Running a company is a challenging journey, but with the right business coach by your side, the path becomes both clearer and more sustainable. UIC’s accelerator offers structured yet flexible support where companies choose their own coach, shape their own strategy, and gain access to valuable networks in capital, customers, and industry knowledge. Within the accelerator, companies can also receive up to SEK 500,000 in total credit for use on coaching and various business development services. Additionally, companies can receive support over a long period, often two to three years.
– I think it’s unique that UIC shows trust in the entrepreneurs and doesn’t micromanage them. The company takes responsibility from day one, and that builds both confidence and self-awareness, says Francesco Mazzotta, one of the business coaches in the accelerator.
An accelerator tailored to the needs of companies
What distinguishes UIC Accelerate is its flexibility. Instead of a fixed setup, UIC adapts its activities based on each company’s situation and works together with them to choose the business coach who best matches their needs, and the coach can be changed if those needs evolve. Companies are required to meet with their coach for at least one hour per week, but otherwise decide themselves how much coaching to engage in, at what pace, and with which focus areas.
– It’s about giving the entrepreneur power over their own development. It creates a healthy balance between self-leadership and professional guidance, explains Francesco Mazzotta.
” I’ve been through the entire journey. From idea to product, fundraising, crises, and exit.“
Business coaches with industry experience and broad backgrounds
Francesco Mazzotta is one of the business coaches working in the accelerator. With a degree in engineering physics and a PhD in physics, he has combined research, technology, and entrepreneurship throughout his career. He has been a Clinical Innovation Fellow at Karolinska Institutet and KTH, and co-founder of the medtech company Pilloxa, where he was CEO for over six years. Today he is Head of Life Science and Health at the DEEP Institute at ESMT Berlin, Director of Creative Destruction Lab Berlin, and coach at UIC, KTH Innovation, and Nucleate.
– I’ve been through the entire journey. From idea to product, fundraising, crises, and exit. That allows me to meet entrepreneurs with both empathy and concrete advice, he says.
The most common challenges and how to overcome them
During his time as a UIC Accelerate business coach, Francesco has observed several recurring patterns. One of the biggest pitfalls is that companies run out of money before reaching key milestones, often because it takes longer than expected to raise new capital.
Francesco also emphasizes the importance of an active, engaged board, something easily overlooked in the early stages. Many founders also try to handle all roles themselves, from product development to sales and financing, which can quickly become unsustainable.
Francesco’s best advice to companies wanting to grow
- Take action right away. Don’t wait for perfect conditions, just take the first step.
- Keep track of your cash flow. The money in the account is what matters.
- Build a board that supports you actively. See them as a resource, not an obligation.
- Find your own way of being an entrepreneur. Be inspired by others, but stay true to yourself throughout the journey.