Umeå Biotech Incubator
Umeå Biotech Incubator is a specialized Swedish life-science incubator (founded 2003) operating 21 labs, co-working space, and a six-phase incubation program for roughly 20 biotech, medtech, and AgTech startups, funded by public owners and competitive grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersUmeå, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Umeå Biotech Incubator does
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is a specialized life-science incubator founded in 2003 and headquartered at Tvistevägen 48C in Umeå, Sweden, adjacent to Umeå University. The company operates 21 fully equipped laboratories (7–32 sqm) including biosafety level 2 cell culture facilities and shared scientific instruments (Äkta Purifier, ChemiDoc, PCR, NanoDrop, centrifuges, electrophoresis), alongside 15-room co-working space and office rentals (3.7 or 11 sqm). UBI runs a structured six-phase incubation process — Evaluate, Preincubate, Verify, Finance, Grow, Alumni — serving roughly 20 ongoing life-science startups at a time and evaluating 20–30 researchers and clinicians per year referred primarily through the Umeå University Innovation Office.
UBI's business model combines three revenue streams: (1) monthly lab and office rental income to incubated companies and external tenants, (2) business development coaching and incubation services across the six phases, and (3) public funding consisting of mandatory core contributions from its three public owners (Umeå University Holding 58%, Umeå kommunföretag AB 25%, Region Västerbotten 16%) supplemented by competitive grants from Vinnova, Swelife, EU Regional Development Fund, Kempestiftelserna, and the Erling-Persson Family Foundation. The owner core funding covers less than one-fifth of total turnover. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by House Breakfast & Seminars, Life Science Pub, Life Science Job Fair, Umeå Lab Fair, Open Up For Innovation, and participation in Nordic Life Science Days and BIO-Europe.
In 2024 UBI was ranked by the Financial Times as one of Europe's top 15 startup hubs in the Offices & Lab Spaces category — the only Swedish incubator in the top 15 and the highest-ranked specialized life science incubator in Europe. Since late February 2025 UBI, eXpression Umeå, and Science Park in Umeå AB have operated under Uminova Innovation as part of a regional consolidation of the innovation support system. In May 2026 the company created a new Project Manager role to accelerate the transfer of projects from Umeå University's Innovation Office into incubation.
Umeå Biotech Incubator firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Umeå Biotech Incubator
- Legal name
- Umeå Biotech Incubator AB
- Website
- https://ubi.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Umeå Biotech Incubator is a specialized Swedish life-science incubator (founded 2003) operating 21 labs, co-working space, and a six-phase incubation program for roughly 20 biotech, medtech, and AgTech startups, funded by public owners and competitive grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Umeå Biotech Incubator industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biotech Incubation Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)
Keywords
Where Umeå Biotech Incubator is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Umeå
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Umeå Biotech Incubator business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Incubation Program Services: UBI provides business development support, coaching, and incubation services to life science startups. Revenue is supplemented by mandatory core funding from owners and competitive grants.
- Lab and Office Space Rental: Rental income from 21 labs (7-32 sqm) and office spaces (3.7 or 11 sqm) to startups and external companies. Labs include access to common equipment, cell rooms, and sterilization facilities.
- Public Funding and Grants: Annual core funding ('mandator funding') from owners (Umeå University Holding, Umeå Municipality, Region Västerbotten) supplemented by competitive grants from Vinnova, Swelife, EU Regional Development Fund, Kempestiftelserna, and Erling-Persson Family Foundation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Lab Space Rental |
| Subscription | Monthly | Office Space Rental |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Umeå Biotech Incubator product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) provides state-of-the-art biotech laboratory facilities (21 labs of 7-32 sqm with biosafety level 2 cell culture capability), business coaching, and a structured six-phase incubation program (Evaluate, Preincubate, Verify, Finance, Grow, Alumni) to help life science researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs commercialize scientific discoveries. UBI also offers co-working and office space, networking programs, and connects startups to funding sources and international partners.
Product overview
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is not a product company but a state-of-the-art biotech incubator providing facilities, know-how, and financing for life science startups. Its services encompass fully equipped laboratory spaces (21 labs including biosafety level 2 cell culture facilities), business development coaching across a structured six-phase incubation process (Evaluate, Preincubate, Verify, Finance, Grow, Alumni), networking programs (CEO Network, QA Network, Industry Council), event organization (House Breakfast & Seminar, Life Science Pub, Life Science Job Fair, Umeå Lab Fair, Open Up for Innovation), and access to educational platforms via ALIS/Kunskapsportalen. UBI supports innovators—researchers, clinicians, and professionals—to translate scientific research into commercially viable medical innovations, offering lab bench and office rental, verification funding guidance, and connections to international investors and partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lab Space Rental Rental of fully equipped biotech laboratories ranging from 7 to 32 square meters, including access to common laboratory equipment, cell rooms, scullery for washing and sterilizing labware, ultrapure water systems, and low-temperature freezers including liquid nitrogen storage. Available to incubated startups and external companies on flexible tenancy agreements.
- Office Space Rental Rental of office spaces available in 3.7 or 11 square meter sizes, including desk, chair, monitor, desk lamp, Wi-Fi, printer and scanner access. Targeted at life science startups requiring administrative workspace alongside lab facilities.
- Co-working Space 15-room co-working area on floor 5 with conference rooms (Uven, Sparven), video conferencing capabilities, and flexible tenancy agreements for startups. Open to all startups in the life science innovation ecosystem.
