Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center

What Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center does

Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center is a Swedish non-profit foundation (stiftelse) established in 2009 to preserve, develop, and publicly communicate the Uppåkra Iron Age archaeological site in Staffanstorp, Skåne — one of Scandinavia's most significant historical locations, with continuous settlement from approximately 100 BC to 900 AD across 40-45 hectares, of which only 0.2% has been excavated. The foundation operates a multi-channel heritage and education platform comprising: physical offerings (guided archaeological tours, on-site café, conference facilities, and rotating exhibitions including Mimers Rum, Midgård, and Underjorden), educational programs (the Sparbanken Skåne-sponsored Arkeologiskola hands-on excavation program for school children, the Tandmysteriet science project using MAX IV and ESS synchrotron analysis, and guided school visits), and digital products (the Fyndplattformen find-documentation platform, the Uppåkra Play subscription video service including The Uppåkra Show, Uppåkra Studio content, Uppåkra i Minecraft educational game, and syntolkade filmer for accessibility). The organization is governed by a board representing six institutional founders — Region Skåne, Staffanstorp municipality, Lund municipality, Staffanstorps Centrum AB, Lund Diocese, and Uppåkra Parish — with Länsstyrelsen Skåne as scientific guarantor.

The business model is hybrid: earned revenue is generated through Billetto-mediated ticket sales for tours and events (with a 3.99% platform fee absorbed by the foundation), on-site café and souvenir retail, conference room rentals, and Uppåkra Play video subscriptions (29-79 SEK per program). The majority of operating capacity is sustained by institutional and corporate funding from the six founding organizations, core sponsors (Sparbanken Skåne, Microsoft, historically Tetra Pak), public grants (Leader Lundaland), and the Friends Association (Vänförening) plus volunteer contributions. Customer segments are diversified across school children and educational institutions (primary), families with children (primary), general public and cultural tourists (primary), and a smaller research and academic community served through the long-standing Lund University partnership. The foundation employs approximately 10 core staff including archaeologists, communications, finance, and IT personnel, supplemented by service and caretaker roles for a total of roughly 15, with no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center

Legal name

Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center

Website

https://uppakra.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center is a Swedish non-profit foundation operating a heritage and education platform centered on the Iron Age Uppåkra archaeological site, serving visitors, schoolchildren, and researchers through guided tours, hands-on school programs, and digital content including video and Minecraft-based learning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE), Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Archaeological heritage services
• Cultural heritage education
• Museum visitor experiences
• School archaeology programs
• Iron Age research center

Headquarters

HQ city

Staffanstorp

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Online ticket sales for guided tours and events through Billetto platform. Tickets required for all guided experiences.
2. Café and Retail: On-site café services and souvenir sales. Souvenirs available with card or Swish payment.
3. Conference Facilities: Conference room rental for events and meetings at the visitor center.
4. Corporate Sponsorship and Donations: Funding from corporate sponsors (Sparbanken Skåne, Microsoft) and public donations to support educational programs and archaeological research.
5. Uppåkra Play Subscriptions: Video content subscriptions with individual program purchases (29-79 SEK) and live events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center operates an archaeological heritage visitor center at the Uppåkra Iron Age site in Staffanstorp, Sweden. The foundation delivers guided tours and educational programs, school excavation experiences (Arkeologiskola), on-site exhibitions, café and conference services, subscription video content (Uppåkra Play), and supports ongoing research projects. It is a non-profit foundation funded through ticket sales, café/retail revenue, corporate sponsorships, and public grants from its six founding municipalities and organizations.

Product overview

Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center operates a multi-faceted heritage and education platform centered on the Iron Age archaeological site of Uppåkra. The core offering consists of guided archaeological tours and experiences (Guidade visningar och upplevelser) led by professional archaeologists, supplemented by educational programs including Sparbanken Skånes Arkeologiskola, a hands-on excavation program for school children. Digital platforms include Fyndplattformen (a discovery documentation platform), Uppåkra Play (subscription video service), Uppåkra Studio (video content), and Uppåkra i Minecraft (educational gaming). The visitor center includes café and conference facilities, with rotating exhibitions such as Mimers Rum, Midgård, and Underjorden. Research projects like Tandmysteriet and Hallen på höjden provide scientific engagement. The organization also produces syntolkade filmer (audio-described content) for accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sparbanken Skånes Arkeologiskola: An archaeological school program for school classes where students learn archaeology by excavating and finding artifacts.
• Uppåkra Play
• Fyndplattformen
• Hallen på höjden
• Tandmysteriet

