Tillväxtinitiativet

What Tillväxtinitiativet does

Tillväxtinitiativet is a Swedish non-profit foundation initiative, governed by Stiftelsen Tillväxt Stockholm (founded 2013) and operated by THREAD AB under CEO Kevin Ryan. It provides free business development consulting, full-cycle recruitment support, and access to a network of pro-bono experts and investors to small and medium-sized enterprises (5–50 employees, or 0–4 under the Botkyrka Väx till sub-program) located in partner municipalities. Services are delivered through dedicated local teams physically present in each municipality: Botkyrka (launched 2018, still active with a renewed contract), Upplands Väsby (2021–2023, successfully concluded with 405 jobs vs. 375 target), Nyköping (launched July 2023), Kalmar (launched September 2024), and Nynäshamn (launched 2026).

The initiative's core services comprise three integrated offerings: Affärsutveckling (strategic advisory and growth planning), Rekrytering (advertising, screening, and candidate matching), and Specialistnätverk (pro-bono advisors in legal, procurement, and marketing). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through municipal partnerships, local teams, and word-of-mouth referrals. The underlying technology is minimal — Umami Analytics (cookie-free, GDPR/CCPA-compliant) for web analytics and Formspree for contact form handling — with no proprietary platform or software product.

The business model is non-profit cooperation financing: partner municipalities fund the salaries of local operational teams, while the business community contributes pro-bono expertise and the investor network has committed 30 MSEK in growth capital for client companies. Co-founders include Michael Treschow (former CEO of Atlas Copco/Electrolux, Chairman of Ericsson/Unilever), Alexander af Jochnick (Chairman of Oriflame), Jeremias Andersson (founder of Academic Work), and Sebastian af Jochnick. Documented cumulative impact includes 2,888+ jobs created and 655+ businesses served across all regions.

Name

Tillväxtinitiativet

Legal name

Stiftelsen Tillväxt Stockholm

Website

https://tillvaxtinitiativet.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tillväxtinitiativet is a Swedish non-profit foundation that provides free business development consulting, recruitment support, and expert network access to SMBs with 5–50 employees in partner municipalities, financed through municipal cooperation and pro-bono business contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Business Advisory Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• Business development consulting
• Recruitment support services
• SME growth advisory
• Municipal economic development
• Non-profit consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Funding: The initiative is primarily financed by partner municipalities that pay salaries for local operational teams. Each municipality invests in the initiative through cooperation agreements.
2. Pro-bono Business Contributions: The business community contributes through pro-bono expertise and services, with investors having committed 30 MSEK in growth capital for companies developed through the initiative.
3. Investor Network Capital: The investor network has committed 30 MSEK to invest in growth companies that develop with the help of the initiative, providing capital access for client companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Tillväxtinitiativet (Growth Initiative) is a non-profit foundation (Stiftelsen Tillväxt Stockholm) that delivers free business development consulting, full-cycle recruitment support, and access to a pro-bono expert and investor network to small businesses with 5–50 employees in partner Swedish municipalities. Services are provided through dedicated local teams in regional initiatives branded Tillväxt Botkyrka, Tillväxt Nyköping, Tillväxtinitiativet Kalmar, and Tillväxt Nynäshamn.

Product overview

Tillvaxtinitiativet is a non-profit organization (icke-vinstdrivande initiativ) that operates as a collaboration model between municipalities, local businesses, and the public employment service. The organization does not offer a traditional software product but provides free business advisory services and recruitment support to entrepreneurs in Swedish municipalities. The core offering consists of three integrated services: (1) Affaersutveckling (Business Development) - strategic consulting to formulate growth plans, (2) Rekrytering (Recruitment Support) - assistance with job postings, screening, and candidate matching, and (3) Specialistnaetverk (Expert Network) - access to pro-bono advisors and investors. These services are delivered through regional initiatives branded as Tillvaxt [RegionNamn], including Tillvaxt Botkyrka, Tillvaxt Nykoeping, Tillvaxtinitiativet Kalmar, and Tillvaxt Naeshnamsnamn, each serving local entrepreneurs with 5-50 employees (or 3-50 in Naeshnamsnamn). An additional sub-program called Vaex till targets even smaller businesses with 0-4 employees in Botkyrka. The Tillvaxtmodellen (growth model) was pioneered in Malmoe in 2011 and has been scaled to multiple municipalities. The foundation is governed by THREAD AB as operational partner.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affärsutveckling (Business Development)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,888+ jobs created across Sweden
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and completed.

