Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen / The Sweden-America Foundation

What Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen / The Sweden-America Foundation does

Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen (The Sweden-America Foundation) is a Swedish non-profit foundation (stiftelse) established in 1919 in Stockholm to strengthen ties between Sweden and North America through educational and academic exchange. The foundation's core offering consists of four scholarship programs: (1) cash scholarships for Swedish citizens pursuing master's, doctoral, or postdoctoral studies and research at universities in the USA and Canada (grants of approximately 50,000-400,000 SEK for 6-12 month visits); (2) two annual Augustana College full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate study in Illinois; (3) one annual nomination to The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey for a Swedish gymnasium student; and (4) the 1976 Fund, which provides 2-4 week travel grants to opinion leaders, administered by the foundation since 2016. Scholarships are funded through a network of 15+ named endowment funds established by Swedish and Swedish-American donors (including Anders Zorn, ASEA, Kooperativa Förbundet, Hans Werthén, Axel Ax:son Johnson, and Fritz Fernström) and through corporate and individual donations.

The foundation operates with a small staff (13 employees, including the CEO Anna Rosvall Stuart and Scholarship Administrator Hilda Blomqvist) from a central Stockholm office at Grev Turegatan 14. Its go-to-market is event-driven: an annual application cycle closing September 15, with promotion through the foundation's bilingual website, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), alumni networks, and university partnerships. Applications are submitted digitally, with selection by a scholarship committee and board and results announced by year-end. Revenue streams include endowment returns, donations (tax-deductible in Sweden), annual memberships (150 SEK/year), mandatory lifetime memberships for scholarship recipients (2,250 SEK), and modest non-refundable application fees (250-350 SEK). The foundation maintains exclusive nomination relationships with Borgrättsfonderna and Thanks To Scandinavia Inc., and reports 3,000+ alumni since 1919, including 7 Nobel Laureates and a former Prime Minister of Sweden. HM The King of Sweden serves as patron.

Name

Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen / The Sweden-America Foundation

Legal name

Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen

Website

https://sweamfo.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen is a Swedish non-profit foundation established in 1919 that awards scholarships to Swedish citizens for master's, doctoral, postdoctoral, and undergraduate studies at universities and partner schools in the United States and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (6117), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAOAH

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDAIAOAE

Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYEDAIAOAF

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYBPAGAKAH

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Scholarship grants
• Study abroad programs
• Cultural exchange funding
• Educational endowment funds
• International exchange scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and endowment income: The foundation receives donations from individuals, companies, and family foundations. It manages a network of fifteen named donation funds (e.g., Anders Zorns Stipendiefond, ASEA, Kooperativa Förbundet, etc.) whose returns fund scholarships. The foundation also receives contributions from corporate donors (Tetra Laval, Peter Baldwin & Lisbet Rausing, Stockholms Grosshandelssocietet). Donations to support research scholarships are tax-deductible in Sweden.
2. Membership fees: Annual membership is 150 SEK per year. Lifetime (ständigt) membership is 2,250 SEK. All scholarship recipients are required to become lifetime members, with the fee deducted from their scholarship award for those receiving from the foundation's own funds.
3. Application fees: A non-refundable application fee of 350 SEK is charged for master/doctoral/postdoc scholarship applications. For Augustana College, the fee is 300 SEK. For Lawrenceville School, the fee is 250 SEK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen is a non-profit foundation that awards scholarships and travel grants to Swedish citizens for study and research in the USA and Canada. Its core offerings consist of cash scholarships for master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral studies (50,000–400,000 SEK), undergraduate scholarships at partner schools (Augustana College, The Lawrenceville School), and short-term travel grants for opinion leaders via the 1976 Fund. The foundation's programs are funded by approximately fifteen endowment funds donated by individuals, families, and corporations.

Product overview

Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen / The Sweden-America Foundation is a non-profit scholarship foundation established in 1919 that facilitates educational and cultural exchange between Sweden and North America (USA and Canada). The organization's core offering consists of four main scholarship programs: (1) Master-, doktorand- och forskarstipendier (PostDoc) - cash grants for Swedish citizens pursuing graduate and postdoctoral studies; (2) Augustana College Stipendium - two annual scholarships for undergraduate studies at Augustana College in Illinois; (3) The Lawrenceville School Stipendiet - nomination of one candidate annually for boarding school studies in New Jersey; and (4) 1976 års fond - travel grants for opinion makers. These programs are supported by fifteen endowment funds that the foundation administers. The foundation also provides alumni networking, membership services, and general information about studying in the USA and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bicentennial Swedish-American Exchange Fund (1976 Fund): A fund established by the Swedish Parliament in 1976 to promote person exchange between Sweden and the United States, now administered by Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen.

