Since its founding in 2001, SSE Business Lab has nurtured over 300 startups and was earlier this year named Sweden’s leading startup incubator by Financial Times. SSE Ventures was launched in 2022 to finance innovative companies with ties to the incubator. Now, both companies will gain a joint CEO as they move into the SSE campus.

“This is a new chapter for entrepreneurship at SSE. We’re uniting world-class research and incubation under the same roof. With Isabel at the helm, we’re building an environment where innovation can truly flourish,” says Lars Strannegård, President of SSE.

Keulen succeeds Andreas Johansson and Julia Delin, who announced this summer that they would step down to jointly start a new company. The transition coincides with SSE Ventures raising over SEK 100 million in capital and SSE receiving a historically significant donation for its innovation initiatives from the Erling-Persson Foundation.

Extensive experience from venture capital

Isabel Keulen has extensive experience from various roles within the financial sector. Most recently, she was Principal at Spintop Ventures, where she worked actively with early-stage tech companies through investments and board work. Like SSE’s incubator, Spintop focuses on companies with the potential to drive the transition to a sustainable society. Keulen, who has a legal background, has also worked in investment banking and for a tech company. She will take up her new role in February 2025.

“I’m honored to take on the role of CEO of SSE Ventures and SSE Business Lab. It’s no coincidence that nine of Sweden’s 35 unicorns originated from SSE – this is a place brimming with ideas, ambition, and drive. As CEO, I look forward to further developing this environment and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs,” says Isabel Keulen, incoming CEO of SSE Ventures and SSE Business Lab.

Sara Öhrvall, Chair of the Board for SSE Ventures, was in charge of the recruitment process and is delighted with the appointment.

“Isabel is the perfect person to take the fund and the incubator to the next level. With her expertise and determination, we aim to strengthen our position as one of Sweden’s leading hubs for entrepreneurship,” says Sara Öhrvall, Chair of SSE Ventures.

Building a new hub for innovation

Since 2017, SSE Business Lab has been located at A House, the former School of Architecture’s premises in Östermalm. In 2022, SSE acquired the former “Student Palace” on Norrtullsgatan, with the aim of transforming the building into a leading hub in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

With the new leadership and closer proximity to campus, SSE is ramping up its commitment to fostering entrepreneurship. By bringing together research, entrepreneurship, and capital under one roof, the School aims to create synergies and enhance Sweden’s capacity for innovation.

For more information, please contact:

William Hagströmer

Marketing Manager, SSE Business Lab

Email: william.hagstromer@hhs.se