September 25
Competitions and awards are always fun, but the most important thing for me has been how they have actually validated my business idea. An email that arrived around 4 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon was the starting signal:
"Congratulations, you have been nominated for the SKAPA Foundation – Sweden's largest innovation competition."
Suddenly, it was time to roll up my sleeves. My jacket went to the dry cleaners, my shoes were polished, and I headed down to the county governor's residence, where I had the honor of meeting our county governor. Nervousness crept in as I stepped onto the stage, and of course, the technology started to malfunction. But instead of letting that stop me, I made the best of the situation and carried on anyway.
After about ten minutes of pitching and a few questions from the jury, I sat down again, very pleased with what I had just presented. Shortly thereafter, it was time to announce the winners...
"Congratulations to Joel Karlsson, EasyScanning."
At that moment, I truly felt that my idea was on the right track. I was awarded the title of Jämtland Innovator Under 30, something I am incredibly proud of.
A few weeks later, it was time for the Swedish final – again. With the help of a collaboration with Berners in Östersund, I was able to borrow a car and drive down to Stockholm to pitch at the Technical Museum. After getting stuck in a traffic jam that we've all probably cursed at at some point, I stepped into the venue just five minutes before it was time to go on stage.
Despite this, I was very pleased with my presentation. This time, the award went to another impressive company, but we can still proudly call ourselves one of the top 13 innovators under 30 in Sweden in 2024.
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