The Beginning
2008 - 2010
Several years ago Sigvald Harryson, then management consultant and university professor teaching entrepreneurship and innovation at three universities in Sweden and Denmark, started exploring the concept of decentralized wind energy production. Being a passionate sailor, he discovered that a small 400-watt wind turbine was able to supply a modern, well-equipped 45-foot sailing yacht with all the energy it needs. Since year 2000, he has had solar PV on his sailboat and it was not enough to secure independence from the shore power. The investment in a small wind turbine for the new boat “Blåöga” in 2008 indeed inspired the birth of INNOVENTUM. If the turbine adds so much power to a boat, then, why not have one for a household – enabling more sustainable living? Wouldn’t it be beneficial for our Planet if we all had the means to harvest green energy that is so generously given to us by Mother Earth? In a truly entrepreneurial spirit, he researched the international business environment and industry specifics, utilised his vast network of colleagues, friends and PhD/master-students to generate ideas and staff the new venture. After two years of business intelligence activities focused on market and consumer needs, product performance and business model innovation, it was time to build a real company!
INNOVENTUM was established on the 5th of May 2010 (5.5.2010) and this date would have appealed to Mademoiselle Chanel a great deal: she considered number 5 to be her lucky number. Still today, the Chanel house preserves the tradition of presenting dress collections on the fifth of May every year.
Shaping the Company
2010 - 2011
During 2010 - early 2011 a number of collaborative university competitions took place resulting in a range of innovative product concepts, including the Dali wooden tower and a ducted turbine. INNOVENTUM received first investments and support from a distinguished team that took the lead as investors and advisors at a fairly modest company evaluation, mainly based on the initial IP. The investment supported our first patent, trademark and design applications. The first full-scale installations were completed at the beginning of 2011 after the extensive full-scale testing at the Lund University premises. We enjoyed considerable media attention with articles in Ölandsbladet, Ölands Journalen, BLT Sydöstran, Innovation in Mind, Sydsvenskan, Skånskan, local news on TV4.
Wooden Tower Design Release at the Turning Torso
April 2011
The Wooden Tower Design Release was the very first event organised by INNOVENTUM on April 29-30, 2011. Co-hosted by Tesla Motors Scandinavia and Estrima representative in Sweden, the event was a great success. Numerous innovative designs of wooden towers were presented and test-drives of the two wildest extremes in electric cars: Tesla Roadster and Estrima Biro were offered.
INNOVENTUM Goes International: ICDuBo in Rotterdam (Holland)
August 2011
Our Dali Urban solution was installed in Rotterdam on site of the largest permanent eco-exhibition ICDuBo. This installation also strengthened the partnership with a Dutch manufacturer of advanced turbines – now owned by a UK based VC. A new set of investors was joining INNOVENTUM one year after the lead-investors did. In that year, the evaluation of INNOVENTUM had grown by 50% based on additional IP creation and initial demonstration installations.
First Private Customer
November 2011
Our first customer, Gunnel Nordqvist, became the pioneer in adding a green piece to the growing puzzle of our installations on the island of Öland. After the initial installation of the Beetle S in November 2011, she received an upgraded turbine and purchased a complimentary solar installation from us to get green power day and night – summer and winter. Local press wrote about Gunnel: Barometern, Ölandsbladet.
From Exploration to Exploitation
2011 - 2012
We expanded our online presence at ArchiExpo, Klimatsmart, Ekoturismföreningen, became members of the Swedish Wind Energy Association, INNOVENTUM is also listed at the database for wind energy providers SWID. During 2012 we took part in exhibitions such as Hem & Villa in Gothenburg, Sweden and Rencontre de Jardins at the French Riviera, where we made a permanent installation of the Beetle S. INNOVENTUM enjoyed more media attention in Sweden and France with articles in Sydöstran, Les Nouvelles de Provence, Architecture Bois, ERA, Galore, Ny i Villa, L´Essentiel de la Maison. Further patent applications were made and additional trademarks were registered. INNOVENTUM´s CEO took part in the ÅF Offshore Race (ex-Gotland Runt). In autumn 2012, a total of six new investors joined us at an evaluation that had doubled since company creation two years earlier.
INNOVENTUM at the French Riviera
September 2012
One of the highlights of the year was INNOVENTUM´s presence at the landscape design fair "Rencontre de Jardins" in September 2012. We made a Beetle S installation at the Côte d'Azur - at the entrance to the beautiful park with some of the olive trees as old as 1000 years, serving as an exclusive venue for the annual event. You can visit the park and see our installation at any time – not only during the fair.
Copenhagen Business School Video Assignment
December 2012
We took part in a Copenhagen Business School course in Entrepreneurship, where a number of talented master students were presenting their vision of our company and products. As a result, several inspirational videos were created. INNOVENTUM takes part in the CIEL initiative "Green Innovations in Cities".
