Apollo and Accel, and is a Meyler Campbell trained leadership coach and Hogan and MBTI accredited assessor. She works with successful organisations and their leaders as a director, adviser and coach to improve leadership, organisational efficiency and talent assessment.

Yusuf Özdalga

Yusuf Özdalga

Partner, QED Investors

Yusuf is a London based Partner at QED Investors with a focus on European financial technology and consumer finance companies. Yusuf joined QED in 2017, and his career has spanned roles as an operator, advisor, entrepreneur and investor. His current portfolio of investments include Wagestream, Zopa, and GAIN Credit.

Lily Shaw

Lily Shaw

Investor, OMERS Ventures

Lily is part of the European investment team for OMERS Ventures, where she focuses on fintech and healthcare. Prior to joining OMERS Ventures, Lily was a Vice President at JP Morgan where she worked on strategic FinTech investments for the Capital Markets division. She started her career as a FICC trader for JP Morgan, where she managed a FICC portfolio within the Emerging Markets Business. Lily holds a BA Hons degree in Politics from the University of Cambridge.

Mario Klapsis

Mario Klapsis

Ex Trustly and American Express

Mario is the former VP Financial Services, eCommerce & Travel Europe at Trustly, and Director at American Express. He is a commercially-oriented operational business leader, with experience in both startup and blue chip corporate environments. Strong Business Development professional with experience in Change Management and Transformation Strategy and specialisation in Payment and other Services Industries. Strong relationship management and negotiation skills with multinational and multilingual business experience.

Markus Frånlund

Markus Frånlund

Global Client Executive, LinkedIn

Markus is Global Client Executive at LinkedIn. He is a result-oriented professional with a passion for digital innovation and disruptive technology. As part of Linkedin's Global Clients Program, he partner with the world's leading Technology companies as they transform and digitalize their Talent, Learning & Employee Engagement strategies.

Caroline Vaughan

Caroline Vaughan

Head of External Affairs and PR, Minna Technologies

Caroline is the Head of External Affairs and PR at Minna Technologies. She is an innovator that is inspired by leading through change. She enjoys working in nimble and innovative environments that foster the entrepreneurial spirit. She is focused on recognizing synergies in the market and areas for disruption. Portfolio career which included sales, public relations, professional services with a vested interest in how digital is transforming every industry.

SCC Advisory Group for our Growth Programmes

Peter Cunnane

Peter Cunnane

Director of International & National Initiatives, Innovate Finance

Peter is the Director of International & National Initiatives at Innovate Finance, the industry body representing the UK FinTech sector. Peter leads on developing Innovate Finance’s international and national initiatives, to support and promote UK FinTech, and the opportunities for their members to grow, by developing relationships with likeminded hubs across the UK and around the world. Peter also works alongside the Head of Government Affairs and Policy to ensure that the international and national work reflects current political, public policy and regulatory priorities for the sector.

Archie Mason

Archie Mason

Director, True

Archie is Director at retail and consumer innovation and in- vestment firm True. Archie works with True’s global Partners, including M&S, John Lewis Partnership, TJX and Shell Retail, to provide sustained, filtered, pre-emptive access to a flow of relevant technology innovation supporting their most materi- al corporate priorities. Archie previously lead JLP Ventures, the innovation team of the John Lewis Partnership, and prior to that, was a Strategy Consultant at at PwC.

 

Mark Prisk FRICS FRSA

Mark Prisk FRICS FRSA

Strategic Adviser, Non-Executive Director & Executive Coach

Mark Prisk FRICS FRSA is a director, strategic adviser and executive coach working principally in real estate, housing and infrastructure markets. He is a former MP and UK Government Minister of State and was the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Sweden and other Nordic nations between 2014-2109. Mark also mentors proptech entrepreneurs and runs an executive coaching blog InSightsblog.uk. 

Tony Young

Tony Young

National Clinical Lead for Innovation, NHS England

Tony is a practicing frontline NHS surgeon, Associate Medical Director at the Mid and South Essex STP, Director of Medical Innovation at Anglia Ruskin University, and has founded 4 Med-Tech start-ups. He has also co-founded the £500m Anglia Ruskin MedTech Campus.

Get in touch

Are you interested in finding out more about the #AccessUK programme? Please get in contact with Business Services Manager Anna Crona.

Anna Crona

Head of Business Services

anna.crona@scc.org.uk

Patrons

Electrolux Group
Essity
Atlas Copco
Stena

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