More than 600 participants gathered in Uppsala as Innovation Night returned for its second edition. Around 40 innovative companies showcased their solutions, while eight startups from across Sweden competed in the national Disruptor of the Year pitch competition. Following the final pitches and an audience vote, Bioelectrix was named the winner, taking home the title and SEK 100,000 for its innovative wound treatment.
For the second year running, Innovation Night brought together entrepreneurs, investors, industry, academia and innovation ecosystem organisations in central Uppsala. At the heart of the event were the people behind the innovations.
“Innovation Night is a great example of what we can achieve when we bring together the strengths of Uppsala around a shared goal: creating better conditions for startups to grow and develop. Throughout the day, we met many exciting companies and discovered a wide range of innovations, highlighting the breadth and potential that exists here. For me, it is the combination of people, ideas and collaboration that makes Innovation Night so valuable,” says Elin Smeds, Event Manager at UIC and Project Manager for Innovation Night.
“For me, it is the combination of people, ideas and collaboration that makes Innovation Night so valuable.“
Startups in focus: from the earth and the human body to space
Around 40 innovative companies exhibited at The Startup Hub, where visitors could discover new solutions and meet the entrepreneurs behind them. During the afternoon, some of the focus shifted to the stage and the national Disruptor of the Year pitch competition.
Eight startups from different parts of Sweden had been selected to pitch in front of an audience and an expert jury: Acorai, Besca, Bioelectrix, GenomeVault, Jocky, SampleFacts, Sortrace and Veltio Pharma.
Together, they demonstrated an impressive breadth of innovation, including AI-powered heart failure monitoring, plasma technology for high-value carbon materials, bioelectric wound treatment, eDNA for measuring biodiversity, smarter solutions for the music industry, new technology for sample processing, AI for waste sorting and nanocellulose for pharmaceutical development.
Disruptor of the Year 2026 crowned
Following the eight pitches, the expert jury selected two finalists, who were given another opportunity to convince the audience during the evening’s final dinner. The participants then voted to decide the winner of Disruptor of the Year 2026.
The companies were assessed on criteria including innovation, scalability and sustainability.
The winner was Bioelectrix, which has developed a medical technology product that uses mild, controlled direct current to reactivate the body’s natural electrical signals during wound healing. The aim is to move from passive wound management to active tissue repair. Bioelectrix was awarded the title Disruptor of the Year 2026 and SEK 100,000. Read more about Bioelectrix on their website.
“This win means an incredible amount to us, far beyond the financial prize. It puts wound care on the agenda and shows that there is room for new, innovative solutions. It is also a great example of how the support available in Sweden can help research-based companies take the step from research to solutions that can make a real difference in healthcare,” says Caroline Johansen, founder and CEO of Bioelectrix.
Second place went to Acorai, which is developing a non-invasive solution for measuring heart and lung pressures in patients with heart failure. By combining multiple sensors with AI, the technology can provide information directly at the patient’s bedside. The company had the opportunity to present its innovation to a large audience of investors, entrepreneurs, industry representatives and innovation ecosystem organisations, and was awarded SEK 25,000.
Local collaboration creates national success
Innovation Night is the result of strong collaboration between many organisations. The event is organised by UIC, Uppsala Innovation Centre, together with organisations across Uppsala’s innovation ecosystem: Almi, Connect, Drivhuset, Uppsala University Innovation, Uppsala University Invest, SLU Holding, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Uppsala Municipality, Uppsala Tech, Region Uppsala, STUNS and the Swedish Air Force.The event is also made possible through the support of our sponsors, with World Class Uppsala and Uppsala Municipality playing a particularly important role.
“It was definitely worth the trip to Uppsala! The event gave us new perspectives, valuable connections and a strong sense that people genuinely want to help us move forward. I was particularly impressed by people’s generosity in sharing their knowledge and opening up their networks to us,” says Caroline Johansen, founder and CEO of Bioelectrix.