Singapore-headquartered venture capital firm Antler launched a Sweden-based startup building platform called Restart the Future today with 13 companies as partners.
Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing arm of e-commerce group Amazon, is among the partners, as are banking group Nordea, insurance broker Max Matthiessen, mobile networking software provider Mavenir and engineering, architecture and consultancy Ramboll.
Blood analysis provider Werlabs, communications technology producer Ericsson, ferry and offshore services group Stena, publishing house Mondial, investment bank Carnegie, law firm Baker McKenzie, ARC and Lannebo Fonder make up the rest of the group.
The one-year initiative is being set up with the aim of sustaining 1,000 startups by the end of 2022 in a bid to bolster the Swedish economy, through activities such as business contests and mentoring. The partners will not be providing equity funding through the scheme.
Restart the Future will begin this week with applications opening for a five-week digital entrepreneurship course for startups called Launch Academy, followed by a business ideas contest in January 2021. Startups will also be able to book coaching sessions with business leaders through the initiative.