Running a company is often an intense mix of passion, uncertainty, and an ever-growing to-do list. For many entrepreneurs, having someone by their side who can both challenge and guide them can make all the difference.
That’s where UIC Accelerate comes in, an incubator program that brings together experience, expertise, and networks that would otherwise take years to build. The program offers carefully selected business coaches and tailored content based on each company’s needs, completely independent and without taking any ownership.
Companies gain access to valuable networks within capital, customers, industry expertise, and internationalization, while also being able to use up to SEK 500,000 in credit for coaching and partner services.
Experienced business coach at UIC guides companies toward growth
One of those sharing her expertise within the accelerator is Agneta Franksson. She holds a Master of Science in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering and brings with her more than three decades of experience from the healthcare and life science sectors. Over the years, she has developed pacemakers, worked with clinical trials, and held CEO positions in both listed and privately owned companies.
For more than ten years, Agneta has combined consultancy assignments with board work and corporate governance education as an accredited instructor at StyrelseAkademien.
Her extensive experience in both operational and strategic roles has made her a highly sought-after advisor in business development and growth. In 2016, she was awarded Dagens Industri’s Supergasell Prize as Chair of the Board, an award presented to Sweden’s fastest-growing companies.
With her background in business development, leadership, and governance, the role of business coach at UIC was a natural next step. Today, she contributes with her strategic perspective and her passion for supporting emerging growth companies on their journey toward success.
– It’s about sharing experience so others don’t have to reinvent the wheel, she says.
“You gain valuable expertise even before you’ve built a board or brought in investors. It’s like an early injection that makes the journey both faster and safer.”
Accelerate makes a real difference for companies
In the beginning, a coach often serves as a broad sounding board, someone who can answer questions and provide perspective on everything from strategy to organization. As the company grows, its needs change, and the coach’s role shifts toward offering more specific insights or opening doors to the right people and networks.
Agneta emphasizes that this is where the UIC Accelerate truly makes a difference.
– You gain valuable expertise even before you’ve built a board or brought in investors. It’s like an early injection that makes the journey both faster and safer.
Challenges companies must navigate
Many entrepreneurs are so passionate about their idea that they risk getting stuck in the details. Products and innovation become the main focus, while other important aspects, such as structure, marketing, and board work, end up in the background.
Another common pitfall is when the founder tries to do everything alone. Agneta believes that a good way to move forward is to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
– Imagine your company five years from now. Then work your way back to today, what steps do you need to take now to get there? It often becomes clearer what you actually need to let go of, says Agneta.
Simple but essential advice from an experienced coach
- Join an accelerator or incubator. Here, you’ll find experts who have already made the journey, their knowledge saves you time, money, and mistakes.
- Structure creates creativity. When organization, documentation, and order are in place from the start, both time and energy are freed up. Doing things right from the beginning isn’t about bureaucracy, it’s about building a foundation where creativity can thrive and grow.
- Build your network early. Surrounding yourself with the right people can be the difference between standing still and growing fast.
- Learn from others’ experiences. Listen to others’ failures and lessons, it’s the fastest way forward.