SACC-NY opens Gateway X Epicenter

As reported in our June issue, the Swedish American Chamber of commerce, NY offers new services beginning this fall. 

  • Anna Throne-Holst, President, SACCNY and Patrik Mesterton, Co-Founder and CEO, Epicenter. Photo: SACC NY.

  • The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, New York in cooperation with Swedish incubator Epicenter is establishing a physical meeting place in New York. The goal is to increase interest in Sweden among U.S. investors, entrepreneurs and companies. The collaboration with Epicenter will result in a meeting place in central Manhattan that will serve as a springboard for Swedish companies to the U.S. market. The project is called "Gateway X Epicenter" and the premises will open in October 2018. HRH Crown Princess Victoria will reportedly tour the premises during her visit to New York City Sept. 19 and SACC New York members have been invited to a hard hat tour in early October.

  • "We see that many Swedish growth companies that come to the U.S. have a tendency to lose traction a bit initially. Then we can provide advice and support and point them in the right direction,” SACC-NY CEO Anna Throne-Holst recently commented to Swedish business daily Dagens Industri. According to the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, there is a huge need for a place where companies and entrepreneurs from both countries can meet, get acquainted and eventually do business.

  • "We already work as a natural meeting place for the big Swedish companies, such as Volvo, Sandvik and Skanska. Now, we hope they will be able to collaborate even closer with the start-up sector, through synergies and cross-fertilization,” Anna Throne-Holst said.

  • Stockholm based Epicenter is already establishing a branch in Amsterdam. Unlike some other tech hubs that have popped up in Stockholm in recent years, Epicenter won’t allow just anyone to join the innovation house. The focus is not on startups in an early phase, but on larger, fast-growing and profitable scale-ups. For example, Spotify hosted some of its activities at Epicenter Stockholm until the end of 2017.

  • For more info see www.saccny.org/gateway/