In Sweden, the ninth cohort of the renowned Forest Business Accelerator programme has recently kicked off, bringing together a diverse group of startups poised to redefine the industry’s future. This year’s program marks a significant expansion of its collaborative network. The long-standing partnership between the incubator BizMaker, forestry giant SCA, technology leader IBM, and research institution RISE has been bolstered by the addition of Sweco, a major European engineering and architecture consultancy. This new alliance creates a powerful ecosystem designed to nurture and accelerate groundbreaking business ideas that connect the forest with digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
The startups selected for the 2025 programme represent a broad spectrum of the bioeconomy, each addressing a unique challenge or opportunity. The range of their work underscores the vast potential of the forest as a source of not just timber, but also data, energy, and novel materials.
Meet the 2025 Cohort of Innovators
Scandinavian woodprinting: This company is poised to transform the wood products market by using advanced processes to create high-quality building and interior design materials. Their focus on high-value applications suggests a move beyond traditional lumber, exploring new textures, finishes, and functional properties that can be “printed” onto wood surfaces, potentially opening up new avenues for custom design and sustainable manufacturing.
Sleipner robotics: Operating in the field of automation, Sleipner Robotics is developing unmanned vehicles for unstructured and challenging environments. In the context of forestry, this could lead to autonomous solutions for tasks like timber harvesting, log transportation, and remote forest management, improving both safety and efficiency in a high-risk operational setting.
RM labs: Stepping into the food and health sector, RM Labs is dedicated to developing plant-based ingredients sourced from the forest. This venture highlights the immense potential of the bioeconomy to provide sustainable alternatives to traditional food sources. Their work could contribute to the development of new, healthy, and environmentally friendly food products, demonstrating the versatility of forest-based resources.
Conifer vision: The convergence of technology and forestry is a key theme for this cohort, and Conifer Vision is at the forefront. The company is developing advanced AI models and measurement methods for field forest inventory. This technology could provide forest managers with real-time, highly accurate data on tree health, growth, and carbon sequestration, enabling more precise and sustainable forest management practices.
The addition of Sweco to the accelerator programme is a strategic move that introduces a new dimension of expertise and market access for the startups. With over 30,000 projects annually and a vast network of consultants across Europe, Sweco is a powerhouse in the planning and design of buildings and infrastructure. Their involvement provides the startups with an invaluable bridge to the market, offering new contact points and broad expertise to help them navigate the complex challenges of scaling their businesses.
“Once again, it is interesting to follow and collaborate with the selected companies, and also great that Sweco is now a part of the accelerator,” says Hans Johansson, a senior research specialist at SCA’s R&D Centre and the program’s coordinator for the company. He emphasises the symbiotic relationship: the startups receive crucial support, while the established partners gain fresh insights into emerging technologies and business models. This reciprocal flow of knowledge is essential for keeping large corporations at the cutting edge of innovation.
Pelle Berglund, project manager for the Forest Business Accelerator and a business developer at BizMaker, also highlighted the potential for synergy among the startups themselves. “It will be exciting to see how and if we can cross-connect these different startup companies so that they can strengthen each other in a good way,” he said. This focus on creating a supportive network where companies can collaborate, share resources, and even co-develop solutions is a hallmark of the program’s success.
A greener world through innovation
The Forest Business Accelerator, a flagship initiative of BizMaker, has a proven track record of nurturing new companies. Over the years, 59 startups have participated in the programme, refining their business ideas with the intensive support of industry and research leaders. The six-month programme provides business development support from BizMaker, coupled with opportunities to test and validate ideas with partner companies like SCA, IBM, and RISE.
The program’s core mission is to create new business opportunities and contribute to a greener world. It achieves this by combining the rich resources of the forest with the transformative power of digitalisation and entrepreneurship. By supporting startups that are developing products from forest byproducts, creating advanced materials, or applying AI to improve forestry operations, the accelerator is directly contributing to the development of a more efficient, sustainable, and innovative bioeconomy.
As global economies shift towards more sustainable models, the Forest Business Accelerator stands as a testament to the power of collaboration between established industry players and agile startups. It’s a model that not only fosters economic growth but also ensures that the forest, a vital natural resource, remains at the heart of a sustainable future for the woodworking and related industries. The innovations born from this program are set to shape the way we manage, utilize, and value our forests for generations to come.
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