Phew… I’m totally exhausted from a long, but fun and enlightening, day at Innovative Sweden.

Today’s topic was The Future of Mobile and companies such as Sony Ericsson, Ericsson, and Innovationsbron were sponsors.

The day started with an opening ceremony with Swedish hors d’oeuvres and lunch buffet by Chef Pelle, which was to die for… I could not stop eating, and wine from West Wines that produced the wine for the 2010 Nobel Banquet. The exhibitors and startups that were pitching were still dropping in from the airport after a long flight from Sweden and others looked somewhat jet lagged, but excited.

After opening speeches by Annika Rembe, Director General, Swedish Institure; Barbro Osher, General Consul of Sweden in San Francisco; and Dr. Arthur Bienenstock, Professor Emeritus Stanford University, Special Assistant to the President for Federal Research and Policy and Director, Wallenberg Research Link Stanford University, the sessions and panel discussions started. The speakers and panelists were true experts in their areas and it was very interesting to hear their views on the future.

Since it was a lot of information to soak in the coffee breaks with kaffe och kaka were really appreciated and also great for networking and talking to people. All of the exhibitors had booths in the exhibit hall, where guided tours were also offered. I was quite amazed by all the cool inventions and ideas these Swedish startups had created, and eager for the evening’s pitches.

Twenty five startups (many of them were also exhibitors at the event) had 1 minute each to pitch (+ 2 minutes Q&A) to a panel consisting of VCs and experienced entrepreneurs, e.g. Nicolai Wadstrom, BootstrapLabs and Wendy Lung, IBM Venture Capital Group, on why they should receive funding.

All the companies pitching seemed great, but the ones that stood out to me were Saplo and Solvatten. Saplo basically because its CEO Mattias Tyrberg pitched in a bright green suit. Solvatten because of their incredible product, a portable 10-liter container designed to purify water saving millions of lives.

What a great event! I can’t wait for tomorrow when the topic is The Key Factors In Creating Innovative Hotspots.

-Anna

Don’t forget to follow my tweets @herringbonefm. #InnovativeSweden
I also posted a few photos on Facebook.
Watch the different sessions livestreamed via the Swedish Institute’s Bambuser channel.

The week-long event is sponsored by the Swedish Institute, which is a public agency that promotes Sweden around the world. And that is exactly the purpose of Innovative Sweden, which is a worldwide tour to generate interest in Sweden. The first stop is Stanford University before it travels on to Toronto, Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro and other parts of the world.

 Traveling around the world and increasing awareness around Sweden will help the Swedish Institute to reach its goal: the creation of “mutual relationships with other countries around the world, whether the issue is culture, politics, trade, or development cooperation.”

Its website also reveals that the Swedish Institute:

• Puts Sweden on the map by using strategic communication,

• Creates intercultural relations through meetings, exchanges and the building of networks,

• Focuses on culture, society, education and science,

• Has some 90 members of staff in Stockholm and Paris,

• Receives annual government funding of approx. SEK 300 million.

Innovative Sweden emphasizes all the great inventions that have come from Sweden (the safety belt, the zipper, tetra pak, the pace maker… the list is long) and the fact that we Swedes still are world leaders of innovation in a variety of fields.

Innovative Sweden offers an event focused on the fields of Information and Communication Technology, Clean Technology, Gaming and Life Science and is filled with exciting speakers such as Rikard Steiber, Global Marketing Director – Mobile & Social Advertising, Google and Barbro Osher, General Consul of Sweden in San Francisco.

Twenty Swedish companies and startups, such as Solvatten and OrganoClick, are showcased in the exhibition and many of them will pitch for VCs tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

- Anna

Don’t forget to follow my tweets @herringbonefm. #InnovativeSweden

Watch an introduction video from Innovative Sweden.