Cellevate reaches finals in Swedbank’s “Rivstart” contest for entrepreneurs

The SmiLe incubator company Cellevate has continued to the final round in Swedbank’s Rivstart contest. The contest winners will be announced on Friday, September 15, in Stockholm. Cellevate is one of the 15 companies chosen in fierce competition with several thousand other entries. The top ten entrepreneurs will receive SEK 250,000 each.

The purpose of Swedbank’s Rivstart contest is to find and support entrepreneurs who help make the world a better place. This initiative is one of Swedbank's largest ever, with a total of SEK 2.5 million to be awarded to the ten companies that present the best pitch and have the best business idea.

The finalists will present their pitches live to a contest jury. Jury members will base their decisions on the following criteria: the business concept should solve a problem, contribute to a favorable change in the community and have the potential to build a profitable business. The winners will receive SEK 250,000 in startup capital, as well as advice and assistance with business development.

Members of the jury:

Birgitte Bonnesen – CEO Swedbank, chairperson of the jury

Jan Eliasson – diplomat, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, and former Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Johan Rockström – Director, Stockholm Resilience Center; Professor, Stockholm University

Caroline Walerud – founder of Volumental; partner, Walerud Ventures

Ash Pournouri – entrepreneur

Aurore Belfrage – co-founder, Wrapp

Sara Wimmercranz – founder, Footway; founding partner, Backing Minds

Richard Båge – entrepreneur and investor; partner; Storytel

Mats Lundqvist – director of Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship

Facts about Cellevate:
Cellevate is an innovative biotech company that develops the next generation of cell culture systems. We create highly porous and consistent networks of nanofibers through a patented manufacturing process. Our goal is to provide life science researchers with more realistic in-vitro models, for more relevant data and successful research. Fewer animal studies are required and research becomes more efficient, faster and cheaper.

Cellevate – Enhancing life-science through nanotechnology.

Contakt: Maximilian Ottosson, CEO, +46 (0) 736 333-390, maximilian.ottosson@cellevate.com

www.cellevate.com

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