Norrsken Impact Accelerator 2021

IF YOU WIN, WE ALL WIN

We are a pre-seed accelerator investing in the best startups solving the world’s biggest challenges.

We target early-stage startups that leverage technology to create and scale innovative solutions to new and old societal and environmental challenges. We invest $100k in them and then invite them to Stockholm for a dedicated 8 week sprint with support from successful and experienced entrepreneurs, including unicorn founders. The program will culminate in an iconic investor demo day, when startups pitch to hundreds of investors and potential customers.
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Norrsken Impact Accelerator is sector agnostic and is open to startups in any area of impact. Each year, we’ll also highlight one or more verticals in which we’ll bring a little extra domain-specific expertise. This year, the cohort will be from mixed impact areas, with a special focus on food-tech and agri-tech.

WHAT YOU GET

$100K INVESTMENT
Upfront pre-seed investment of $100k for 5% equity. There’s no fee for the program so you keep the full $100k.

UNICORN MENTORS
Dedicated 8 week sprint at Norrsken House Stockholm with mentorship from world-class founders who’ve faced the same challenges as you, including unicorn founders.

TOP INVESTORS
Meet hundreds of top investors & potential customers at Demo Day. Continue to receive warm introductions to the right investors during and after the sprint.

PITCH TO 100 OF THE WORLD’S BEST INVESTORS
The sprint ends with Demo Day, to which we’ve invited 100 top international investors. Pitch to them, make connections and book investor meetings. Here are some of the investors you’ll meet.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We target early-stage startups that leverage technology to create and scale innovative solutions to new and old societal and environmental challenges.
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We support startups in any area of impact and across all verticals. Each year, we’ll also highlight one or more verticals in which we’ll bring a little extra domain-specific expertise. This year, it’s food-tech. So no, we’re not a food-tech only accelerator, but if you’re a food-tech startup, we’re especially excited to hear from you.

> Impact
We invest across all UN SDGs and do not limit ourselves to a specific vertical, but we demand that impact is intentional. We are looking for companies where impact is built into the product, so that as your business grows, your impact automatically follows. When this is the case, we can give you the tools to manage your impact but focus on what we do best – helping you grow the business.

> Business model
We don’t think you need to sacrifice profit to make an impact. When impact is baked into your business, if you achieve financial success, you’ve almost certainly created a lot of impact too. So we’re looking for companies that, if successful, will become unicorns.

> Technology
Software or hardware, we invest in innovations that use technology as a tool in creating and scaling solutions.

> Stage
Because of the terms of our investment, we’re ideally suited to supporting companies at an early (pre-seed) stage. This means you’ve identified a clear market opportunity and path to market with your product. You may have built or be building your MVP, but you’ve gone beyond just the idea and have something to show. However, we are happy to support startups who have made more progress and fast-track your success from your base starting point.

> Geography
We are based in Sweden and ask startups to come to Stockholm for 8 weeks over the (European) summer to sprint on their businesses with our support. However, we are looking for companies from anywhere in the world.

THE 8 WEEK SPRINT

We don’t think a fixed curriculum works – it’s too general and wastes precious time. You’ll get the advice you need based on your demand.

> 1:1s with Co-founders & Mentors
Building a startup is hard. It’s a little easier if you get to bounce ideas and get advice from experienced, successful entrepreneurs. You’ll be given a lead co-founder mentoring you and a group of peer companies. You’ll also get your own lead mentor with experience from your industry or sector. You’ll get advice, feedback, pitch training, connections and total honesty from the co-founders and mentors.

> Peer group feedback sessions
Advice and feedback from your peers can be just as valuable as from mentors. You’ll join a peer group with a handful of other startups, led by the same co-founder. Every couple of weeks, you’ll get together to discuss your progress, give each other feedback and suggestions, and keep each other accountable.

> Optional meetings with experts
We don’t want to waste your time with unnecessary meetings, so taking up the offer is entirely in your hands. If you find it useful, you’ll be able to book meetings with experts for domain-specific questions in areas like accounting, legal, marketing, or impact areas like clean energy, food science, medicine.

> Workspace adapted for crunchtime
The program will be tough. There’s no doubt about it. You’ll be working hard and sprinting fast. To do this, you’ll have 24/7 access to Norrsken House – a workspace built with entrepreneurs’ needs in focus. But it’s also about community – learning from and interacting with your peers. It may be the conversation by the coffee machine that’s the game-changer.

> Dinners with talks from inspirational founders
In the midst of the sprinting, there’s still time for a little fun, laughter and inspiration. We’ll bring in inspiring entrepreneurs to give short talks or Q&As, followed by dinner with your peers, co-founders, mentors, and other startups we think are great.

TIMELINE

12 Jan – Applications open: Apply early as we process applications on a rolling basis.

28 Feb – Deadline for applications: Don’t miss it!

5 Jul – Sprint starts in Stockholm: Arrive a little early and explore Stockholm. Once we start, it’ll be at full speed.

25 Aug – Investor Demo Day: Take the next step & showcase your business to the best investors

27 Aug – Sprint ends