- Life Science Incubation Program A structured six-phase incubation program providing business development coaching and incubation services to life science startups, covering Evaluate, Preincubate, Verify, Finance, Grow, and Alumni phases. Delivered by a team of experienced business coaches with deep life science expertise.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of UBI-backed companies secure external financing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Umeå Biotech Incubator
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Umeå Biotech Incubator technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Umeå Biotech Incubator partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- ALIS (Association of Life Science Incubators in Sweden)coreUBI is a member of ALIS, which brings together Sweden's life science incubators to develop common tools and methodologies. ALIS provides Kunskapsportalen (digital learning platform with free courses), ALIS Venture Days (annual investor matchmaking), and expert help from larger companies.
- KunskapsportalencoreDigital educational platform created by Swedish life science incubators providing free courses and seminars covering vital topics for life science startups. Financed by Swelife.
- SwelifecoreStrategic innovation program co-financed by Vinnova, Swedish Energy Agency, and Formas. UBI is the northernmost ambassador and contact point, participating in national grant evaluation processes. Supports verification of market conditions, technical design, IP strategies, and R&D.
- Umeå UniversitycoreUBI is part of Umeå University's innovation ecosystem. Receives annual core funding through Umeå University Holding AB (58% ownership). Works closely with Innovation Office for project referrals. World-class research environment including CRISPR/Cas9 discoveries (Nobel Prize 2020).
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)majorUBI collaborates with SLU in Umeå for agricultural and life science research translation. Agteria Biotech conducts research in collaboration with SLU's methane production research team.
- METTLER TOLEDOminorLab sponsor that equipped UBI laboratory with RAININ SmartCheck, a precision instrument for verifying pipette accuracy using gravimetric measurement. Global manufacturer of precision instruments for laboratories, industrial settings, and food retailing.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Umeå Biotech Incubator competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SmiLe Incubator: Sweden's other leading life-science incubator based in Lund/Malmö. Directly comparable to UBI as a Swedish life-science incubator providing lab facilities, business coaching, and access to investor networks to early-stage biotech, medtech, and pharma startups.
- BioInnovation Institute (BII): Copenhagen-based life-science incubator with comparable 3-phase incubation model (Validation, Creation, Growth) and similar focus on translational life-science ventures. Operates at similar scale to UBI and targets the same Nordic biotech founder pool.
- Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB: Stockholm-based life-science commercialization arm of Karolinska Institutet. Directly comparable as a Swedish university-affiliated life-science incubator serving researchers and clinicians, though anchored to KI rather than Umeå University.
- Medicon Village: Lund-based life-science innovation park hosting startups, SMEs, and research organizations. Comparable to UBI as a Swedish life-science cluster offering lab/office infrastructure and a community ecosystem, though with a more real-estate-led model.
- Uminova Innovation: Umeå-based innovation hub that absorbed UBI in 2025/2026. The closest direct peer given shared governance and overlapping regional mission; now houses UBI alongside tech and creative industry programs in a unified regional innovation platform.
Broad incumbents
- EIT Health: EU-backed pan-European health innovation network with incubator and accelerator programs across member states. Comparable to UBI's mission of supporting health-startup commercialization, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
- MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub supporting health-tech, biotech, and broader science ventures. Comparable in providing lab infrastructure and incubation services to life-science startups, but operates as a much larger urban innovation district.
- Innovate UK: UK's national innovation agency funding and supporting business-led innovation across sectors including life sciences. Comparable to UBI's grant-funding relationships with Vinnova and EU/ERDF, and operates similar excellence-status incubator recognition programs.
Regional players
- StartLife: Wageningen-based European agri-food tech accelerator/incubator. Comparable in operating a lab-equipped incubation facility and serving science-based startups, though geographically distinct and focused on agri-food rather than UBI's broader biotech/medtech scope.
Others
- LabVantage Solutions: Lab informatics and LIMS provider serving life-science laboratories. Adjacent rather than directly comparable, but representative of the broader lab-software/equipment ecosystem that supports incubator lab operations similar to UBI's 21-lab facility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Umeå Biotech Incubator social profiles
Digital presenceUmeå Biotech Incubator financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Umeå Biotech Incubator leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Umeå Biotech Incubator funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Umeå Biotech Incubator M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Umeå Biotech Incubator
What does Umeå Biotech Incubator do?
Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) provides state-of-the-art biotech laboratory facilities (21 labs of 7-32 sqm with biosafety level 2 cell culture capability), business coaching, and a structured six-phase incubation program (Evaluate, Preincubate, Verify, Finance, Grow, Alumni) to help life science researchers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs commercialize scientific discoveries. UBI also offers co-working and office space, networking programs, and connects startups to funding sources and international partners.
Is Umeå Biotech Incubator a public or private company?
Umeå Biotech Incubator is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Umeå Biotech Incubator founded?
Umeå Biotech Incubator was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Umeå Biotech Incubator based?
Umeå Biotech Incubator is headquartered in Umeå, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Umeå Biotech Incubator make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Incubation Program Services are the primary driver. The others are lab and Office Space Rental and public Funding and Grants.
Who are Umeå Biotech Incubator's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SmiLe Incubator, BioInnovation Institute (BII), Karolinska Institutet Innovations AB, Medicon Village and Uminova Innovation. Broad incumbents are EIT Health, MaRS Discovery District and Innovate UK. StartLife is listed as a regional player. LabVantage Solutions is listed as an others.
Does Umeå Biotech Incubator have an API?
No public API is recorded for Umeå Biotech Incubator.
What industry is Umeå Biotech Incubator in?
Umeå Biotech Incubator's product category is Biotech Incubation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.