Products and services

• Master-, doktorand- och forskarstipendier (PostDoc) Cash scholarships for Swedish citizens for master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral studies and research at universities in the USA and Canada. Grants range from approximately 50,000 SEK to 400,000 SEK, covering 6–12 month study/research visits across all academic disciplines.
• Augustana College Stipendium
• The Lawrenceville School Stipendiet Scholarship for Swedish gymnasium students (year 1) to study at The Lawrenceville School, a boarding school in New Jersey, USA. The foundation nominates one candidate with partial financing of $10,000 toward tuition (total approximately $80,000).
• 1976 års fond (Bicentennial Swedish-American Exchange Fund) Travel grants for opinion makers from Sweden and the USA for 2–4 week study visits in the opposite country, promoting exchange in politics, administration, media, environment, labor, business, education, and culture.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ alumni supported since 1919 across all academic disciplines and levels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Bicentennial Swedish-American Exchange Fund (1976 Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016The 1976 Fund was established by the Swedish Parliament to commemorate the US bicentennial and promote person-to-person exchange. It has been administered by Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen since 2016. The fund provides travel grants to opinion leaders for 2–4 week study visits in the opposite country.
• Borgrättsfonderna (The Crown Rights Funds)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBorgrättsfonderna, administered by the Swedish Riksmarskalksämbete, holds annual scholarship calls for study in the USA and Canada. Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen nominates candidates from its pool of applicants to these awards. This is an annual, recurring partnership.
• Thanks To Scandinavia Inc. (TTS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded 1963 in New York by attorney Richard Netter and entertainer Victor Borge, TTS annually awards scholarships to Scandinavian citizens in gratitude for Scandinavian efforts to save persecuted Jews during WWII. Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen nominates 1–2 candidates each year.
• Augustana CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAugustana College in Rock Island, Illinois is a partner school for the foundation's undergraduate scholarship program. The foundation selects two Swedish students per year to receive full tuition scholarships (approximately $52,000) to study at Augustana College.
• The Lawrenceville SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lawrenceville School in New Jersey is a partner for a high school (prep school) scholarship program. The foundation nominates one candidate per year for a $10,000 scholarship toward the approximately $80,000 annual tuition, with financial aid potentially covering the full amount.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Svenska Institutet (Swedish Institute): Swedish government agency funding international study and exchange for Swedish and foreign students. Directly comparable as a Swedish outbound/inbound scholarship grantmaker, though larger and government-funded versus foundation-funded.
• Fulbright Sweden: Bilateral US-Sweden academic exchange program, administering Fulbright scholarships for Swedish students to study in the US and vice versa. Directly comparable in mission, target audience (Swedish students), and destination geography (USA).
• Stiftelsen Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse: Sweden's largest private research-funding foundation, with extensive scholarship and grant programs for Swedish researchers and students. Comparable as a major Swedish philanthropic grantmaker focused on education and scientific research, though Wallenberg is materially larger.
• Helge Ax:son Johnson Stiftelsen: Swedish family foundation funding scholarships and research grants, primarily for Swedish researchers and students studying abroad. Closely comparable structure and mission as a private Swedish grantmaking foundation supporting international study.
• Thanks To Scandinavia Inc. New York-based foundation awarding annual scholarships to Scandinavian citizens for study in the US. Already a nomination channel partner for Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen; highly comparable mission and target population.
• Borgrättsfonderna (The Crown Rights Funds): Swedish royal-court-administered funds providing scholarships for study abroad. Already a nomination channel partner; directly comparable as a Swedish grantmaking body funding international study.

Broad incumbents

• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD): Germany's national agency for international academic exchange, offering scholarships for German students abroad and foreign students in Germany. Comparable in mission (outbound scholarship funding) but materially larger scale and government-funded.
• British Council: UK's international organization for cultural and educational exchange, including scholarship administration (e.g., Chevening, Commonwealth Scholarships). Comparable as a large national scholarship/exchange body, though broader in cultural and English-teaching scope.
• Chevening Scholarships: UK government scholarship program funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for international students to study in the UK. Comparable in offering merit-based scholarships for postgraduate study abroad, but inbound-focused and government-funded.

Emerging players

• The Rotary Foundation: Global charitable foundation funding academic scholarships (Global Grants) for graduate study. Comparable in offering merit-based scholarships funded by philanthropic capital, though global in scope versus Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen's bilateral Swedish-US focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sverige-amerikastiftelsen1190
• Facebookfacebook.com/sweamfo
• LinkedInse.linkedin.com/school/sverige-amerika-stiftelsen-the-sweden-american-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/sverigeamerika

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sverige-Amerika Stiftelsen / The Sweden-America Foundation