Sophiahemmet University

What Sophiahemmet University does

Sophiahemmet University (Sophiahemmet Högskola) is a private, non-profit higher education institution headquartered at Valhallavägen 91 in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1884 by Queen Sophia and inspired by Florence Nightingale's nursing model, the university delivers healthcare education across undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral cycles, enrolling approximately 1,300 students annually and supported by 152 employees, including around 30 researchers and 20 doctoral students.

Its core academic offerings include a three-year Nursing Programme (180 HE credits), a Midwifery Programme (90 HE credits), five Specialist Nursing Programmes (60 HE credits each in Emergency Care, Ambulance Services, Cardiac Care, Palliative Care, and Cognitive Impairment Care), a doctoral programme in Human Disease, Care and Health (PhD-awarding since 2019), and a Silvia-branded dementia care diploma developed with the Silviahemmet Foundation under Queen Silvia's patronage. The institution also operates VårdLAB, a medical technology innovation lab co-located with Sophiahemmet Hospital, and delivers contract education (Uppdragsutbildning) for government agencies, healthcare providers, and refugee healthcare professional integration cohorts. Technology infrastructure comprises Canvas LMS, Inspera Integrity Browser for proctored examinations, Microsoft 365, Zoom, and standard research databases (DiVA, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane).

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring Swedish government higher education appropriations (including 18M SEK annual incremental funding from 2024), tuition and program fees within the Swedish national fee framework, contract education fees negotiated with public and private clients, and competitive research grants from Swedish and EU sources (including 14M SEK from the European Social Fund for Ukrainian healthcare integration in 2022–2023 and 2.25M SEK from Tillväxtverket for VårdLAB). The university operates within the Sophiahemmet Ideell förening non-profit association, which also owns Sophiahemmet Hospital and is governed by a board chaired under royal appointment, with HRH Princess Sofia serving as Honorary Chairperson.

Name

Sophiahemmet University

Legal name

Sophiahemmet Ideell förening

Website

https://shh.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sophiahemmet University is a Stockholm-based private non-profit healthcare education institution founded in 1884, delivering accredited nursing, midwifery, specialist nursing, and doctoral programs to roughly 1,300 students annually, with integrated clinical training through affiliated Sophiahemmet Hospital and VårdLAB medtech innovation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Private Pathway & Foundation Providers (EDAIAJAB)

Keywords

• Nursing education
• Healthcare training
• Specialist nursing programs
• Medical research
• Higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Annual government appropriations for higher education. In 2024, received 18 million SEK annually in increased funding from the Swedish government to strengthen educational efforts for future health, care, and welfare.
2. Tuition and Program Fees: Revenue from degree programs and diploma courses including specialist nursing programs, midwifery, and continuing education for healthcare professionals.
3. Contract Education (Uppdragsutbildning): Custom training programs for employers, government agencies, and organizations including Ukrainian healthcare professional integration programs, COVID-19 vaccination training, and taxi industry safety training.
4. Research Grants: Funding from research councils, foundations, and European funds including ESF funding for training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sophiahemmet University is a private, non-profit higher education institution in Stockholm offering accredited degree programs in nursing, midwifery, specialist nursing, and doctoral health science research. It delivers education through campus-based and distance learning, complemented by clinical placements at Sophiahemmet Hospital and partner providers, plus contract training programs for healthcare organizations and government agencies.

Product overview

Sophiahemmet University is a leading higher education institution in healthcare in Sweden, offering a comprehensive portfolio of accredited educational programmes and research. The core offerings include an undergraduate Nursing Programme (180 HE credits), a Midwifery Programme (90 HE credits), five Specialist Nursing Programmes (60 HE credits each) covering Emergency Care, Ambulance Services, Cardiac Care, Palliative Care, and Cognitive Impairment Care, and a Doctoral Programme with PhD awarding rights. The university also operates VårdLAB for medical technology innovation and provides contract education and specialized Silvia programmes in dementia care. The institution delivers programmes through both campus-based and distance learning formats using Canvas LMS, and maintains extensive library services and research facilities in collaboration with Sophiahemmet Hospital.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VårdLAB: Medical technology innovation laboratory for healthcare technology development and testing in collaboration with medical technology companies.
• Silviasystern

