Sahlgrenska Science Park unveils rebranding initiative with the launch of CO-AX accelerator
Sahlgrenska Science Park, a catalyzer for innovation and collaboration in the life science sector in Sweden, proudly announces CO-AX, an exciting rebranding of its non-profit accelerator for startup and scaleup companies.
Publish date:2023-08-22
[GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN, 22 August 2023]
The decision to rebrand the accelerator activities at Sahlgrenska Science Park as CO-AX reflects the accelerator’s increasingly important role to nurture and support entrepreneurs looking to develop innovative tech solutions that address global health challenges.
Unleashing potential to impact health
The technology shift in healthcare, increasing person-centric care and mounting financial constraints, accelerated by covid 19, are propelling a massive need for transformation in the design and performance of health and healthcare systems around the world. The need for innovative technology solutions to address early disease prevention & detection, support patient rehabilitation and promote health & wellbeing - at home, at work, at healthcare facilities or in other everyday settings - in a sustainable and cost-efficient way, has never been greater.
Startup companies hold a massive potential to help address this need and to drive the transformation from sick care to health care. Nevertheless, they often face numerous challenges that slow them down. These include a lack of test and validation environments, inadequate innovation procurement processes and complex regulatory & compliance frameworks.
By leveraging deep domain expertise and extensive national & international collaboration networks, CO-AX is focused solely on providing entrepreneurs with a unique and tailored platform to equip and empower them to address their market access, compliance and internationalisation challenges head on; enabling startups to accelerate and scale up their businesses and solutions faster and more efficiently.
Standing out by standing up for collaboration
CO-AX is built on a successful track record of fostering and supporting healthtech, medtech and biotech companies with the potential to make a global impact. Besides equipping entrepreneurs and their teams with necessary and tailored guidance, tools and knowledge, CO-AX stands out from traditional startup support programs by also offering a comprehensive ecosystem of resources and partner networks, as well as access to care providers.
One partner network example is Health Tech Nordic, a fast-growing community of more than 300 companies that we co-founded together with like-minded, innovation-enabling partners across the Nordic countries. The aim is to provide new and better ways of giving and receiving healthcare, thus improving the lives of millions of people around the world. Health Tech Nordic is the second largest healthtech community in the world behind Silicon Valley. Another example is Nordic Proof, a network of partners providing structured access to leading Nordic health institutions and testing hubs in the Nordics.
More than 140 companies have already scaled up and exited the accelerator programs at Sahlgrenska Science Park. There are currently more than 60 companies benefitting from the accelerator’s tailored programs, including award-winning companies such as Detectivio, Walkbeat and MabelAI.
Reinforcing our commitment to entrepreneurs
The rebranding symbolizes and reinforces our commitment to taking good ‘Care Of’ our entrepreneurs. CO also stands for ‘Collaboration’, an important part of how the accelerator works to enable its startups to reach their goals through partnerships with others. AX is a short name for ‘Accelerator’.
The CO-AX rebranding initiative encompasses several exciting elements, including:
CO-AX - the new name for Sahlgrenska Science Park’s non-profit, startup accelerator.
A contemporary, colourful, new logo loaded with symbolic references to growth, innovation and entrepreneurship.
A new co-ax.org landing page gathering everything you need to know about the CO-AX accelerator offering and how entrepreneurs can apply to the program.
A renewed commitment to expanding our international and cross-sector outreach, and making it easier for tech visionaries to navigate healthcare systems and to shape the future of health
Charlotta Gummeson, CEO at Sahlgrenska Science Park:
“As part of Sahlgrenska Science Park's ongoing commitment to drive innovation and create impact in the health sector, we are thrilled to launch CO-AX. Through this initiative, we aim to provide startups and entrepreneurs with the necessary resources, expertise, and network to not only succeed in their respective markets, but also to make a significant global impact. By supporting these pioneers, we believe we can collectively shape the future of healthcare.”
Annica Grimberg Lignell, Head of CO-AX:
"We are committed to empowering startups to become globally successful health impact companies. CO-AX will play a vital role in nurturing and propelling them towards success, connecting them into our global network and enabling them to address critical healthcare challenges. Thereby, facilitating the shift from sick care to health care and positively impacting the lives of people around the world.”
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Applications for the CO-AX accelerator are now open
Startups interested in benefitting from the CO-AX program are encouraged to apply to the autumn cohort before September 29. For more information about the program and the application process, please visit www.co-ax.org.
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