Alma––the Stockholm members’ club and private workspace, have created the Alma New Award to support people in the field of technology, design and innovation. The Alma New Award winners will be announced at the Sthlm Tech Fest opening party at a gathering among more than 200 entrepreneurs and investors at Bar Alma Trägårdh, the official watering-hole of the week.

With 15+ different tech conferences, over 50 parties and events, and 40,000+ expected guests, Sthlm Tech Week is one of the biggest, most dynamic, and diverse “gathering of geeks” anywhere. During Sthlm Tech Fest, Alma will shine a spotlight on design and the important role community has played in making Stockholm produce more billion-dollar companies per capita than any other region in the world after Silicon Valley.

–– The world can be unwelcoming to new ideas and new people, so this is our way of showing our support for the new, say Fredrik Carlström, Alma Co-Founder and Creative Director who initiated the New Award.

Last year, the Alma New Award were given to three extraordinary individuals who all received a membership to Alma along with other support:

Bin Zhu, a researcher and PhD student of Interaction Design at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology was given the award for her work interaction design of personal informatics for wellbeing. The relationship between people and their lived bio-data is explored using the method of Research through Design.

Mohamed Jimale, Founder of Ari.Farm, a mission-driven startup dedicated to give users power to drive a positive change through investments with the vision to provide an innovative online platform that enables anyone anywhere in the world to easily contribute in agriculture in Africa.

Composer Jacob Mühlrad, who at only 28 years of age, have been called the “world most promising composer”. 

–– Silicon Valley may be the hub for engineers and venture capital, but Stockholm is the center for creativity and design. If you are at the forefront of either you are probably in tech and you need to be in Stockholm, say Tyler Crowley, Founder of Sthlm Tech Fest, one of the main attractions of Sthlm Tech Week.

Since opening its doors, Alma has quickly become home to some of the most prolific entrepreneurs, investors, and startups in Sweden, among them Sophia Bendz, an angel investor and Partner at VC firm Atomico.

–– We have come to expect Alma to be a place that attract game-changing talent making their mark in our industry and culture, said Sophia Bendz who has been a member since Alma opened. Alma is a small community and the opportunity to run into great people happens naturally, every day, say Sophia Bendz. 

–– When you start something new, having a quality community like the one at Alma, is crucial. If I can send the elevator back down and help someone in any way, I would be delighted, says Joel Hellermark Founder and CEO at Sana Labs, an artificial intelligence company that applies recent breakthroughs in deep learning to personalize education.

Alma was designed to meet the working needs of entrepreneurs, teams and individuals, predominantly in innovative and creative industries. Understanding there is no demographic more sensitive to the value of good design than creative individuals, Alma has put great emphasizes on the aesthetic.

–– People spend so much time at work, the goal was to create a place our members were happy to return to every day, said Fredrik Carlström. Alma was named “The coolest new work space” by Vogue, and awarded “Best Interior Design” by The Association of Swedish Architects in 2017.

But the concept of Alma extends beyond the aesthetic, to facilitate collaboration, the exchange of ideas, and mutual inspiration between its members. When Alma opened, Frame Magazine wrote: “... the value of a well-designed, supportive environment in which to do creative work, with the opportunity to meet and collaborate with like-minded talents and creative professionals, is beyond measure.”

Event details –– please email press@thisisalma.com for accrediation

–– Monday, September 9th –– Stockholm Tech Safari –– 14:00-18:00 at Alma, Nybrogatan 8, Stockholm

Join us for a conversation on Future of Living + Working. The role of technology in design and the role of technology-enabled design in changing living and working patterns.

–– Tuesday, September 10th –– Investor's Party + Demo Day –– 14:30-18:00 at Alma, Nybrogatan 8, Stockholm 

A handpicked group of 20 start-ups will pitch a group of selected investors followed by drinks and mingle in the atrium for investors and entrepreneurs and the announcement of the 2019 Alma New Award winners.

 –– Wednesday, September 11, 11:30 at Stockholm Waterfront Congress

“Productivity vs. Creativity – Designing spaces and building communities for creativity and innovation”, with Alma GM Pierre Astell.  

High resolution images

Images can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vm6njmc3iz6d4fo/AACBM3SK33UmZ_hYA9_7gDXpa?dl=0ALMA