The 33-list at A-match X in Karlstad – “The material of the future grows in the forest”

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Three of Sweden’s most promising startups from Ny Teknik’s 33 list gathered their forces during A-match X at Värmlands Museum in Karlstad. With a focus on sustainability, they show how the forest can replace both plastic and fossil materials – and at the same time create new business opportunities for the future.

On this particular day, the sun was not visible in Karlstad. But inside the Värmlands Museum, where A-match X was housed for the day, there was a palpable warmth and cozy atmosphere when nearly 200 people gathered to take part in the tenth edition of the investor forum A-match. During the day, over 30 companies were presented on stage, with a particular focus on sustainable innovations and investment opportunities.

The day was started by Ny Teknik’s event manager Helena Wiktelius together with three companies from the 33 list: Bright Day Graphene, Reselo and Blue Ocean Closures. During a panel discussion on stage, the companies shared their experiences and advice regarding developing innovative materials from forest raw materials.

Bright Day Graphene: From forest residues to high-tech material

– We do something different. While most people manufacture graphene from graphite, we use lignin, a residual stream from the forest industry, says Malin Alpsten, CEO of Bright Day Graphene.

The company has developed a patented process for making graphene, a revolutionary material that was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 when scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov discovered how to make the atomically thin carbon material.

– Graphene will be everywhere in 20 years. It has so many great features. One area that is established today is in sports products, where, among other things, Head uses it in tennis rackets and skis. But we see areas of use in everything from noise reduction in vehicles to cooling of electronics in mobile phones, says Malin Alpsten.

The company moved to Karlstad in 2019 and feels more at home here than in Stockholm.

– Here everyone was close to the forest, it was easier to talk about our product. Karlstad also has the ambition to be a hub for the bioeconomy, she explains.

Reselo: Converts forest residues into sustainable rubber

With 2030 as a fast-approaching deadline for many companies’ climate goals, Reselo has a concrete solution for the rubber industry. The company has developed a technology that converts residues from the forest into rubber.

– We can reduce the climate footprint by 90 percent compared to oil-based production, according to analyzes from IVL. Our customers see that they can create greater value for their own customers and at the same time achieve their internal sustainability goals, says Josefin Larsson, co-founder and product manager at Reselo.

The company replaces the polymer part that makes up around 60 percent of a rubber compound, for example in shoe soles.

– With a product that delivers the right properties, sustainability has become a strong selling advantage on the market, says Josefin Larsson.

Blue Ocean Closures: Plastic-free packaging of the future

For Blue Ocean Closures, the journey began with a vision to replace plastic in packaging. Today they make screw caps from paper fibers that are as hard as plastic but can be recycled like paper.

– We replace plastic in screw caps, which is the most common plastic you find on the beaches in the EU. The big companies are looking for opportunities to reduce the proportion of plastic and CO2 emissions, and no one else can do anything like this, says Lars Sandberg, CEO of Blue Ocean Closures.

The company takes a bright view of the future and the opportunities available within bio-based materials.

– Today, we can manufacture advanced products such as screw caps with exactly the same properties as plastic, and with higher strength. In a few years, we may be able to reach half the material cost compared to plastic. Many do not see the shift we are facing, says Sandberg.

Karlstad – an ecosystem for bioeconomy

When Blue Ocean Closures joined the 33 list last year, they were the first Värmland company since 2008. Now the region is seeing a new wave of innovations in sustainable materials from the forest.

– Look back at the forest industry – in the past, development was mainly within large companies and universities. Now more innovation takes place in startups than in the established research departments, says Lars Sandberg.

The Karlstad region has established itself as a complete bioeconomy ecosystem with everything from the forest itself to the mills, sawmills and equipment manufacturing. Here are also the technical consultants and researchers at Karlstad University, who were also represented during A-match X. Together with a wave of new startup companies, the region is working to produce climate-smart solutions with as little waste as possible.

If you are curious to know more about the materials of the future and meet the entrepreneurs on site, you must not miss the final event for the 33 list 2024 on December 2 at the Clarion Hotel Stockholm. Founders and key people from Sweden’s best startups gather there – 33 young technology companies that have the potential to change their industries and become future growth companies.