NEWS On October 4–5, bold and creative problem-solvers from Umeå University gathered for this year’s edition of Innovation Boot Camp—a two-day intensive idea challenge aimed at bringing smart new business ideas to life.
All participants and organizers during the weekend's Innovation Boot Camp.
Image SEKAI MediaThe event offered a crash course in business development and pitching techniques. With support from experienced business developers, participants sharpened their ideas and explored new perspectives. In the final session, seven teams pitched their ideas to a jury — marking the first step toward real-world implementation.
– This year’s Boot Camp has been absolutely fantastic. We’re especially impressed by those who signed up solo, were assigned to a team, and quickly aligned around a shared problem to solve. But now the real work begins. That’s why we’ve introduced a new award to be given next year to teams that continue developing their ideas, said Christopher Frisk, business developer at the Innovation Support Office at Umeå University.
Two awards were presented for Best Business Model and Best Pitch. The winners received a one-year membership at A Working Lab, as well as a gift card worth 5,000 SEK. One of the winners, Jobbjägarna, took home the award for Best Business Model with their innovative approach to helping immigrants more easily find their first job.
Team Jobbjägare. From left: Christian Jaimes Osorio, Jazmin Soto and Carlos Felipe Buitrago Panader.
ImageSEKAI MediaThe winners, Jobbjägarna, won the prize for best business model with their innovative approach to helping immigrants find their first job more easily.
– I liked that the business coaches challenged us. It made us think about things we hadn’t considered before — like how we’re going to make money from our idea. This project was inspired by our personal journeys and a necessity as foreign professionals in Sweden, which fuels us to keep moving forward with this initiative for us and every inmigrant in the same position, said Jazmin Soto.
– Our next step is to go out and start interviewing people to better understand the target group and what they need, said team member Carlos Felipe Buitrago Panader.
Team Pathly. From left: Wout Coelen and Ramin Alizad. Team member Laura Pohl is not pictured.
ImageSEKAI Media– Honestly, a lot of ups and downs. Sometimes you moved forwards, sometimes backwards. But the fast pace was good. It forced us to move on to the next step instead of getting stuck on the details, said Wout Coelen.
– Now it feels really exciting to continue, and with this, become part of a community with other creators, added team member Ramin Alizad.
Pathly wants to guide students from high school to their dream job in a simple and clear way using a smart AI tool.
Team: Wout Coelen, Ramin Alizad and Laura Pohl
The jury’s reasoning: The winning pitch stood out for its compelling vision and confident delivery. The team presented a well-defined problem, guiding students from high school to their future dream careers and offered a clear, actionable solution. Their ability to engage the audience, combined with a strong sense of purpose and a self-evident societal benefit, made their proposal both inspiring and impactful.
Jobbjägare wants to create a hybrid service that effectively helps immigrants find their first job in Sweden.
Team: Jazmin Soto, Carlos Felipe Buitrago Panader, Christian Jaimes Osorio
The jury’s reasoning: The winning business plan impressed the jury with a clear and well-structured NABC framework. Their business plan addressed a highly relevant and impactful challenge, supporting immigrants in finding their first job in Sweden. The proposal stood out for its coherence, feasibility, and strong alignment between problem, solution, and value creation.
Innovation Boot Camp is a collaboration between several actors in Västerbotten that support new ideas and businesses: the Innovation Support Office at Umeå University, Uminova Innovation, eXpression Umeå, SLU Holding, A Working Lab, Region Västerbotten, NyföretagarCentrum Umeå, and Coompanion Västerbotten.