Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden

What Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden does

Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden (SFL) is a non-profit, transdisciplinary research center established in 2021 and headquartered in Stockholm. Founded by Vinnova (Sweden's government innovation agency), SFL operates as a consortium of seven academic institutions: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Stockholm University (including the Stockholm Resilience Centre), Stockholm School of Economics, Göteborg University, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and GEDB at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The center's research is organized around four themes — assessing societal and environmental impact, systemic risk, shifting norms, and innovation capacity — and has produced 274+ peer-reviewed publications. SFL is led by a small permanent team (nine employees) with management by two Center Directors and supported by four Vice-Directors and a network of 30+ affiliated researchers, including a Scientific Advisory Council with internationally recognized figures such as Professor Johan Rockström and Professor Caroline Flammer.

SFL's offering is not a commercial product but a portfolio of research outputs and engagement services: peer-reviewed publications, commissioned reports (for bodies such as the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Climate Policy Council), a triannual newsletter (six issues per year), research seminars, an annual Partner Day, and an award for best industry master thesis pitch. Its technology base is a transdisciplinary research methodology that bridges sustainability science, finance, philosophy, entrepreneurship, and sociology with industry practice. Knowledge is distributed through the website, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Mailchimp newsletters, and media appearances of SFL researchers.

Revenue is generated primarily through public grants (Vinnova founding funding; a 3.8 MSEK Kamprad Family Foundation grant for a 3-year rural women entrepreneurs project) and tiered industry engagement with three program levels: Industry Partners (board membership, co-organized events, research access, up to 10 Partner Day passes), Industry Sponsors (website listing, research participation), and Industry Supporters (basic listing, 1 Partner Day pass). Named financial sector partners include Danske Bank, Nordea, SEB, Nordic Capital, Nasdaq, Sveriges Riksbank, Swedfund, Handelsbanken, and Omeo Financial Consulting, with most Core Partners holding board seats. SFL received the CFA Sweden ESG Award 2025 in recognition of its contribution to sustainable finance in Sweden.

Name

Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden

Legal name

Sustainable Finance Lab

Website

https://sustainablefinancelab.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden is a non-profit, transdisciplinary research center founded in 2021 by Vinnova, based in Stockholm, that brings together seven Swedish academic institutions to study how financial markets can be transformed to advance sustainability, serving Swedish banks, regulators, and capital market participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Finance Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG), Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM)

Keywords

• Sustainable finance research
• Transdisciplinary research
• ESG research services
• Financial market transformation
• Academic research consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Public Funding: Primary funding comes from Vinnova, Sweden's innovation agency, which founded SFL as a transdisciplinary capacity-building center in 2021. Additional project-based funding is received from organizations such as the Kamprad Family Foundation.
2. Industry Partnership Programs: SFL generates revenue through tiered industry engagement: Industry Partners receive board membership, co-organized events, research access, and up to 10 passes to Annual Partner Day; Industry Sponsors receive website listing and research participation; Industry Supporters receive basic website listing and 1 pass to Partner Day.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden (SFL) is a transdisciplinary research center that conducts rigorous academic research and produces peer-reviewed publications, commissioned reports, newsletters, and seminars aimed at transforming financial markets toward sustainability. It serves as an interactive hub co-creating research with industry partners, regulators, and academic institutions to deliver scientific insights that strengthen sustainable finance practice.

