Venture Lab students from Helsingborg company Hestia have won the 2024 edition of the För-orten competition. They and two other winning teams impressed the jury with their ideas, drive and ambition. It is now also clear that Hestia has secured funding from Region Skåne.
The Bling Startups competition För-orten awarded three winners out of 530 applicants. According to the jury, the winners “highlighted innovation, social benefit, and creativity in an outstanding way.”
From tragedy to innovation
Hestia is the brainchild of Ali Kadem and Ali Chahrour, two young entrepreneurs passionate about technology and social betterment. With the idea for Hestia emerged from a personal crisis.
“It was after my apartment burned down,” says Ali Chahrour. “It was a traumatic experience, and I started thinking why there aren’t simpler and more effective solutions to prevent these kinds of problems.”
Together, the two Alis started working on a solution they strongly believed in. “Our vision is for Hestia to become as commonplace in every home as the smoke alarm,” adds Ali Kadem.
Significant milestone to participate in the competition
Participating in För-orten has given the entrepreneurs insights into developing their ideas and reaching the right people.
“We’ve had the opportunity to build a stronger network and received valuable guidance,” says Ali Kadem, echoed by Ali Chahrour: “It has been inspiring to meet like-minded people who also want to create something great.”
The prize was awarded in Stockholm on December 9, 2024, and for Hestia, the win marks just the beginning of their journey. “Now we feel even more driven to keep moving forward and change not only an industry but maybe even the world,” concludes Ali Chahrour.
Securing funding
Hestia has also applied for and been granted funding via a so-called business development check from Region Skåne. Business development checks are intended to help increase the competitiveness of Skåne companies and are one of Region Skåne’s most important tools for supporting the Skåne business community. The goal is for at least 200 companies in Skåne to benefit from financial support over the next three years. Small and medium-sized enterprises in Skåne can apply for co-financing for operations up to SEK 250,000.
