Three startup companies that all want to reduce mental illness in children and young people are now taking part in BizMaker's Youth Wellness Accelerator program. During five intensive months, the entrepreneurs will work with business developers and partners to refine their ideas and offerings.
The Youth Wellness Accelerator is the program for companies from all over Sweden with digital solutions that meet one of society's major challenges - to prevent mental illness in children and adolescents. In 2023, the accelerator will be arranged for the second time, and just as before, the public sector is the most important partner because it is where society meets and receives young people who feel bad.
- We thought we saw a great need after the pandemic, and unfortunately the uncertainty has only increased after that. The worsening economic situation and unrest in the outside world are things that affect many young people, especially those who lack support from home, says Cecilia Nordlund, business developer and project manager at BizMaker.
This year, three companies have been admitted to the Youth Wellness Accelerator, all at different stages.
- The companies are given the opportunity to verify different steps in their development, together with the municipality and the region. We offer a safe environment to test their case, instead of building something on your own that you are not sure works, says Cecilia Nordlund.
Of this year's three companies, two come from Västernorrland and one from Uppsala.
Zeeds develops an app and an interface where psychologists and patients can follow the progress of therapy between the physical meetings. The unique platform both increases the motivation of the patient and reduces the administration for the therapist.
YoungNest wants to give young people and young adults a safe start in adulthood by guiding them to everything that they are suddenly expected to take responsibility for themselves - jobs, housing, insurance, what the company summarizes as life skills.
MindQuest develops a game-inspired method to prevent mental illness, aimed at a young target group.
The accelerator starts in mid-February and runs until June. In the various phases of the program, the entrepreneurs will receive help with, among other things, identifying their business, how to find financing and how to communicate their value to future customers.
- "Communication is particularly important for so-called impact companies, where values and the ambition to achieve positive social change are central," says Cecilia Nordlund.
The main partners of the Youth Wellness Accelerator are the Municipality of Sundsvall, Region Västernorrland and Bron Innovation.
CONTACT
Cecilia Nordlund, Project Manager Youth Wellness Accelerator and Business Advisor, BizMaker
070-557 90 03, cecilia.nordlund(@)bizmaker.se
