The business incubator STING welcomes eight new internet startups to the fifth round of the accelerator program STING Accelerate. Propel Capital II invests SEK 300 000 in each companies, an increase from previous round. Propel Capital consists of 16 angels and invests in STING companies only.

The interest for the fifth round of the STING Accelerate program has been at an all-time high with a total of 160 applications. After a careful evaluation of the business models, the teams and their potentials, eight of the most promising companies today move in to STING’s premises at the internet hub SUP46, where the program is run.

– After a tough selection of applicants, we have selected the most outstanding teams. Half of them have already launched, and a few already have paying customers, says Peo Nilsson, business coach and program manager for STING Accelerate.

Smart products and services in recruitment, e-commerce and marketing is a just a sample of what STING Accelerate represents this fall. There are a number of serial entrepreneurs behind the startups, as well as people with many years of experience in their respective industries and alumni students from reputable schools such as Stockholm School of Economics and the Karolinska Institute.

All companies accepted to STING Accelerate in fall 2015 and spring 2016 will automatically receive an investment of SEK 300 000 from Propel Capital II. The financing comes from 16 renowned Swedish business angels, including Carl Palmstierna, Ludvig Linge and Magnus Bergman, who have come together to invest in Internet/media companies.

During the next 20 weeks, the startups will get intense coaching by STING’s experienced Internet coaches, with expertise in company building and business development. The focus is on the “Lean Startup” methodology to increase the speed of development and to challenge and sharpen the customer offer. The new batch will also receive close support in communications and recruitment, as well as access to STING’s wide external network of industry experts and investors.

One of the teams this autumn is UNjobfinder, a global career service provider for the international development sector. Since the launch in 2014, the company already has users worldwide and collaborates with organizations such as UNHCR, UNFPA and Save the Children International.

– It feels so great to have been chosen for the program! STING has a thorough and well-tested program, and we hope that we will learn a lot by sharing lessons learned and experiences with the other companies. We have high expectations to run even faster, both in product development and how we can best reach our customers and users, Magnus Bucht, CEO of UNjobfinder, says.

During the program, STING provides free office space at the startup hub SUP46 in the center of Stockholm. In January, the program ends with STING Demo Day, a closed event where the companies will present their business ideas for an exclusively invited investors, potential partners and journalists.

Here are the eight startups of STING Accelerate’s batch number 05:

Airinum
Airinum is fighting one of the greatest global health concerns of our time: air pollution. By leveraging Swedish innovation and design, Airinum is developing new breathing protection to guard millions of people from diseases caused by air pollution. The company’s first product is a new type of anti-pollution breathing mask for day to day use, with optimum protection while not compromising on comfort or style.

Beatly
Beatly provides a platform designed for brands to create, manage and follow-up on influencer marketing campaign. By replacing ads with stories and storytelling that is integrated with the sender, brands are able to quickly increase brand awareness and find new customers, as well as increase their social media presence.

Daily Bits Of
Daily Bits Of presents a free way for everyone to work on their personal development, by delivering daily bite sized courses via email. The courses offers learning in a lifestyle context, focusing on four verticals: health, relationships, work and food. Daily Bits of is a learning service for everyone who doesn’t have time to work on their personal development.

Footmall
Footmall is a shopping engine and marketplace for shoes. By offering a wide range of shoes from different retailers, Footmall helps consumers to save both time and money. The service simultaneously offer a unique opportunity for shops and individuals to promote their shoes online.

Karma
Karma is a customer ­driven marketing tool helping companies connect with their customers. Karma makes it easy for companies to capture the data they need to build a closer relationship with customers, offer tailored shopping experiences and fully measure the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Resrc
Resrc is the staffing and consulting industry network. Resrc enables improved cooperation between companies by offering efficient networking tools and scalable information services.

Streamience
Streamience has developed a platform for a whole new generation of easy to use services for mobile phones, tablets and other digital displays. The platform is built for app-generated streaming services. It use personal data to tailor the user experience to each individual’s needs. Soon the first service based on this platform will be launched, called Jambaramba.

UNjobfinder
UNjobfinder.org is the global career service provider for the international development sector. Our solution matches job seekers with hiring organizations through innovative tools and services related to talent acquisition and professional support. Your career is our mission.