Product overview

Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden is a transdisciplinary research center, not a product company. Its offerings consist of research outputs and knowledge-sharing services including peer-reviewed publications, commissioned reports, periodic newsletters, research seminars, annual Partner Day events, and an award program for master thesis pitches. These offerings are delivered through academic consortium partnerships and do not constitute commercial products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Publications Peer-reviewed scientific articles, reports, and publications covering sustainable finance themes including ESG assessment, systemic risk, biodiversity, and financial market transformation, available to industry partners and the public through the SFL website.
• Commissioned Research Reports Targeted research reports commissioned by external organizations including Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Swedish Climate Policy Council, and Smart Built Environment on topics such as sustainable finance platforms, BECCS credits, and BIM-based cadastral management.
• SFL Newsletter Periodic newsletter published six times per year sharing research updates, partner activities, upcoming events, and newly published articles from SFL-affiliated researchers, distributed via Mailchimp to subscribers.
• Research Seminars Online and in-person seminars featuring SFL researchers and guest speakers discussing topics such as biodiversity reporting, climate risk, and sustainable investment decisions, hosted as part of SFL's research dissemination program.
• SFL Partner Day Annual flagship industry event bringing together academia, the financial sector, and policy actors to discuss sustainable finance themes including climate resilience and ESG frameworks, with Industry Partners receiving up to 10 passes.
• SFL Award for Best Industry Master Thesis Pitch Annual award program recognizing outstanding master thesis pitches related to sustainable finance topics, supporting emerging talent and stimulating student engagement with sustainable finance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 274 peer-reviewed publications produced by SFL-affiliated researchers across four research themes.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KTH Royal Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2021KTH is a founding consortium member and lead institution. SFL's Center Director Kent Eriksson is a Professor at KTH. KTH hosts multiple SFL researchers including Lin Lerpold, Mark Sanctuary, and Joakim Fichtel. KTH leads the overall SFL consortium.
• Luleå University of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLTU is a founding consortium member. Center Director Malin Malmström is affiliated with LTU, which also hosts researchers Linda Hällerstrand and Thomas Ejdemo as part of the SFL network.
• Stockholm School of Economics (HHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHHS is a founding consortium member hosting SFL researchers Lin Lerpold (Vice-Director), Ranjula Bali Swain, Örjan Sjöberg, and Sarah Philipson Isaac. HHS provides research capacity in business administration and finance.
• Stockholm University (Stockholm Resilience Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStockholm University and its Stockholm Resilience Centre are founding consortium members. Center Vice-Director Beatrice Crona is a Professor at Stockholm University, and researchers Juan Rocha, Steve Lade, and others are affiliated through this institution.
• Göteborg UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGU is a founding consortium member hosting SFL researcher Joakim Sandberg (management team member), Mattias Gunnemyr, Fausto Corvino, and others. GU contributes expertise in philosophy, ethics, and economics.
• IVL Swedish Environmental Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIVL is a founding consortium member hosting SFL researcher Mark Sanctuary (Vice-Director) and staff including Henrik Johansson and Kersti Karltorp. IVL provides environmental research expertise.
• Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere (GEDB) at Royal Swedish Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEDB at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is a consortium member hosting SFL-affiliated researcher Shruti Kashyap, combining law, economics, accounting, and governance perspectives for financial sector risk assessment.
• NordeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordea is an Industry Partner and board member of SFL. Anja Hannerz from Nordea serves on the SFL board. Nordea collaborates with SFL on research projects and co-hosts the annual Partner Day.
• Danske BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanske Bank is an Industry Partner and holds board representation. Erik Eliasson from Danske Bank serves as Chair of the SFL board.
• SEBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEB is an Industry Partner of SFL, contributing to research collaboration and providing access to industry perspectives on sustainable finance transformation.
• Nordic CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic Capital is an Industry Partner of SFL, engaging in the consortium's research and industry dialogue on sustainable finance.
• NasdaqmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNasdaq is an Industry Sponsor of SFL. Tomas Thyblad from Nasdaq serves on the SFL board. Nasdaq collaborates on ESG metrics development with SFL researchers.
• Sveriges RiksbankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSveriges Riksbank is an Industry Sponsor and has co-organized workshops with SFL, including a November 2025 joint workshop on climate risks and commercial real estate, with findings published in the Riksbank's Economic Review.
• SwedfundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedfund is an Industry Sponsor of SFL, participating in Partner Day events and engaging with SFL research on sustainable finance and impact investing.
• Omeo Financial ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmeo Financial Consulting is listed as an Industry Supporter of SFL.
• HandelsbankenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandelsbanken representatives (Sara Bargholtz Melcherson) participate in SFL Partner Day events and engage in dialogues on ESG risks and sustainable finance.
• Aurora NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAurora Network is a women's business network that collaborated with SFL on a roadshow across seven municipalities in Norrbotten, presenting research on women's entrepreneurship and access to capital.
• Scientific Advisory Council MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Scientific Advisory Council includes Professor Robert Eccles (Oxford), Professor Caroline Flammer (Columbia), Professor Johan Rockström (Potsdam Institute), Amanda Elam (Babson College), and Dariusz Wójcik (National University of Singapore) who provide guidance on scientific development and research prioritization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stockholm Resilience Centre: International research centre at Stockholm University focused on resilience and sustainability science. SFL is in fact a consortium partner with Stockholm Resilience Centre, and the Centre's planetary-boundaries work directly informs SFL's sustainable-finance research agenda. Strong peer given joint research and shared institutional ties.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI): Independent international research organization based in Stockholm working at the intersection of environment, development, and policy — including sustainable finance and green investment. SFL's web infrastructure even uses SEI's cookie policy, indicating close operational alignment. Direct peer in sustainability research with policy influence.
• Mistra (Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research): Swedish research foundation funding strategic environmental and sustainability research programs across Swedish universities. Highly comparable to SFL as a Swedish funder-and-coordinator of multi-institution sustainability research, though Mistra operates at a broader environmental scope rather than sustainable finance specifically.
• Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (University of Oxford): Oxford University research and teaching center on sustainable finance, enterprise, and environmental policy. Strong peer given that SFL Scientific Advisory Council member Robert Eccles is based at Oxford; both institutions aim to translate rigorous academic research into industry and policy practice.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): University-affiliated institute at the University of Cambridge focused on sustainable finance, leadership, and policy. Closely mirrors SFL's model of bridging rigorous academic research with industry and policy partners to accelerate sustainable finance transformation, but operates at global rather than Nordic scale.

Others

• FAIRR Initiative: Investor network focused on ESG risks in the protein supply chain. Adjacent to SFL in the broader sustainable-finance ecosystem, but specializes in a single thematic area rather than broad transdisciplinary sustainable-finance research.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): International research institute applying systems analysis to global environmental, economic, and social challenges. Thematically related to SFL through systems-level sustainability research, but operates across a much broader mandate and lacks SFL's sustainable-finance specialization.

Emerging players

• European Sustainable Investment Forum (Eurosif): Pan-European association promoting sustainable and responsible investment through policy, research, and market intelligence. Adjacent to SFL in the sustainable-finance ecosystem, but focused on investor-association advocacy rather than academic research.
• UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI): Partnership between UN Environment Programme and the global financial sector to promote sustainable finance. Comparable in convening industry and policymakers around sustainable finance transformation, but operates as a UN-convened global membership body rather than an academic consortium.
• Climate Bonds Initiative: International organization working to mobilize debt capital markets for climate action through standards and certification. Operates in adjacent sustainable-finance infrastructure space where SFL conducts research, but is a global NGO/standards body rather than an academic consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SFLSWE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-finance-lab-sweden

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Finance Lab Sweden