Hi! How can we help?

For companies where technology is the core of their business, it is crucial to have their tech in-house. On the other hand, for companies where technology is a means to solve a problem, outsourcing software development can be an option to extend their capacity, although it carries some risks.

Startups that could be competitors will never be accepted and part of Sting at the same time. However, once a startup has left us and become alumni, after six months we could accept and work with another company that has a similar business idea.

Yes, it is definitely possible to be part of our program even if you have already raised money. Companies often have angel investors onboard before joining Sting.

Sting offers more hands-on support than any other accelerator in Europe, and access to the most extensive network of entrepreneurs and investors. More than 9 out of 10 startups recommend Sting to other startups.

One size doesn’t fit all and that’s why we tailor our coaching to fit your individual needs. However, if you were to describe our coaching style in three words it would probably be ‘lean and iterative’. We use frameworks like Lean Startup and Lean Canvas, and work in sprints.

We treat the proprietary information our companies share with us with 100 percent confidentiality, whether they declared it confidential or not. We couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t. We don’t sign NDAs because we meet so many startups that it would be impossible to keep track of all the NDAs and the related information. 

We have a “success fee” model in the form of stock warrants to Sting. As a non-profit, we’re an independent, founder-centric organization who always wants what’s best for your startup. If you succeed, these stock warrants eventually convert into a small number of shares.

Yes! The co-owners of Propel Capital are business angels actively looking for investment opportunities in exciting and promising startups. As a portfolio company to Propel Capital, you are exposed to a large number of potential investors.

Propel Capital invests via a convertible note that converts to ownership only when the company has raised at least SEK 1 million or more from external investors. This way, we avoid setting a valuation of the company too early.

For full terms and conditions, please contact emanuel.andersson@sting.co. Read more for an overall summary of the terms:

The loan amount plus accrued interest at the time of conversion is divided by the price per share in the round, discounted by 30%.

Propel Capital guarantees a follow-on investment of 200,000 SEK as part of its initial investment offer. However, Propel Capital does not make any additional follow-on investments beyond this. Instead, Propel Capital’s CEO, Emanuel Andersson, actively supports portfolio companies in their financing rounds by facilitating introductions to potential investors.

We will review your application after the application deadline has passed and get back to you within two weeks. Between 10 to 12 projects are accepted to each round.

At the first workshop, all participants and organizers sign a confidentiality agreement. No information on the business concepts, technologies or names of participants may be spread outside the program without the consent of the participant in question.

Sting is Scandinavia’s leading tech startup incubator and accelerator. We have over two decades of perfected gathered experiences in guiding high-potential tech founders on their journey to becoming global successes.

Late applications are those submitted after the application deadlines (typically June-Sept or Dec-Jan).

If you submit an application after the deadline, your application is automatically tagged as “late”. You will still get evaluated based on your merits, but late applications are generally competing for fewer slots, which means it will get harder to get accepted the later you apply. It will also take longer for us to get back to you, as the process is already ongoing. 

We do our best to get back to you as soon as possible, however it depends on the availability of the coaches. Also keep in mind that late applications are often coming in during holiday periods, which may slow down the response time even more. But please be patient, we will email you as soon as your application has been reviewed.

Sting runs two startup programs: Sting Accelerate and Sting Incubate. The qualification criteria for each program differs slightly, read more for list of criterias.

Expect a packed calendar with regular coach meetings, sprints and milestone plans, workshops, investor meetups, social events, pitch coaching and much more. Everything leads up to Demo Day, the final event where you get to go on stage and pitch to over 100 international investors.

Sting’s programs start twice every year, in February and September. The application deadlines are generally in late May and late November. For Sting Incubate Deeptech we do evaluate applications continuously and in certain cases we may accept companies in between the application periods.

All companies accepted to Sting Accelerate receive an investment of SEK 500 000 through a convertible note from Propel Capital, the investment company linked to Sting. All companies accepted to Sting Incubate have the possibility to receive the same investment of SEK 500 000 from Propel Capital. The opportunity will be available after a few months in the program.

Contact Emanuel Andersson, CEO of Propel Capital, for more information on when and under what conditions it is possible to invest in Propel Capital. Read more about Propel Capital here.

If you are a coworking space, educational institution, or other community of future entrepreneurs, we are happy to provide you with resources to share in your network. Contact us at: academy@sting.co

Sting offers two programs: Incubate for researchers/founders with complex technical solutions (up to 18 months), and Accelerate for startups with a launched product/solution and at least two full-time employees looking to accelerate growth (4 months).

If accepted onto one of our programs, you can receive 500 000 SEK investment from Propel Capital – Sting’s own investment company. 

When your application is submitted, our coaches will review it and decide whether to move you to the next step. Expect to hear back from us a couple of weeks after the application deadline.

Selected companies will receive an offer to join one of our programs. After the paperwork is signed, it’s time for a four-day kick-off at Sting’s office at A house in Stockholm, together with your fellow batch founders. Then your journey begins together.

Founder teams with an idea or startup that is scalable and has potential to grow internationally. We like to see teams with two to three people and ideally a mix of gender.

Sting Test Drive is a workshop series combined with individual coaching opportunities.

It will take you approx 4-5 hours to complete the course.

You will have four weeks to complete the course before your account closes. But don't worry, if you need more time it will be possible to prolong your course period.

We run two batches of our Accelerator and Incubator per year. We will notify you when admissions open so that you can be among the first to apply to the next batch of our programs.

Test Drive is a series of workshops for founders with an idea or a startup that are not quite ready to apply for our official startup programs yet. Test Drive runs 1-2 times a year and is usually sector-specific. For example, the past we’ve ran test drives focused on climate and energy, deeptech, healthtech and blockchain innovations.

We propel you towards your vision for the future by providing a lifelong support ecosystem that delivers more value and opens more doors than any other.

Yes, Sting Startup Academy is 100% free and open to anyone. Right now we have limited seats though, so you may be put on a waiting list until new seats open up. In order to get accepted to any of Sting's regular programs, you have to be based in Stockholm, Sweden.