Two BizMaker startups receive SEK 500,000 in Vinnova's call

Collecct and ITSL Solutions are each awarded SEK 500,000 in this year's call for Innovative Startups. A total of three companies in Västernorrland receive funding, which places Västernorrland among the most successful in northern Sweden in terms of this year's call.

In Vinnova's call for Innovative Startups 2025, two companies in BizMaker's network, Collecct and ITSL Solutions, have been granted SEK 500,000 each. The funding supports two promising startups in their continued development of solutions in circular economy and secure information management.

In this year's round, 1 037 applications were submitted to Vinnova. Of these, 103 were granted.

Targeted investment contributed to two granted Vinnova applications

To strengthen the companies' ability to get through the tough competition, BizMaker implemented a targeted initiative where startups were offered support in the application process. The initiative included workshops, individual advice and expert feedback in both technology and business development.

- It is rarely the writing itself that takes time. The words can always be shaped, especially with the support of AI. The difficult part is to clarify what the company actually knows about the problem, the solution and the business model," says Erica Markusson, funding advisor at BizMaker and initiator of the application support.

- Since Vinnova funding can be used to finance staff costs at an early stage, which is unusual, competition is fierce. The application process makes companies sharper and often increases their chances of securing other funding as well," she continues.

Two strong startups take the next step

ITSL Solutions receives funding to further develop its secure cloud management solution for the public sector.

- The funding allows us to develop a strategically important part of the company that would otherwise not have been possible at this time. We continue to work on creating a more secure type of cloud service for the public sector. Organizations get the simplicity of a cloud service but the security of operating their information on their own. The idea is that sensitive data should always be protected, even from us as a service provider. The support from BizMaker in the application process has been brilliant and a great help to get here," says Fredrik Jonasson, CEO and founder of ITSL Solutions.

Collecct is granted funding to further develop its digital service for material and waste management with a focus on circular flows.

- The funding allows us to take the next step much faster and dare to invest fully in innovation instead of customer-funded development. We can now develop and test our software for digital management of materials and waste and show how circularity can be both measurable and profitable. The support in the application process was invaluable. BizMaker gathered the right competencies around us and helped to lift the application to the next level, says Daniel Pluntky, CEO of Collecct.

The initiative was carried out in collaboration with RISE Processum and other incubators in northern Sweden, with the aim of increasing the number of competitive applications from the region.