• Nynäshamns KommuncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Municipal partner for Tillväxt Nynäshamn, launched 2026. Goal of 500 jobs in first years.
• Kalmar KommuncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Municipal partner for Tillväxtinitiativet Kalmar, launched September 2024. Goal of 1,000 jobs over 5 years.
• Nyköpings KommuncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Municipal partner for Tillväxt Nyköping, launched July 2023. Committed to helping create 1,000 jobs over 5 years.
• Upplands Väsby KommuncompletedStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner for Tillväxt Väsby project (2021-2023). Created 405 jobs against 375 target (108% achievement). Project successfully concluded.
• THREAD ABcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperational partner responsible for establishing, running, and leading the operational activities in cooperation with municipalities and the foundation. Kevin Ryan serves as CEO of Tillväxtinitiativet through THREAD AB.
• Botkyrka KommuncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for Tillväxt Botkyrka, launched May 2018. Contributed to creating 1,070 jobs against 1,000 target. Provides funding for local team salaries.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Verksamt.se: Joint e-government service from Swedish agencies providing information and digital tools for starting and running a business. Comparable as a publicly funded SME support infrastructure, though primarily self-service rather than high-touch advisory.
• Enterprise Europe Network Sweden: EU-funded business support network active in Sweden, advising SMEs on growth, innovation, and internationalization. Comparable as a publicly funded growth-advisory service targeting SMEs, though focused on internationalization rather than local job creation.
• ALMI: Swedish state-owned financial and advisory group providing loans, venture capital, and business development services to SMEs. Closest state-backed analog of Tillväxtinitiativet's SME advisory and growth-capital mission across all of Sweden.

Direct peers

• Coompanion: Sweden-wide non-profit cooperative development organization offering free advice to entrepreneurs starting cooperative and small businesses. Comparable as a publicly funded, free-of-charge SME advisory organization in Sweden.
• Sting (Stockholm Innovation & Growth): Stockholm-based accelerator and growth program for early-stage tech and innovation companies. Comparable as a publicly-co-financed Swedish accelerator offering business development and capital-readiness support to growing companies.
• Uppstart Malmö: The original Tillväxt model created in Malmö in 2011 by Dan Olofsson and Luciano Astudillo. Direct predecessor of Tillväxtinitiativet, still operating in Malmö with the same municipality-business-employment-service collaboration model.
• NyföretagarCentrum: Sweden-wide non-profit that offers free counseling to entrepreneurs starting and growing small businesses. Directly comparable as a publicly funded SME advisory organization serving very small Swedish companies.

Regional players

• Drivhuset (Denmark): Danish non-profit growth hubs offering free business development counseling to students and young entrepreneurs in partnership with municipalities. Closest Nordic cross-border comparable to Tillväxtinitiativet's municipality-funded, high-touch SME growth model.
• Science Park Mjärdevi / Linköping University Holding: Swedish innovation park and university-linked holding company supporting SME growth through incubation, advisory, and capital. Comparable as a regional Swedish growth-support infrastructure, though more tech/research focused.
• Chalmers Ventures: Gothenburg-based venture arm linked to Chalmers University that supports growth-stage companies with advisory and capital. Similar public/private hybrid model supporting SME growth, but regionally focused in western Sweden.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tillvaxt-initiativet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Tillväxtinitiativet