Arkeon wins Founders Challenge 2025

esterday’s final marked an inspiring conclusion to Founders Challenge 2025, bringing together entrepreneurs, partners, and actors from the innovation ecosystem. Founders Challenge is Founders Loft’s annual initiative to highlight startups that combine strong business potential with a clear ambition to contribute to a more sustainable society. Founders Challenge is part of Founders Loft’s long-term mission. Since 1999, we have supported people who want to change the world through entrepreneurship. Through this competition, we aim to create visibility, opportunities, and momentum for early-stage startups – always with people at the center and sustainability as a foundation.

A final looking ahead

The final took place at A Working Lab, a venue that reflects many of the values behind Founders Challenge. An open, future-oriented, and sustainable environment where collaboration, innovation, and people come first. During the evening, five strong finalists pitched their companies in front of the jury and audience:

• Arkeon

• Eliro

• Discernity

• Vyse Tech

• Solstice

All finalists demonstrated a high level of innovation, clear business understanding, and a strong commitment to addressing societal challenges.

A jury with broad experience and an entrepreneurial perspective

This year’s jury consisted of representatives from Founders Loft, our partners, and our alumni network – united by a shared commitment to supporting entrepreneurial development:

• Malin Jovanovic, CEO of Founders Loft, with nearly 30 years of experience within the innovation ecosystem and a strong focus on inclusion, long-term value creation, and the entrepreneurial journey.

• Frida Svensson, Project Manager at Quokka, contributing structure, curiosity, and a perspective on how innovations can grow sustainably.

• Oscar Eidering, Business Unit Manager at Quokka, bringing strategic expertise and a strong engagement in supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and companies.

• Cedrik Wiberg, CEO and Founder of Rivus Batteries, a former Founders Challenge winner and Founders Loft alumnus, who today serves as a role model for entrepreneurs building impact-driven companies.

The jury evaluated the finalists based on several criteria, including team capability, business potential, scalability, and long-term societal impact.

The winner: Arkeon

After careful evaluation, Arkeon was announced as the winner of Founders Challenge 2025. Arkeon impressed the jury with a clear vision, a strong team, and the ability to combine technological innovation with a tangible contribution to societal challenges. With a solution-oriented approach and a well-defined path forward, Arkeon demonstrated both courage and innovation, qualities at the core of Founders Challenge.

The prize

The prize, provided by Quokka, Founders Loft, and A Working Lab, corresponds to a total value of SEK 100,000. This includes SEK 85,000 in a development voucher from Quokka, enabling Arkeon to further realize its technical vision with support from Quokka’s expertise. In addition, Arkeon is offered a place in the next round of Founders Loft’s Startup Boost program, a support package designed to help the company take the next step in its development, as well as a workspace at A Working Lab. This provides a creative and sustainable environment that supports continued growth, focus, and collaboration during the program period.

Audience Award

After the pitches, the audience also had the opportunity to vote for their favorite, and the winner of the Audience Award was Vyse Tech.

Partnerships that enable entrepreneurship

Founders Challenge is built on strong and long-term partnerships. Through collaborations with actors such as Quokka and A Working Lab, we jointly create better conditions for entrepreneurs to grow, be challenged, and develop. Our partners share our view of entrepreneurship as a force for positive change and contribute with expertise, engagement, and environments where ideas can become reality.

Looking ahead

The Founders Challenge 2025 final was a successful event and clearly demonstrated the value of bringing entrepreneurs, partners, and supporting organizations together in one place – to exchange perspectives, challenge ideas, and take the next steps forward.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all finalists, jury members, partners, and participants - and once again, congratulations to Arkeon. We look forward to following your continued journey.