First Grantees Accounted in VINNOVA Fellowship Program in Silicon Valley.
Among the 40 qualified applicants, VINNOVA has now appointed its first two fellows into the program. Donnie S.C. Lygonis, Technology Transfer Manager at KTH innovation, and Anette Nordvall, partner in the Stockholm Business Angels and Venture Advisor at Capital A Partners "CAP A", will be the first fellows in the program.
Both are well known in the Swedish startup world as dynamic people and sought-after speakers, with excellent networking capabilities. They are both serial entrepreneurs, nationally active and have a great understanding of entrepreneurial living. Mr. Lygonis' fellowship starts October 15, 2015, and Ms. Nordvall starts February 1, 2016.
Mr. Lygonis, whose ties to KTH Innovation where he worked for 6 years, has proven to be valuable in building businesses while acting as a highly regarded business coach. His stay in Silicon Valley is expected to contribute to creating stronger links between the university's' innovation programs and Silicon Valley.
Ms. Nordvall compliments the team with her long experience as an advisor and investor. She is expected to contribute to developing stronger links between investor networks in Sweden and Silicon Valley with special emphasis on non-institutional investors.
VINNOVA established an office in Silicon Valley three years ago. In partnership with Nordic Innovation House in Palo Alto, CA, the operations are aimed at incubating young Swedish companies in the U.S. The aim is that companies with the ambition to scale and expand internationally will be able to take maximum advantage of the unique innovation ecosystem in Silicon Valley.
VINNOVA launched a fellowship program for people with good understanding of startups who wish to develop their network and whose expertise can contribute to the operation. Two scholarships totaling 20 months will be awarded annually for 4 years. The program is funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.