Products and services

• Nursing Programme (Sjukskoterskeprogrammet) Three-year undergraduate nursing programme (180 HE credits) leading to a Bachelor's degree and professional qualification as a registered nurse, combining theoretical education with clinical training.
• Midwifery Programme (Barnmorskeprogrammet) One-year advanced level programme (90 HE credits) preparing registered nurses for professional practice as midwives, focused on reproductive, perinatal and sexual health.
• Specialist Nursing Programmes (Specialistsjukskoterskeprogram) Five specialist nursing programmes (60 HE credits each) at advanced level covering Emergency Care, Ambulance Services, Cardiac Care, Palliative Care, and Cognitive Impairment Care.
• Doctoral Programme in Human Disease, Care and Health Third-cycle research education leading to a PhD in health science, with approximately 30 researchers and 20 doctoral students working in health science research.
• Queen Silvia Nurse Programme (Silviasystern) 30 HE credit programme in dementia care developed in collaboration with the Silviahemmet Foundation under HM Queen Silvia's patronage.
• Silvia Education Programmes (Silviautbildningar) Diploma programmes in dementia care developed in collaboration with the Silviahemmet Foundation, focusing on person-centered care for people with cognitive impairments.
• Contract Education (Uppdragsutbildning) Customized continuing education programmes for healthcare professionals, employers, and government agencies, with pricing negotiated individually with client organizations.
• Introduction to Swedish Healthcare Introductory course for licensed foreign healthcare professionals to facilitate integration into Swedish healthcare, including Swedish language training and clinical practice.
• COVID-19 Vaccination Training (Covidvaccinering i praktiken) One-day distance education course for licensed nurses to obtain formal competence to prescribe COVID-19 vaccines according to Socialstyrelsens regulations.
• University Library Services Full-service university library offering access to printed and electronic literature, databases (DiVA, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, etc.), academic writing support, and information literacy instruction.

Quantifiable outcome

• First specialistsjuksköterskor (specialist nurses) in Sweden with new specializations (emergency, diabetes, cardiac, palliative care) - 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FamiljeläkarnacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Healthcare practice providing clinical placement opportunities (auskultationsplatser) for Ukrainian healthcare professional integration courses. Partnership enables students to gain practical Swedish healthcare experience during training programs.
• Swedish Red Cross University (Röda Korsets Högskola)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022External lecturers and expert competence for Ukrainian healthcare professional courses. Brings specialized knowledge to supplement Sophiahemmet's training programs.
• ABF StockholmminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Language support partner providing Swedish language instruction for Ukrainian healthcare professionals during integration training.
• County Administrative Board of Stockholm (Länsstyrelsen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2022Government partner for refugee healthcare professional integration programs under government mandate. Coordinates with European Social Fund (ESF) for funding.
• Tesch-Övermo FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2012Research foundation co-organizing seminars on muscle health with world-leading researchers. Foundation aims to initiate and finance research developing methods promoting physical activity.
• Sophiahemmet HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Sophiahemmet Association - provides unique proximity to clinical practice for education and research. The hospital offers specialized inpatient and outpatient services from over 40 different healthcare providers, creating unique training environment.
• Kungliga Musikhögskolan i Stockholm (Royal College of Music)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on PCMusic (Person-Centred Music) pain management method development. Combines nursing and music therapy expertise for innovative patient care approaches.
• University of CopenhagenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on digital yoga program effects for people with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, led by Maria Wahlström.
• Silviahemmet FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with foundation led by HM Queen Silvia on postgraduate programs in cognitive impairment care and diploma programs in dementia care. Connection to Swedish Royal Family strengthens positioning.
• Erasmus+ and ENM European Nursing ModulecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean exchange networks enabling student mobility and international experience. Nursing students can pursue clinical education abroad from term 4 through these partnerships.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Röda Korsets Högskola (Swedish Red Cross University): Stockholm-based private university college specializing in nursing and healthcare education. Closest direct peer in Sweden: comparable size, similar healthcare/nursing focus, both private non-profit institutions, and named as a Sophiahemmet collaboration partner.
• Linnaeus University: Swedish public university with a major nursing program among the largest in Sweden. Direct competitor for nursing student recruitment and a benchmark for distance-learning healthcare education delivery at greater scale.
• Malmö University Faculty of Health and Society: Swedish public university with large nursing program and significant specialist nursing offerings. Competes directly for healthcare students and has similar focus on practice-integrated learning.

Broad incumbents

• Örebro University: Swedish public university with medical and health faculty. Former employer of incoming rector Mia von Euler (dean of Medicine and Health), indicating direct talent pipeline and overlapping academic positioning.
• Uppsala University Faculty of Medicine: One of Sweden's oldest universities with established nursing and healthcare programs. Competes in overlapping healthcare education market and for research talent, particularly in Stockholm-Uppsala corridor.
• Lund University Faculty of Medicine: Major Swedish public research university with extensive nursing, midwifery, and specialist healthcare programs at all degree cycles. Competes for Swedish healthcare students and research grants at substantially larger scale.
• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's premier medical university, also in Stockholm, offering nursing and healthcare programs at all cycles. Substantially larger research base and brand, but operates in overlapping healthcare education and doctoral training space; Eva Skillgate is guest professor here.
• Linköping University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences: Swedish public university with established nursing, specialist nursing, and doctoral health science programs. Overlaps in specialist nursing education and competes for research funding and doctoral students.

Regional players

• VIA University College: Large Danish university college with substantial nursing and healthcare professional education portfolio. Comparable model of practice-integrated healthcare professional education, operating in a neighboring market with overlapping regional labor dynamics.
• University of Copenhagen Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences: Danish public university with major nursing and health science programs. Named research collaboration partner (Maria Wahlström's digital yoga research), suggesting thematic overlap and potential cross-border student competition in the Øresund region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCARDIvLvyljhgbq31LQYLLg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SophiahemmetHogskola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/sophiahemmet-hogskola
• Instagraminstagram.com/sophiahemmet

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sophiahemmet University