Startups from Västernorrland seek the business of the future in Germany

Eight selected startups, together with business developers from BizMaker, will travel to Berlin and Düsseldorf to broaden their international network. On the agenda is a series of activities, all with the aim of eventually achieving international success.
- For us, Germany is one of the major European markets. Reaching out internationally at an early stage is a necessity," says Lars-Erik Sjögren, who is traveling with his company Allogro.

On October 6-11, a delegation of 20 people will travel first to Berlin and then to Düsseldorf. The eight companies come from different sectors and have very different business ideas, but all face internationalization in the short or long term.

- "In Sweden, we have our way of doing things, and a limited market. It's important to get out early to get to know the larger markets and see how things work there," says Lars-Erik Sjögren, founder of Allogro, one of the companies that will be joining us.

The trip has several purposes. Partly to give the accompanying startup companies the opportunity to hold their own meetings with potential customers and partners. But also for BizMaker as an organization, to exchange experiences with similar businesses in Germany and explore opportunities for cooperation to provide access to coworking environments that can facilitate Swedish and German startups to establish themselves internationally.

- "We chose Germany because it is a large market where most people can find interesting meetings and opportunities even if we bring many different ideas. In the past we have been to Canada and the US, now we also get the advantage of coming in under the "EU hat" which simplifies a lot, says Maria Wiik, business developer at BizMaker who coordinated the trip.

In Düsseldorf, the delegation will also visit the German-Swedish Chamber of Commerce and get behind-the-scenes tips for successful business relations Germany and continental Europe.

The accompanying company Allogro has developed a process to replace peat in various types of cultivation beds with bio-based residual materials from the pulp and biogas industry. The company has a working product and is aiming for commercialization in 2025.

During the trip, Allogro will meet both potential customers and companies in the chemical industry, which could become important suppliers for the manufacturing process in Sweden. Founder Lars-Erik Sjögren has previously participated in BizMaker's business development program Forest Business Accelerator with another company.

- BizMaker lives very close to its startups and succeeds well in adapting its support individually. And they have very good contacts within the large industrial companies, which are important to us," concludes Lars-Erik Sjögren.