Chalmers Entrepreneurial Fellowship – From groundbreaking research to tomorrow’s technology companies

An initiative to strengthen Sweden’s innovation capacity

Innovation is a crucial driver of Sweden’s future competitiveness and its ability to meet complex societal challenges. To strengthen this innovation capacity, we need to make better use of research results and create clear pathways for researchers who wish to contribute with more than academic publications.

The Chalmers Entrepreneurial Fellowship is a strategic initiative that strengthens Sweden’s innovative power by:

• Creating more research-intensive companies and giving them better conditions to grow.
• Attracting and retaining young researchers who want to combine research with entrepreneurship.
• Increasing societal impact by enabling more research results to leave the lab and make a real difference.
• Building bridges between academia and industry by developing individuals who can move seamlessly between both worlds.

The program is unique in Sweden and builds on the strong infrastructure and entrepreneurial ecosystems established at and around Chalmers.

Participants receive support to develop their entrepreneurial skills, business acumen, and ability to lead research-based startups. The aim is to strengthen their capacity to take ideas from the lab to the market and further into an entrepreneurial career.

A year of immersion, exploration, and technological development

As a Fellow, you have the opportunity to work under focused and secure conditions on technology application, prototype development, and commercial validation of your idea. The goal is to shorten the distance between academic research results and market-ready innovations—and to give you the time and resources required to make that possible.

The program offers access to Chalmers’ state-of-the-art laboratories and technical infrastructures, allowing you to work in some of the most advanced research environments in the country. All essential costs are covered—from salary and lab time to technology development and intellectual property. This means you can fully focus on accelerating the development of your innovation in an environment where both quality and speed are critical.

Entrepreneurial competence for the future

The program includes a tailored development package in which the Fellows receive training in:

• business modelling and market analysis
• financing and investments
• pitching and communication
• IP strategy and regulatory issues
• team and company building

This gives the Fellows the tools they need to lead research-based startups themselves—or to take key roles in emerging technology companies. It creates the conditions needed for participants to move from idea to something that can attract investors, partners, and future team members.

The first Chalmers Entrepreneurial Fellows

When the program launched, the first Fellowship positions were announced to researchers with groundbreaking results and clear market potential. The first three selected are:

• Sajid Alvi – former postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics. He is developing a new type of alloy anode for lithium-ion batteries, aiming to improve both energy density and durability—an essential piece of the puzzle in future electrified societies.
• Dhelipan Mahenthiran – former postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. He is developing an air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell stack enabling portable applications such as drones. The technology could eventually open the door to entirely new energy solutions.
• Florian Morati – former postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Life Sciences. He is creating a new method for DNA-based data storage—a technology that could revolutionize how we store massive amounts of information in a fraction of the space used today.

The three Fellows began their positions on 1 September and will work at Chalmers Next Labs, with continued access to Chalmers’ research infrastructure.