Lund researchers win Venture Cup

21 June 2012

The four Lund researchers behind the LUIS company Speximo won first prize in this year’s Venture Cup final in Gothenburg. It is the first time a company from the southern Sweden region has won the national final.

By replacing chemical additives with quinoa starch in skin creams, researchers Malin Sjöö, Marilyn Rayner, Petr Dejmek and Anna Timgren from the Faculty of Engineering succeeded in developing a new type of natural skincare product. The result – a cream that is more stable, cheaper and kinder to the skin than the products currently on the market – formed the basis for the research company Speximo.

In May, Lund University’s holding company, LUIS AB, became part-owner of the company. In that same week, Speximo came second in the regional final of the Venture Cup competition, and now it has come first in the national final.

The jury that chose Speximo as Sweden’s next growth company gave the following comments: “With a thorough business plan and a clear environmental focus, this product will meet a demand on a growing market. Behind the product are a confidence-inspiring team, whose innovation is just right for its time and shows strong potential for growth”.

In second place came Stockholm-based Freebee, which has developed a mobile app where the user can test products and services free in return for answering questions about their experiences. Third prize went to another company from the south of Sweden, Tunaspot, which has developed a new service where users can upload their favourite playlists from Spotify to other places.

An energy and environmental prize was also awarded to Gothenburg company Biofrigas, which has come up with a cheaper way to transport biogas. In total, over 1 000 business plans were entered into the competition.