Linnaeus Venture is participating in a national initiative aimed at giving more entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop the growth companies of the future.
The scholarship is funded by SEB’s Development Foundation and comprises a total of ten scholarships of SEK 200,000 each. All are targeted at entrepreneurially driven recent graduates and doctoral students from Swedish universities and university colleges.
To be eligible for nomination, candidates must be connected to an innovation project or a research-based startup with high development potential. The purpose of the scholarship is to give entrepreneurs time and resources to take their project to the next level and make it ready for investment.
For Linnaeus University, the collaboration provides an opportunity to further strengthen the support for and highlight promising entrepreneurs from the university.
Last year, Nathan van Wyk from Linnaeus University was awarded the SEB FUHS Entreprenörsstipendium 2025.
Who can be nominated?
To be eligible, candidates must have graduated, or be on track to graduate, between May 2025 and June 2026. The scholarship targets individuals with clear entrepreneurial drive and a research-based startup idea. Their entrepreneurial qualities should be possible to describe and exemplify – from personal characteristics and motivations to concrete achievements.
The applicant must also have the right to commercialise their idea. If a company already exists, annual sales must not have exceeded SEK 200,000, and external investors (other than the holding company) must not have invested more than SEK 500,000.
Assessment criteria
The evaluation process covers several aspects, where team, technology and market value are all taken into account:
- Team capabilities – competence, experience and commitment.
- Market potential – based on customer dialogue, feedback and interest in the innovation.
- Technological maturity – how far the solution has come in relation to its intended application.
- Vision and future impact – how the idea can contribute to value creation, development or societal impact.
- Plan for investability – how the project will be developed to a level where external investments are possible.
SEB’s Development Foundation will also have the opportunity to invest in the future company/companies on the same terms as the holding company in any future new share issue.
