Vinnova
Vinnova is Sweden's national innovation agency, a government authority that distributes public funding and convenes stakeholders to strengthen Swedish innovation capacity across startups, universities, public sector, and enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vinnova does
Vinnova is Sweden's national innovation agency, a government authority operating under the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. Its mandate is to strengthen Sweden's innovation capacity for sustainable growth by funding research and innovation projects, convening stakeholders across sectors, and supporting startups, scaleups, universities, public sector organizations, and large enterprises. The agency is headquartered in Stockholm at Mäster Samuelsgatan 56, with international offices in Brussels, Singapore, and Silicon Valley.
Vinnova's core offering is a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single product. The flagship programs include the National Incubator Program (NIP), co-managed with Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP) and supporting over 30 regional innovation environments; the Challenge-Driven Innovation (UDI) program, with three funding stages ranging from 500,000 SEK to 20 million SEK (concluded in 2023); 17 strategic innovation programs across thematic areas including Bioinnovation, Drive Sweden, Medtech4Health, and SWElife; and support for Swedish participation in the EU's Horizon Europe framework. Methodological assets include the OECD Innovation Playbook (adapted into Swedish) and an Ecosystem Playbook developed with Rambøll and Dansk Design Center. Digital infrastructure consists of an e-services portal (etjanster.vinnova.se) for applications and project reporting, a directory of Swedish test beds, and a podcast ("På spaning innovation").
The revenue model is government appropriation: Vinnova receives annual funding from the Swedish government and redistributes it as grants to eligible recipients. Individual grant disbursements documented (27M SEK for 54 projects, 80M SEK for 10 projects, 7.5M SEK for Digidrick) are program-level allocations against the broader appropriation. The agency does not charge for services; rather, it serves as intermediary between public funding sources and the Swedish innovation ecosystem. Customers/recipients span Swedish companies, universities, public sector agencies, and civil society organizations, with no individual customer representing material revenue concentration.
Vinnova firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vinnova
- Legal name
- Vinnova
- Website
- https://vinnova.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Vinnova is Sweden's national innovation agency, a government authority that distributes public funding and convenes stakeholders to strengthen Swedish innovation capacity across startups, universities, public sector, and enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vinnova industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Innovation Funding
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows (BPADAOAI), Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG), Technical Universities with Strong Industry Partnerships (EDAHAEAG)
Keywords
Where Vinnova is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Vinnova business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Funding Appropriation: Vinnova operates as a Swedish government agency funded through annual appropriations from the Swedish government. They distribute this funding as grants to research and innovation projects that align with their mandate to strengthen Swedish competitiveness and innovation capacity for sustainable growth.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vinnova product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vinnova is Sweden's government innovation agency that funds research and innovation projects across companies, universities, and the public sector. It awards grants through national innovation programs (including NIP), UDI verification funding, and strategic innovation programs, and supports internationalization through liaison offices in Brussels, Singapore, and Silicon Valley.
Product overview
Vinnova is Sweden's innovation agency, functioning as a government authority that funds and supports innovation across multiple sectors. The organization operates a portfolio of programs and services including: the National Incubator Program (NIP) supporting startups across 30+ regional environments, the Challenge-Driven Innovation (UDI) program with three funding stages, strategic innovation programs across 17 thematic areas, and support for Horizon Europe participation. Vinnova also provides methodological tools and playbooks for innovation including the OECD Innovation Handbook and Ecosystem Playbook, and maintains a directory of Swedish test beds. The offering is structured as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a unified software product, with services ranging from direct funding (grants up to 20 million SEK) to knowledge resources (expertise areas, publications, podcasts) to digital infrastructure (e-services portal).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- National Innovation Programme (NIP) National innovation program providing grant funding to innovation-active organizations in Sweden across multiple thematic priorities.
- UDI Verification Funding (Verifieringsmedel för innovation) Grant funding instrument helping Swedish innovators verify and validate new ideas, concepts, and technologies before commercialization.
- Strategic Innovation Programs Long-term thematic innovation programs targeting designated strategic areas for Sweden, supporting cross-sector collaboration between industry, academia, and the public sector.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of research and innovation projects facilitated
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Vinnova
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Vinnova technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Vinnova partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP)coreCo-management of the National Incubator Program (NIP), supporting over 30 regional innovation environments. SISP represents Swedish incubators and science parks, providing the delivery network for startup support across Sweden.
