This autumn's pre-incubator programme kicks off with fourteen new participants. For just over two months, they will learn the basics of market verification through a series of workshops and support from eXpression's business coaches and experts.

We dive straight into learning more about the customer and their problems. A lot of it is about doing things, testing things out and trying to understand the real need and not just staring blindly at your own solution," says Fanny Lindén, business coach and programme manager.

The pre-incubator programme includes nine workshops and aims to prepare ideas to enter the incubator.

Here are the autumn participants:

• Benjamin Sientzoff
  Develops a business producing and selling drag show and burlesque events.
  
  
• Bjurner watercolours/Linnea Bjurner
  Offers colourful and unique art inspired by the northern nature, mainly aimed at women between 30-60 years old who want to create a warm and personal home with locally produced products.
  
  
• Clown mate/Linda Blåfors Carlsson
  An organisation that wants to develop hospital clown activities at Norrlands University Hospital, where clowns visit children and their families to bring joy and security.
  
  
• Evelina Walen
  Wants to develop bark meal products for humans and their dogs, focusing on nutritious and stomach-friendly alternatives.
  
  
• Figaro/Karolina Rosdahl and Jari Merikanto
  Creates kits in geometric shapes to stimulate creative play and construction in children, with a focus on sustainable materials and educational development.
  
  
• Ingela Wall Estradpoesi
  Ingela combines stage poetry, monologues and other artistic expressions, and wants to offer workshops in writing, creation and drama.
  
  
• The culture node/Julia Larsson
  Julia Forsberg wants to develop a creative meeting place for art and cultural events, with workshops and events in areas such as writing and art.
  
  
• KÄPY/Ella Lepistö
  A project that aims to develop unique craft products with stress-reducing effects, aimed at people seeking relaxation through creative making.
  
  
• Julie Thiel
  Wants to create hand-drawn digital map illustrations of visitor destinations such as natural areas and businesses, with a focus on making maps that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
  
  
• Malta During
  One-man orchestra offering services for artists, producers, film, theatre and games.
  
  
• Martin Hallin
  A DJ business looking to expand and create customised music experiences for restaurants, nightclubs, businesses and individuals.
  
  
• Multicom/Carla Jonsson
  A project that aims to develop packaged solutions to help businesses and schools utilise multilingualism as a resource in their operations.
  
  
• The brain centre/Carina Lindberg
  A project that combines knitting and mental health and aims to create activities that promote creativity as a method to relieve stress.
  
  
• Vulcan Labs/Sydney Eilbacher
  Vulcanlabs develops training programmes for the emergency services. Their solutions are designed to challenge and modernise how training interventions in this sector can look like.

Photo: Jonas Eltes