Four startup companies join the Forest Business Accelerator for 2025–2026, a regional business development program that brings together forestry and digitalization. High Coast Invest and new program partner Sweco adds site finding and engineering expertise to the toolbox that aims to fast-track innovation and up-scaling.
Forestry, pulp and bio-based materials are main industries in our region. The Forest Business Accelerator aims to leverage this by connecting established actors with startup companies, creating a space where innovations can be safely tried, tested and validated.
– The Forest Business Accelerator has proven for many years to add significant value to the participating companies. With High Coast Invest’s offering and available industry sites, we can make it even more attractive. We have an entrance to physical establishment for the right business cases, says Magnus Viström, director of investment at High Coast Invest.
The accelerator is organized by BizMaker together with partners SCA, IBM and RISE, who are joined this year by engineering consultancy Sweco. Together, the partners offer an attractive mix of expertise, test beds and business support that give real life validation to bold ideas.
–Sweco adds deep technical competence and and will contribute with additional perspectives in the acceleration of the participating companies. To understand planning, design and engineering is an important part in the process of scaling up and establishing a new industry, says Magnus Viström.
Conifer Vision, one of this year’s participating companies, develops AI-based support systems for forestry to help landowners plan and optimise sustainable forest management. Founder Roger Öhlund looks forward the program, that kicked off early September.
– The forestry sector is large and diverse, which is why we found the Forest Business Accelerator to be a great way to access networks and establish new relations. Customer dialogue is everything, especially for a startup like ours. The international profile is very interesting to us, as well. Sweden has about 23,5 million hectares of forest – globally there is something like 4 billion hectares. That’s where we want to be, he says.
The companies
• Conifer Vision delivers AI tools that help landowners plan and optimise sustainable forest management.
• RM Labs transforms forest resources into sustainable ingredients for food, beverage, and health.
• Scandinavian Woodprinting creates sustainable 3D-printed products from wood fibres and bio-based binders.
• Sleipner Robotics develops autonomous electric vehicles that make forestry logistics more efficient and climate-friendly.
