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STOCKHOLM SCHOOL
OF ECONOMICS

Apply to Incubate

For our Incubate program, we're looking for ventures with a scalable business model and proven potential.

Selection criteria

Please check out our example Incubate pitch deck to see how we would like the criteria presented.

We assess your business case, based on how the content of your application can effectively communicate the following:

  • Business potential: A scalable business model with international potential. You can present the competitive landscape, your value proposition, and your competitive advantage(s). 

  • Validation: You have launched a prototype/MVP with initial traction (first (recurring) customers or initial revenue). OR can in other ways specifically show how the idea has been externally validated.

  • Team and diversity: We only accept teams consisting of at least two people. Your team can show why you are able to realize the potential of your idea. Your team should also be diverse. This means you can show how diversity is a key strategic component of your business with specific policies, actions, goals and/or other practices. The result should be a diverse team with regards to gender and/or ethnic identity.

  • Sustainability: You should be able to thoroughly explain how the positive impact of your business exceeds the negative impact, referring to specific standards and frameworks like UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and their specific sub-goals.

  • SSE-associated entrepreneurs: At least one founder has to be a student, alumn or faculty member at SSE or associated with the School in another way. If you aren't any of the above, but you've previously been in one of SSE Business Lab's programs as a co-founder, your startup is also eligible.

  • Commitment: At least one founder has to be dedicated to working with the startup as their main engagement.

Please note that meeting these criteria firstly qualifies you for a check-in meeting. In this meeting, our team will ask additional questions to thoroughly understand your case. A positive assessment may lead to an invitation to pitch your startup to our Board of Admissions, who have the final say in our admissions process.

The idea must follow the SSE Business Lab Ethical Guidelines (eg. no alcohol or betting ventures etc.). Venture capital and pure consulting/service firms are also not eligible.

Content of application

Your pitch your application should include:

1) An executive summary about your startup as the first slide in the pitch deck. The summary should not exceed one slide and should answer the following:

  • What makes your business case promising?
  • Why are you applying to SSE Business Lab?
  • What are your expectations from SSE Business Lab?
  • How can you contribute to the community at SSE Business Lab?

2) A pitch deck of no more than 13 slides (including title slide and executive summary). If you want to showcase your product, you can do so by adding 1–2 slides with screenshots or by adding a link to a user demo. Click here to view our example pitch deck.

Your pitch deck should include:

  • Problem: Describe the problem you are solving.

  • Solution: Describe your solution to the problem and what makes it unique.

  • Market/customers: Describe your market (size, geography) and who are your customers (channel(s) to reach them).

  • ICP: Define you ideal customer profile.

  • Competition: Describe the competitive landscape and if someone has succeeded with this on another/similar market/segment.

  • Team: Describe your team, and your view on diversity.

  • Business model: Describe your revenue streams (e.g. revenue model, gross margin, lifetime value) and your cost structure (e.g. distribution costs, customer acquisition costs, R&D).

  • Scalability: Describe how you can scale the idea if you make it into a business.

  • Sustainability: Describe the positive and negative impact of your business and how you work to strengthen the positive, as well as mitigate the negative. Describe how you work towards at least one sub-goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030). See example on the bottom right column.

  • Progress/growth outlook: Describe your progress until now and your growth outlook for the next 18 months (in text and numbers).

  • Key metrics: Describe your key metrics for growth, targets and milestones for the next six months if admitted to SSE Business Lab (these will be the metrics that you are evaluated on at admissions and Progression Q&A after six months).

The final application which you submit to SSE Business Lab should include everything mentioned above. The entire pitch deck should not be larger than 4 MB in size. Save everything in one file (pdf or zip) and name it "SSEBL_[Company name]_Application". Submit your application by attaching it when completing the application form. We accept applications in Swedish or English.