- RambollminorCollaborated on developing the Ecosystem Playbook for regional innovation ecosystems, providing practical guidance for regions and development environments.
- Dansk Design CenterminorCollaborated on developing the Ecosystem Playbook for regional innovation ecosystems, contributing international perspectives on innovation ecosystem coordination.
- OECD/OPSIcoreVinnova has translated and adapted OECD's Innovation Playbook for the Swedish public sector. The playbook provides a three-step approach for innovation in public organizations, supporting implementation of OECD's Declaration on Public Sector Innovation.
- Nordic Innovation HousecoreFellowship program at Nordic Innovation House in Silicon Valley, enabling Swedish innovators to access the US tech ecosystem and build connections with American partners and investors.
- EU (Horizon Europe)coreNational contact point for EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation program, helping Swedish researchers and companies access European collaboration and funding.
- EurekacoreInternational cooperation for industrial research and development, including Innowwide program for international innovation projects and Eureka clusters financing international industrial collaboration.
- National contact pointscoreInternational contact persons and networks across multiple countries to support Swedish innovation collaboration globally, including presence in Singapore and Brussels.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vinnova competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Innosuisse: Switzerland's federal innovation promotion agency that funds knowledge and technology transfer between research and market. Shares Vinnova's mandate of bridging research institutions, startups, and industry through public grants.
- Innovate UK: The UK's national innovation agency, funded by government to support business-led R&D, run grant programs, and convene innovation stakeholders. Closest analog to Vinnova in mandate, structure, and funding-distribution role.
- Innovation Norway: Norwegian state-owned enterprise supporting innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry. Comparable in providing innovation funding, incubator support, and internationalization services to a Nordic economy.
- Business Finland: Finland's government organization for innovation funding and internationalization, distributing grants and loans to innovative Finnish companies. Directly comparable as a Nordic national innovation and funding agency.
Broad incumbents
- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): U.S. federal agency supporting small business through funding, counseling, and contracting programs. Comparable as a government innovation and entrepreneurship support body, though much broader and more diversified in scope than Vinnova.
- National Science Foundation (NSF): U.S. federal agency that funds fundamental research and innovation across disciplines. Shares the public funding of research and innovation mandate, though NSF is much larger and more oriented toward basic research grants.
- German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) - Innovation Funding: Germany's central federal ministry that runs major industrial innovation and R&D funding programs. Overlaps with Vinnova in distributing national innovation funds and coordinating cross-sectoral R&D initiatives, but at federal ministerial scale.
Regional players
- Enterprise Singapore: Singapore government agency driving enterprise development and innovation, with which Vinnova maintains a partnership office. Comparable in funding and supporting innovative companies, but focused on the Singapore market.
Others
- OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI): OECD initiative that Vinnova has partnered with to adapt the Innovation Playbook for Swedish public sector. Comparable as a thought-leadership body in public-sector innovation, complementing Vinnova's convening role.
- Eureka Network: International network for industrial R&D collaboration in which Vinnova participates as a national funding body. Comparable as a cross-border innovation funding channel that Vinnova uses to extend its programs beyond Sweden.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vinnova social profiles
Digital presenceVinnova financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vinnova leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Vinnova funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vinnova M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments93 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vinnova
What does Vinnova do?
Vinnova is Sweden's government innovation agency that funds research and innovation projects across companies, universities, and the public sector. It awards grants through national innovation programs (including NIP), UDI verification funding, and strategic innovation programs, and supports internationalization through liaison offices in Brussels, Singapore, and Silicon Valley.
Is Vinnova a public or private company?
Vinnova is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Vinnova founded?
Vinnova was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Vinnova based?
Vinnova is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Vinnova make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding Appropriation.
Who are Vinnova's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Innosuisse, Innovate UK, Innovation Norway and Business Finland. Broad incumbents are U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), National Science Foundation (NSF) and German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) - Innovation Funding. Enterprise Singapore is listed as a regional player. Others are OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) and Eureka Network.
Does Vinnova have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vinnova.
What industry is Vinnova in?
Vinnova's product category is Government Innovation Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAAAK, Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy), with a secondary code of BPADAOAI, Project Preparation Facilities & Technical Assistance Windows.