Scaling Up
January 2013 - present
With new sales competence on board, INNOVENTUM made several important installations and acquired many new prospects. A Dali Performance was installed at the Blekinge Technical High School during summer months. The installation was performed on the roof of the award-winning wood-panelled building. A marine version of the Dali Performance was installed in Gothenburg, at a picturesque seaside location (pictures). Two Giraffe hybrid systems were installed in Malmö (more details in the section "The Giraffe Makes an Impressive Entrance"). A building permission for the Dalifant got to the next stage (more details in the section "Mila Mässan & Customer Events: Dalifant in Focus"). INNOVENTUM took part in a number of fairs and shows such as Mila Mässan, Mossagårdsfestivalen, Sustainable Energy Week. On the IP side, INNOVENTUM pursued more design and trademark registrations for our products. We are working on the international expansion opportunities with focus on Japan, European markets as well as Kaliningrad in Russia.
INNOVENTUM Explores Japan
January 2013 - present
The initial exploration of the Japan market was started at the beginning of 2013, with the first visit to Japan taking place in March. With the asset of Japanese competence on board, INNOVENTUM made considerable achievements: several publications in the globally distributed Japanese magazine Landscape Design (in June and August 2013), our first distributor on the territory of Japan: Windy Ltd, extensive network of connections and a number of installation prospects.
Mila Mässan & Customer Events: Dalifant in Focus
February-April 2013
INNOVENTUM participated in a fair with a very different profile: the agricultural event for farmers called Mila Mässan. Our largest wind turbine solutions were in focus: the Dalifant and Endurance. We see a lot of potential for these products in Sweden and were happy that our offers triggered a lot of interest at the fair. Our partner Färs och Frosta Sparbanken provides a very attractive financing scheme for these products, which gives our customers a positive cash-flow from day one.
The first building permission for the Dalifant installation is now nearly granted to the owners of the Mandelmanns Trädgårdar - dedicated green enthusiasts and successful eco-preneurs. They are very excited about the upcoming installation - and so are we!
INNOVENTUM also organized a number of meetings with potential customers: "Meet the Dalifant".
The Giraffe Makes an Impressive Entrance
May 2013
The year 2013 is the year of the Giraffe for INNOVENTUM: it took us less than 6 months to transform concept drawings into full-scale installations in such important locations as the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 venue and Västra Hamnen near the Turning Torso. The Giraffe is a hybrid wind-solar power station that can power anything from your e-vehicle to your house - and can even serve as a bus stop in urban environment or as sun protection over the sand box at pre-schools.
The Giraffe attracted a lot of media attention.
Green Vehicle Days
June 2013
As we grow, we spread the word about sustainability and ecological living more forcefully. In an attempt to draw public attention to green urban mobility in cities, we organised the Green Vehicle Days. The Green Vehicle Days by INNOVENTUM was one of the largest EV-centred events in the region bringing EV professionals, enthusiasts, decision makers and general public together to build a combined vision of the greener future of urban transportation and infrastructure. We ran an exciting photo contest as part of the Green Vehicle Days.
Three new investors joined us.
Further investments nurture the company
September 2013
In September 2013 our lead-investors made their second investment in INNOVENTUM. We also welcomed two new investors with more to follow. The investments secure wider scope of patent protection, the build-up of sales capability and working capital for further growth.
Malmö City Prize in Environment and Sustainable Development
February 2014
In February 2014 INNOVENTUM was awarded the Malmö City Prize in Environment and Sustainable Development (Malmö stads näringslivspris inom miljö och hållbar utveckling). The jury praised INNOVENTUM innovative and design-driven approach to the creation of eco-solutions for harvesting renewable energy and its successful collaboration with Malmö City in 2013.
Grants awarded for the development of INNOVENTUM´s products
March 2014
Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) provided a grant of 1.6 million Swedish crowns to INNOVENTUM for further development and certification of the Giraffe in Sweden. The grant is part of the Social and Technical Innovation support program.
June 2014
Vinnova supports INNOVENTUM's development and test installations of the Dalifant with a grant of 1.3 million Swedish crowns.
Exciting EV event and exploring opportunities with the UN
May 2014
Our German Team organised for INNOVENTUM branded car to participate in the WAVE - World Advanced Vehicle Expedition, which is the largest electric vehicle rally in the world. The e-car was also part of the largest gathering of EVs to date in Stuttgart.
June 2014
INNOVENTUM takes part in the UN Procurement Seminar in Copenhagen with the aim to learn more about the opportunities for our Dali PowerTowers to be procured for the disaster relief activities around the world.
Installation of the Dali PowerTower in the Philippines completed
July 2014
In 2014 INNOVENTUM focused on bringing Power to the People - in particular, to areas in the Philippines that suffered from one of the most destructive typhoons in the modern history - supertyphoon Haiyan. The first installation of our hybrid Dali PowerTower comprising wind and solar power technologies with INNOVENTUM´s signature wooden structure took place at the Hills of Grace near Manila. The solution is up and running since July 2014 providing green energy to the Children's Village built and operated by the non-governmental organisation Children's Mission.
InnoVentum takes part in setting a Guinness World Record
September 2014
In September INNOVENTUM participated in the Öresund Electric Car Rally 2014 followed by the Guinness World Record attempt for the largest parade of e-cars. The Guinness World Record was set with more than 200 e-cars participating in the event and 160 e-cars to actually break the record (INNOVENTUM Nissan Leaf being one of them).
