Yesterday, more than 300 entrepreneurs, investors, partners, and innovation stakeholders gathered at Saluhallen in Uppsala for this year’s UIC Spring Party—an established meeting place to celebrate local successes and highlight the companies shaping the future. During the afternoon, three companies were appointed UIC Selected, and several awards were presented to innovative startups with the potential to make a global impact.
During the event, LF Uppsala presented the Sustainability Award, Brann presented the Tech Award, and the Per Bengtsson Award recognized the best team. In addition, three new companies were appointed UIC Selected—a mark of quality highlighting some of the most promising companies that have participated in UIC’s business development programs:
- Aurora Innovation – developing solutions to enable smarter and more accessible healthcare.
- NitroCapt – advancing sustainable fertilizer production through electrified processes.
- PixlBio – transforming cutting-edge research into real-world applications in drug development.
Awards were presented to successful companies
Several awards were presented by UIC’s partners, recognizing companies that have demonstrated strong innovation, team strength, and growth potential within their respective fields.
- LF Sustainability Award: AmmoniQ – developing sustainable ammonia production using air, water, and electricity.
- Per Bengtsson Award (Best Team): Northern Waves – enabling advanced manufacturing of microwave components through additive manufacturing.
- Brann Tech Award: Flox Intelligence – developing AI-based solutions to prevent wildlife accidents and protect critical infrastructure.
One of the major new features this year was that companies from the UIC Build business development program showcased their innovations on site for the first time. Visitors had the opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs directly and vote for their favorite in the newly introduced People’s Choice Award:
- People’s Choice Award: Afterimagery AB – developing an innovative treatment method to reduce trauma-related flashbacks using game-based solutions, with a focus on long-term outcomes.
This new format created strong engagement and helped highlight the next generation of startups at an early stage.
With a new venue at Saluhallen and growing interest, the UIC Spring Party continues to strengthen its role as a key meeting place for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
A significant part of UIC’s success is built on collaboration with external partners from the local business community. By sharing their expertise in areas such as legal, finance, IP, and marketing, they provide valuable insights and support to UIC companies. LF Uppsala and Brann have long been partners to UIC and contribute essential expertise to the companies.