Start-ups from Uppsala University on inspirational trip to the US

In February, three start-up projects from Uppsala University will be taking part in an inspiration and internationalisation programme in Boulder in the US as part of the Sireus collaborative project.

This trip is an initiative within the framework of Sireus, a collaborative project between the Swedish American Chambers of Commerce (SACC-USA) and 13 Swedish universities. What’s the purpose of this trip?
"The trip is an advanced programme for research-based startups, with a view to giving them early exposure to the US market. We’re hoping to accelerate the rate of development in commercialisation projects from Sweden with ambitions to build companies that are capable of international growth. A number of Swedish higher education institutions are taking part in the Sireus project. Spin-off companies from four universities will be travelling to Boulder to expand their network and gain more of an understanding of how to communicate their value offering in the US."

Which spin-off companies from Uppsala University will be taking part?
"Enphasys, Mind Intelligence Lab and Virubustor from Uppsala will be taking part. These are all active in different sectors, but they’re all what are known as deep tech companies that develop products and services based on advanced technologies with the potential to solve key problems facing society. Our ambition is to tailor the programme to each of the companies and the challenges that companies of this kind face."

Why Boulder?
"Situated just north of Denver in the US, Boulder is a thriving ecosystem of startups, high-tech companies, government research labs, academic research and lots of venture capital. Venture Partners at CU Boulder, our hosts for the trip, is one of the top-ranked commercialisation stakeholders in the US. There are lots of exciting things happening here, and we believe that our companies have a lot to learn and will be able to gain lots of inspiration along the way."

What does the programme include?
"The programme includes workshops and seminars with representatives from Colorado’s tech ecosystem, roundtable discussions with local investors and entrepreneurs, plus networking opportunities and study visits to successful companies in the region. The companies from Sweden will also have the opportunity to meet with companies from Boulder and Denver that are at the top of their respective wish lists."

How are the preparations for the trip going?
"It’s all gone really quickly! We got in touch with the researchers working with the selected companies in December, and they expressed their interest. The programme will be fine-tuned between now and the departure date so that we can be sure that all participants will get the most out of this inspiration and internationalisation programme, and our local host is providing invaluable assistance in this regard."

Three spin-off companies from Uppsala University are taking part in the trip to Boulder

Enphasys has developed a new technology that can very accurately predict how oral drug formulations will be absorbed by the body and take effect, offering an opportunity to replace animal testing and save valuable time when developing drugs.

Mind Intelligence Lab combines computer science and behavioural psychology to create powerful analytical tools that use digital communication to predict behaviour and identify risks such as violence, suicide and toxic language.

Virubustor has developed an in-vehicle air purification technology that uses the vehicle’s internal combustion engine as a heat source to sterilise the air. This allows the air to be cleared of aerosols that may contain pathogens such as coronaviruses.