What starts as an embryo can become a large and significant company a few years later. Pratamera has made that journey, the digital psychological help based in Falun that has helped a large number of people in Sweden since its launch at the end of 2016. large number of people in Sweden since its launch at the turn of 2016-17. been part of Dalarna Science Park's business incubator since 2019 and is now leaving the incubator to to stand on its own two feet.
- "I am proud that we have always been a value-driven company, in an otherwise very capital-driven market," says founder Patrik Hast, who is now tightening the bow again, focusing on new development opportunities.
A successful business doesn't just happen, one of the key components is timing in the launch. The year was 2016 and Patrik was thinking about people's mental health and why it would be so difficult to reach traditional healthcare. It was a time when digital technology was young and everything that happened in the field was considered new and groundbreaking. From the start, the company consisted of three people, Patrik and two psychologists, and faced major challenges early on. 2018 was an important year when an agreement was signed with the healthcare company Unicare, paving the way for expansion.
- Over time, more and more providers have emerged, but we were among the first to offer a holistic approach to mental health online, with doctors and psychologists on staff. Since our inception, we have helped more than 100 000 people.
Patrik looks back, tells us about the easily accessible service, how the technology and content were built, in short, how the digital psychologist found his way all the way home to the Swedish people's private sphere, at home in the kitchen and living room.
- It has required an enormous focus on solutions and adaptations, and being agile, in a new industry where rules and conditions are constantly changing at short notice. The growing pains came gradually, when we became so many that the administration lagged behind.
Patrik talks about the importance of the compass, to take the help of competent actors in a difficult business role.
- We were early in setting up an advisory board with competent people who helped us make wise choices, we also brought in a professional board. Dalarna Science Park also came in and helped us, with mentors and organizational development. Over the course of two years, we received help in stages, depending on the challenges we were facing at the time. All in all, this was very important at a time when many issues were new, we were growing and needed to make the right decisions along the way.
Winning values
Patrik believes that an entrepreneur can have completely different backgrounds, it is rather the personality and drive that is crucial.
- My input in this was that I had never had a managerial position before, but a lot of experience from leadership in sports in various ways. This was the first time I tried running my own company. It has helped me that I am unpretentious, fearless and solution-oriented as a person.
Patrik says the development journey benefited from "sensible leadership", built on sound values.
- This is more important than you might think when it comes to building long-term success and sustainability. Good leadership builds a culture that creates space for each individual, so that staff can feel good and have their own drive and be involved in running the company together. And that is also how I choose to see this success, a telling example of how well things can go when people in different roles work together and contribute to success.
At its peak, the company had around sixty employees, but today the number is slightly lower. Since the beginning of the year, Pratamera has also had a new owner and Patrick's role has changed.
- The new owner is a good company builder and it fits well with the phase we are in now, and with the common knowledge and passion we have, we hope to take this to the next level. I have left the responsible CEO role and am now more of a business developer where I will focus on driving development and collaborations forward. Letting go of responsibility can have its challenges, it can be difficult, but at the same time I feel that it is absolutely the right time. The most important thing is to start from the company's needs and not your own and do what is best for everyone's journey forward.
Patrik hopes that more individuals will dare to test their wings as entrepreneurs, the added values can be stacked on high.
- This business and entrepreneurship thing was completely new to me. It has been fantastic to try it out and feel the impact that your idea has had. Getting that recognition goes beyond most things. When we encountered problems, we always thought in terms of solutions, because we wanted to be one step ahead. And we have tried not to be too static in our thinking, but to be ready to change if the situation required it. Adaptability is important. All in all, everything has given a lot of energy back, and it has been a lot of fun. I can also see that Dalarna is a very good place to run a business, where you can get good and professional help along the way. I've worked with the whole of Sweden as a market and it's perfectly possible to do it right here. There is a sense of pride in entrepreneurship, a drive and desire to run and develop things.
The future for the company and Patrik? Yes, new ventures are waiting around the corner, built on the same, solid value base.
- In general, the focus on public health is very interesting, among other things, we are currently having some discussions about how we can work with the sports movement in different ways, linked to mental illness, mental training and more. These are areas with great potential for development.
Jörgen Bond is a business coach in Dalarna Science Park's business incubator and has followed the company's journey from idea to now leaving the incubator as a successful company.
- Pratamera is an innovation that fills a great need by contributing to a solution to one of the greatest challenges of our time, mental illness. Pratamera saw a need and quickly created a business model that reached out to many people. Since then, the company has grown rapidly, proving that what they do has an important purpose.
Advice from Patrik Hast
"Have someone take a look at your business idea, it is always wise to get feedback. In general, it's good to get help where needed instead of being alone."
"Failures are important! See them as a learning experience. If we learn from them, we develop both as individuals and as entrepreneurs."
"Discipline is important, and it requires perseverance and a long-term approach. And remember to set clear goals for the journey you are on."
