The Start of Our International Scaleup Program: Two-Day Intensive Workshop in Gävle

This summer Gävle became the hub for cross-border AI-driven growth as 15 ambitious startups from Sweden, Estonia, and Finland gathered for the Scaling Launchpad Workshop, part of the international GSAI (Growth and Scaling Through AI) program. This dynamic, two-day event marked the official launch of our scaleup journey, equipping founders with critical tools, insights, and strategic direction and plan to accelerate growth.

Day 1: The Art and Science of Scaling with Prof. Davide Sola

The opening day featured an exclusive, intensive workshop led by Professor Davide Sola, a world-renowned expert on scaling businesses. In a hands-on session, he guided participants through:

• Scaling Fundamentals: Understanding the concept of business scaling and the extrapolation phase, including common pitfalls and how to overcome them.
• Scalability Self-Assessment: A reflective exercise where each startup evaluated its current constraints and capabilities, focusing on both product and business model performance gaps.
• EU Target Market Selection: Startups explored how to assess European markets using factors like market attractiveness, competitive advantage, and regulatory environments.

This structured analysis allowed founders to return to the basics of their business architecture and uncover hidden bottlenecks, paving the way for deliberate and data-driven growth strategies.

Day 2: Market Expansion, AI Strategy & Growth Planning

The second day transitioned into preparing startups for international expansion and AI integration:

• Defining Your AI Development Challenge: Each participant began to articulate their unique AI challenge aligned with value creation, capture, and delivery, tailoring their AI efforts to enhance their product or business model.
• Growth & Scalability Plan Kickoff: The workshop concluded with startups initiating their Growth & Scalability Plans, blueprints that will guide their next phase in the program: the AI Studio Sprint.

Looking Ahead

This workshop marked a significant milestone in the GSAI journey, strengthening cross-border startup collaboration and setting the stage for focused, AI-powered growth. With a firm grasp of scaling mechanics and a clear roadmap ahead, each participant left Gävle better equipped to navigate the next steps in expanding across the EU.

GSAI, Growth and Scaling Through AI, is financed by Interreg Central Baltic Programme.

About GSAI

The Central Baltic region has a low scale-up rate (2–4%) due to limited knowledge of internationalisation, funding gaps, and weak data use. With AI on the rise and data ownership becoming more critical, companies must adapt by renewing business models through digital transformation.

GSAI tackles these challenges by helping startups scale globally and use advanced AI tools to improve efficiency and profitability. The programme forms larger, cross-border cohorts and works with partners in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia to strengthen scale-up support and create long-term value for participants and partner organisations.

Through workshops, market visits, investor meetings, and business coaching, startups gain practical skills in global expansion and learn how to integrate AI into their operations.