INNOVENTUM to explore new areas
September 2014
INNOVENTUM is testing and exploring market opportunities for the new product category "Triple Green Roof". In collaboration with the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute and other local and international organisations, INNOVENTUM will pilot a biodiverse green roof installation including a solar mounting supported by the wooden structure.
Giraffe 2.0 is a reality
December 2014
The long awaited design release of the Giraffe 2.0 took place at the Business of Design Week in Hong Kong, the largest and most influential design event in Asia with over 100 000 visitors every year. Soon after that the full scale Giraffe 2.0 was installed in Malmö, Västra Hamnen (near the Americas Cup Harbour entrance). Already at this early stage, the Giraffe 2.0 proved a popular concept and attracted the first customer (installation due in spring 2015)!
Green Cities of Tomorrow
May 2015
The InnoVentum Demonstration and Testing Site for Renewable Energy Technologies in Malmö is inaugurated on the 5th of May 2015 at the event called "Green Cities of Tomorrow" - organised on InnoVentum's 5th Birthday!
Dalifant Installation is Complete
July - August 2015
INNOVENTUM completed the installation of Dalifant at the Mandelmanns Trädgårdar and received extremely positive feedback. The solution produces significant amounts of energy for the eco-farm.
INNOVENTUM Installs Turbines in Sri Lanka with ADB & CEB
November - December 2015
While people were discussing possible solutions in Paris at COP21 we were installing real solutions in Sri Lanka! Six INNOVENTUM wind turbines are replacing an old diesel generator on an island of Eluvaitivu.
INNOVENTUM signs a Long-Term Agreement with UNDP
December 2015
INNOVENTUM was chosen as one of the preferred suppliers of the small wind turbine solutions to UNDP.
"Seal of Excellence" by the European Commission
February 2016
INNOVENTUM has received the “Seal of Excellence” from the European Commission for our Horizon 2020 application in 2015. The "Seal of Excellence" quality label is awarded to promising projects submitted under Horizon 2020, which could not secure funding due to budgetary constraints but received high assessment scores in the demanding and independent evaluation process. This award gives us yet better chances to secure funding through different funding sources like the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and other national or regional investment programmes. Access INNOVENTUM´s “Seal of Excellent”
"Product of the Show" Award at the Energy Show 2016 in Ireland
April 2016
We are pleased to announce that the Giraffe 2.0 won the Product of the Show Award in the category Best Renewable Energy Product at the Energy Show 2016 in Ireland. INNOVENTUM was represented by our partner in Ireland MCC Energy.
Installation of the Dali Performance at high altitude in the Swiss Alps
Autumn 2016
We installed the Dali Performance wind solution at one of the most popular high altitude huts in the Swiss Alps - Lötschenpass. It is located at 2690 m above the sea level and is powered by wind and solar. You can browse through the installation gallery.
Installation of the Giraffe 2.0 and two solar carports at the COP22 in Marrakech for UNIDO
November 2016
INNOVENTUM installed the Giraffe 2.0 and two SOLAR CARPORT at the venue of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UNFCCC in Marrakech as part of the Greening the COP22 program “Low Carbon Public Buildings” Component carried out by UNIDO.
The installations became possible thanks to the smooth cooperation with our partners (especially, ABB, BCLT Energie and Krinner), initial financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and additional financial and organisational support of the Swedish actors: Swedish Energy Agency and Business Sweden.
Vienna Energy Forum, Clean Energy Ministerial 8, World Wind Energy Conference and Berlin Cleantech Revolution Tour
May - July 2017
INNOVENTUM has organised a successful side event on the microgrids at the Vienna Energy Forum by UNIDO - you can read more about the event in the VEF2017 report by UNIDO.
INNOVENTUM´s CEO Sigvald Harryson had a fantastic visit to the Clean Energy Ministerial 8 (CEM8) in Beijing and shook hands with the Minister of Science and Technology of China.
In June, our CEO delivered a presentation on design-focused wind energy solutions at the World Wind Energy Conference in Malmö.
INNOVENTUM´s Head of IP and Marketing Ala Kazlova had a successful appearance at the Berlin Cleantech Revolution Tour - read an article on Cleantechnica
How INNOVENTUM has built momentum to become a renewable energy leader
January 2018
Read more about INNOVENTUM´s vision for the planet.
To be continued...
We hope that the numeric harmony of the company creation date (5.5.2010) will multiply the hard work we put into INNOVENTUM´s development and will bring a lot of good luck - as it did for Chanel: the French government reports that a bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold every 30 seconds and generates sales equivalent to $100 million a year. We look forward to the day when our solutions will be sold every 30 seconds and we certainly have the ambition to achieve this in less than 90 years!
We enjoy having Malmö as our base for global expansion, because this is not only the greenest city in Sweden, but also part of the region that attracts the highest degree of greentech investments.
We look forward to welcome you to join the InnoVentum Family