Products and services

• Guided tours and experiences (Guidade visningar och upplevelser) Guided tours and archaeological experiences led by professional archaeologists, allowing visitors to explore the Iron Age site with expert commentary. Tickets sold via the Billetto booking platform for various tour types and durations.
• Sparbanken Skånes Arkeologiskola Archaeological school program where school classes (grades 3-12) participate in supervised excavations and artifact discovery at the site. Sponsored by Sparbanken Skåne as a hands-on STEM and history educational offering.
• Uppåkra Play Subscription video-on-demand service featuring educational content about Uppåkra's history, archaeology, and Iron Age culture, including documentaries, living history programs, and The Uppåkra Show. Individual programs priced 29 SEK; live events at 79 SEK.
• Café and conference services (Kafé och konferens) On-site café facilities serving visitors, plus conference and meeting room rental for events and group bookings at the visitor center. Souvenirs sold on-site with card or Swish payment.
• Exhibitions (Mimers Rum, Midgård, Underjorden) On-site rotating exhibitions showcasing archaeological findings and historical themes, including three named exhibitions: Mimers Rum, Midgård, and Underjorden.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 partner organizations involved in the Tandmysteriet research project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sparbanken SkånecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor of the Arkeologiskola school program and Fyndplattformen digital platform. Provides funding and brand visibility for educational initiatives.
• Lunds universitet (Institutionen för Arkeologi och Antikens historia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner conducting archaeological excavations since 1996. Manages seminary excavations for students and major research projects including 'Hallen på Höjden'.
• Länsstyrelsen SkånecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty administrative board functioning as scientific guarantor for the foundation. Provides funding and regulatory oversight for archaeological work.
• BillettocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicket sales platform for all guided tours, events, and activities. Charges 3.99% fee per ticket which the foundation absorbs.
• Historiska Museet vid Lunds universitetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum housing the excavated artifacts from Uppåkra. Collaborates on exhibitions and research publications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skansen: Sweden's largest and best-known open-air museum on Djurgården in Stockholm, offering historical buildings, cultural programming and family attractions — broader in scale and scope but a comparable operating model.
• Historiska museet (Swedish History Museum): Sweden's national history museum in Stockholm, housing archaeological collections and exhibitions — overlaps with Uppåkra as a venue for Iron Age artifacts and Swedish heritage interpretation.

Regional players

• Viking Ship Museum (Oslo): Norwegian museum housing Viking-era ships and artifacts at Bygdøy — comparable Nordic Viking heritage museum with research and education missions.
• Kulturens Östarp: Open-air cultural history museum in Skåne operated by Kulturen, presenting historic buildings and rural heritage — comparable Skåne-based heritage site with educational programming.
• Vallby Friluftsmuseum: Swedish open-air museum in Västerås featuring historic buildings and cultural events — comparable Swedish regional heritage museum model.
• Jorvik Viking Centre: Immersive Viking-age visitor experience in York, UK, blending reconstructed archaeology, exhibits and rides — international analogue of Uppåkra's model for monetizing Viking heritage.

Direct peers

• Jamtli: Open-air historical museum in Östersund, Sweden, combining reconstructed heritage environments with educational programs for schools and families — directly comparable visitor-experience model.
• Foteviken: Swedish archaeological open-air museum focused on the Viking and Iron Age, with reconstructed buildings, hands-on activities and educational programming — operationally the closest analogue to Uppåkra in scope and model.
• Birka Vikingaborgen: UNESCO World Heritage Viking-age site on Björkö island, combining active archaeology with public visitation and educational tours — closely comparable Iron Age/Viking heritage tourism model.

Others

• Lunds universitets Historiska museum: Lund University's historical museum that houses excavated Uppåkra artifacts and collaborates with the foundation — an ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but operates a comparable exhibition and research function in the same region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/uppakra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftelsen-upp%C3%A5kra-arkeologiska-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Stiftelsen Uppåkra Arkeologiska Center