I still don’t know the answer to that question because I’ve never been to Switzerland, and to any befuddled souls reading this, I have some revelatory news for you: Sweden and Switzerland are not the same place.

**takes deep breath** Just needed to get that off my chest. Now, where were we?

Sweden has long been a beacon for innovation and creativity, whether that be IKEA, Spotify, or Volvo and everybody knows that if you want to get something done, you can always count on Sweden. Although Stockholm is more than initiated to the startup tech scene, its attractiveness is no longer confined to domestic eyes, as people from all around the world are now flocking to this Scandinavian dreamwork. Just one piece of advice: Summer lasts for about one hour, so be sure to bring warm clothes (kidding, the sun practically never even sets during a Swedish summer and it’s overwhelmingly gorgeous)!

Here are some fun facts about the land responsible for my hair colour: five of the top ten fastest growing companies in Europe are from Stockholm; investment firm Sparklabs ranks Stockholm the second leading startup ecosystem in the world and has the second highest amount of Unicorn startups per capita, ranking just below Silicon Valley; the most common job in Stockholm is programmer, and it has the highest smart-device penetration in Europe, with a 150% penetration level. In fact, one nickname for Stockholm circulating the tech world is Silicon Valhalla.

So, what the heck do they put in the drinking water over there?!

“The reason for Stockholm’s success is a combination of a supportive government, an auspicious ecosystem, and good role models,” says Linnea Bywall, a resident of Stockholm, and head of people at Alva Labs. “The government has actively been promoting and supporting Swedish startups for a very long time, and I had a great support system and companies to look up to like Klarna and Spotify, and they made the entire tech world view Sweden as a role model. These companies made a lot of money which creates great opportunities, and Sweden is a very homogonous society: nobody is better or more important than anyone [else], and you can easily contact whoever you need for help.”

When asked if there are any societal differences that set Sweden apart, Linnea answered: “In Sweden we have an unwritten law called ‘Jantelagen’ which is a social code of conduct prohibiting people’s egos from getting too big. One of the perks of this way of being is that we are always learning from and wanting to share with each other.” In other words, Sweden has long been a promoter of the slogan: your ego is not your amigo, and this has undoubtedly helped construct their affable ecosystem.

Leaders in sustainability and diversity

In Sweden, if you dump a recyclable in the normal trash bin, local garbage collectors will physically remove the item from your binbag, and politely place it on the street outside your front door. If that doesn’t command the local population to be environmentally conscious, then I don’t know what would. In fact, a commonly lauded source of income for young whipper-snappers is to recycle cans and bottles at the local recycling site.

Local Swede Suwar Mert co-founded Bower, a Stockholm based app that incentivises and rallies the community to make an effort when it comes to recycling, and rewards customers for returning or reusing their plastic bags. Due to the company’s immediate success, several large companies have joined forces with Bower, receiving the recycling champion badge as a result of their commitment.

Suwar: “Swedes are so good at recycling and disposing our plastics correctly, so we took that concept from the Nordics and hoped that it would eventually catch on to the rest of the world, which it is now doing. Sweden, and Stockholm especially, is a very tightly knit community, and if one person does something, everybody does it, which is why something like sustainability quickly catches on.”

GoFriendly, a social app for women, already has over 200,000 users in Sweden alone, as it connects women with similar interests, lifestyles, goals, and ambitions. When speaking on the app’s early success, founder Ulrika Lilja says: “the response has been remarkable, but I think it’s a testament to the drive women have in Sweden, and how eager they are to connect with other likeminded women. It’s also a testament to Stockholm, and what an open-minded city it is, and how it champions women and diversity. Sweden encourages women to take time off when having kids, and the whole country supports them and understands the importance of motherhood.”

The future

There doesn’t appear to be any signs of Sweden’s tech ecosystem slowing down, and it’s not surprising to see why, as the unicorns appear to be sprouting like mushrooms.

“The most important thing, for me, is that if you fail in Sweden, there is a safety net, and the country will always help you get back on your feet,” Suwar adds proudly. “Because of that, people are willing to take risks with their companies and go above and beyond, which allows us to be fearless, but not ruthless.”

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe