A few years ago, they were new entrepreneurs, with no real compass and a thousand questions. The current situation?
- By 2026, the plan is to have built a drug and medical device development unit in Dalarna with 35-40 employees. "We could never have done this without all the expertise and help along the way," says Fredrik Bokvist, a senior physician who, together with a colleague, has made a complete turnaround and now become entrepreneurs in a global market.
Not long ago, Fredrik Bokvist's and Lars Thelin's professional lives consisted of intense days in healthcare. In their roles in intensive care and anesthesia, it was a prerequisite to master various technical aids and understand the effect of a large number of drugs.
An interest in technology and medicine emerged and led to a crucial question for the future: "What if we could do this too?"
- We came up with a lot of different ideas based on all the different experiences we had, in time this was 2017. There were many approaches, but we stuck with the idea of the air filter app. The starting point was that we had small children at home, and they sometimes got colds and stuffy noses. We saw the problem in putting a regular pacifier in the children's mouths because it clogged the only remaining air intake. Lars started cutting the dummies and opening them up to create a better airflow and soon the idea was translated into the first prototype.
Experts in putting people to sleep, not building businesses
In 2018, Lars and Fredrik came into contact with Almi and Region Dalarna where they received support and loans to develop a product for the market. The next step came in 2019 when VivoLab AB became an incubator company at Dalarna Science Park and was included in the business development program.
- I'm good at putting people to sleep, but I didn't really know how to run a business. It was a completely new field for me, with a lot of new questions. Neither of us was bad at what we were doing, but with fantastic help and guidance from different actors along the way, it has gone very well. When we didn't know what to do, we got support with everything that goes with running a business, such as business models, financing, marketing and much more.
Early on, Vivolab participated in an international trip to Asia with Dalarna Science Park that gave them insights into markets outside Sweden. Through Dalarna Science Park, they have also received advice, networks and contacts via the international Enterprise Europe Network.
Last year, the pacifier - which goes by the name Breease® - was launched on the Nordic market, in Sweden, Norway and Finland. This year, Denmark and Indonesia also joined.
At the time of writing, there are ten Nordic retailers of the product, which is aimed at children aged 6-36 months. The big difference between the product and ordinary dummies is the built-in, replaceable filter capsule that reduces air pollution. In addition, the pacifier can be used for colds, pollen allergies and so on.
- Air pollution may not be perceived as a problem in the Nordic countries in general, but in big cities it can contribute to asthma and other diseases. If we look at the rest of the world, it's a very big problem, like in Shanghai, New Delhi and those kinds of multi-million cities. All the intense car traffic, coal power, and then the corona... There are many environments where the needs for our products are high and we are now negotiating with distributors in India, South Korea and Taiwan.
A market without borders
Actually, everything up to now has been on a smaller scale. It is from now on that "it really happens". Fredrik talks about the process with other products that have started, like the pacifier for children between 0-6 months. But it doesn't stop there.
- We're doing our third round of funding right now, expected to be completed before the summer. The first two were done in 2020 and 2021 and were linked to seed and growth investments. The financing round that is taking place now is much larger where we see cooperation with larger players who can see a long-term perspective with their investments.
Then this fall, we'll be launching our miniBreease® pacifier. It's as big as it gets. We have also moved forward with our inhalation products and taken a step into the pharmaceutical industry. The miniMist® inhalation products consist of several drug-delivery platforms where we have signed agreements for various development projects. Many of the formulations are completely unique and exclusive to us, with a relatively short route to market. Dalarna will soon have its own pharmaceutical hub, which is unique.
The base stays in Dalarna
For VivoLab AB, local is important, and it is in Dalarna that the base will be located.
- This is where we want to operate for several reasons, and we have said that everything we do should be based in Sweden. We want control to avoid IP theft, quality deficiencies and so on. Then we will grow organically with internal production supported by external sourcing. In terms of staff, we are talking about 35-40 employees being in place before 2026.
In order to attract the right skills to the upcoming venture, VivoLab has sought contact with Northvolt, which is preparing for its major establishment in Borlänge.
- We see similarities in the needs of labor. We are both hiring individuals for a critical business and it is often that there are more graduates in the families to be attracted here. It is good to know each other and we at VivoLab can offer advanced services that are attractive to highly educated people who want to take the step and move to Dalarna. We have a good dialog with Northvolt, among others.
In the spring, VivoLab AB made an exit from the incubator program where a lot has happened in a short time. Fredrik can look back on intense years, filled with challenges and development, where he and Lars are now knocking on the door of global successes that they could only dream of.
Fredrik says that he is grateful to be able to operate in Sweden where there is a good breeding ground to grow with their ideas, where the "public" as he puts it, in various ways cogs in to help entrepreneurs move forward.
- Sweden is fantastic and a bit of a land of opportunity thanks to all the support that exists, and Dalarna Science Park is an important part of that.
Victoria Ställberg, Head of Business Development at Dalarna Science Park, has followed Vivolab's development in recent years and is impressed by the company's development journey.
- Fredrik and Lars have gone from being prominent doctors who, with their courage, strong drive and enthusiasm, have now become prominent entrepreneurs. They are on a journey that will take them exactly where they want to go, because they have shown that they have the capacity to do so. It has been very stimulating to support them in the development of Vivolab and it will be just as fun to follow their continued journey outside the incubator. They have pretty much the whole world ahead of them so we want to wish them good luck!
Tips and advice
-A good idea needs time to mature. Set a timetable and double it. All entrepreneurs think "it will be ready in six months". Follow the motto "under promise and over deliver", i.e. think twice before promising a customer something.
-Think inclusion as an entrepreneur. Get your relatives on board, inform them what is happening, give them an understanding of the process going on. This is important because a lot of your waking hours are spent thinking about the business.
- Take time off if you can and check out. This often brings new, fresh thoughts. It is important to zoom out sometimes to gain perspective.
- We have made lots of mistakes. It's easy to say that you shouldn't be afraid to fail, but you can't know everything at the beginning. So don't miss the chance to make a mistake. Learn from what happens instead. Mistakes are almost the most important thing we do and give us lots of opportunities.
