Starting at the base of every societal startup. What problem are you trying to solve?

Today it is a problem that we produce and consume more than what the planet can tolerate. We must both produce and consume more sustainable to meet our future and maintain our environment. This is a problem caused by lack of knowledge and lack of engagement possibilities from the end-consumers and the public society.

How are you going to solve this? What is your idea?

”Sweden Virtual Reality” is a Malmö-based startup sponsored by Massive Entertainment. The startup is developing a virtual knowledge- and recruitment platform for VR developers, while also arranging an international VR contest

”VR” stands for ”virtual reality”. VR glasses provide you with the opportunity to experience the so-called ”virtual world”. As it fools the eye, VR also tricks the brain into interpreting the image as though one is there in the space being shown.

The theme for our VR contest arranged  is ”sustainability”, for the purposes of encouraging developers to create content, environments, and experiences that facilitate sustainable development. The jury panel for the competitions consists of representative from Massive Entertainment, VR Laboratoriet (the VR laboratory), the WWF, Naturskyddsföreningen (Society for the Conservation of Nature), and we, the founders.

In this way we connect the finacially powerful game & fim industries with organisations like WWF and Naturskyddsföreningen (Society for the Conservation of Nature) and we engage the young gereration all over the world to create content, environments, and experiences that facilitate sustainable development and that can effect human behavior and negative consumption patterns.

While doing this we also create a virtual community where these different industries and non profit organisations are able collaborate and engage with young creative talents globally.

What impact do you hope to have?

By engaging different strong actors that are not use to work with eachother for the good cause ” To save the world” by using high technology as a tool , and to use its potential strong visual effects it can give people, it is our strong belief that by combinding this with  young public and university creativity forces,  we will get amazing result both regarding content creation and collaborative global virtual community building around the main goal “To save the world”. We belive the final result will effect human behavior in a positive way and change negative consumption patterns for the better.

 Focusing more on your team. Who are you? What is your background?

I was born in 1972 in Lund and has been throughout my career has been focused on the economy, web technologies and e-commerce. I have a master at Lund University in economics. My interest is mainly corporate development combined with sustainability and information technology.

As the founders ( Me and my brother Per Mühlow)  of this VR startup, my brother and I have over twenty years of experience, working together in different capacities within the IT sector at companies like Ericsson and with Ericsson.com. Based on our experience, we know that the Internet and tech development, in combination with human networking can create an exciting dynamic. That’s why we think it’s going to be so interesting to see just how ripe the market is, by looking at these entries and meeting the talents that are discovered through this contest, we belive we can find amazing contributions that can effect this world for the better.

Also by being backed up and collaborate with the finacially powerful game & film industries together with organisations like WWF and Naturskyddsföreningen (Society for the Conservation of Nature) might give us some positive adventures along the road and hopefully it will give the project both innovative stength and assist forces to effect the market with its results.

Why did you become societal entrepreneurs? Or really, why do you do what you do?

I have a great interest and is engaged in philanthropy and equality.

I am an entrepreneur with a lot of passion for change management, collaborative work  to create something that can contribute to a better world for many.

If you had one advice to give to other social entrepreneurs, what would it be? 

I belive in collaboration to achieve goals,  preferably global collaboration

I’m tempted to find solutions by putting together the different actors in sectors that do not usually work together. I encourage that.

I think it is important to build the social entrepreneurship on economic basis for a long-term carrying capacity.

It is important to learn how to deal with a lot of rejections and setbacks, and to be creative when it comes to finding solutions to bring the business forward.

Always look for contacts and financing before you actually need them.

To act is important. To ask for assistance and cooperation are important.
Lack of acting and lack of asking is mistakes that should be avoided.

 If I as a reader want to engage or help you reach your goals of impact. How can I do so? Is there any way to help at this stage?

You can help by spreading the word that we exist. You can help us by giving us your knowledge and contacts to work with.
We also look for suitable investors for the mission and to support us in different ways. We need help to spread the word about the contest to VR developers and universities in the world.

Photo by Amanda Westin.