The Prize recognizes small and medium-sized companies from the Scandinavian nation breaking new ground within impact sectors including climate tech and healthcare. 

“Sweden has a long and proud history of producing companies which fundamentally reshape an entire industry or space. It’s with this in mind that we have launched the Pioneer Prize: to continue and further strengthen the internationalization of Swedish companies, while demonstrating Sweden’s ability to produce solutions to current global challenges,” says Director-General of the Swedish Institute Madeleine Sjöstedt.

Neola among the eight startups nominated

The eight startups nominated for the Pioneer Prize are all previous participants in Business Sweden’s scaleup program Catalyst, and were shortlisted from a longlist of 24 (from an original list of over 200 Catalyst alumni companies) by jurors drawn from the worlds of investment, venture capital, and the startup ecosystem.

Among the eight startup nominees is Neola Medical, a Lund-based medtech providing continuous monitoring of lung-related problems suffered by premature babies, with an instant warning system for complications. Neola Medical’s noninvasive system uses laser-based technology to continuously monitor lung function in real time. This allows doctors and nurses to detect issues before they escalate, making care more proactive instead of reactive.

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 Winner will be announced on May 14

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 14th May as the highlight of Sweden’s National Day at Expo 2025 in Osaka in the presence of a Swedish delegation led by HM the King of Sweden, His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, and Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation, Benjamin Dousa.

A public vote is now open at pioneerprize.com and will run until Monday 12th May.