Full house, sharp pitches, and a milestone moment, Sting Core Demo Day March 2026
Sunshine. Sharp pitches. And a room full of founders and investors that clearly didn’t want to go home. On March 10, Sting hosted Demo Day for the very first Sting Core cohort at Bryggarhuset in Stockholm, and it set the tone for what this new chapter is all about.
Founders who owned the stage
Before going live, coaches Fredrik Rosengren and Mia de Bésche were backstage doing what great coaches do: sharpening the details, calming nerves, and making sure the energy was exactly where it needed to be.
It showed.
Sixteen startups took the stage, and delivered. Not just polished presentations, but clear thinking, real progress, and strong signals of what’s coming next.
The companies presenting
- Arcim
- Altaria AI
- Magnephy
- Occurrence Technologies
- Gå och Må
- Coverly
- Cestore
- Freya Industries
- Besca AB
- ProHat
- Celemine
- IntellAif
- Recapt
- Brave Onion
- Empatik
Brave Onion wins Best Pitch
Among a strong lineup, Brave Onion stood out and was awarded Best Pitch of the Day.
With a clear narrative, strong presence, and a sharp articulation of both problem and opportunity, they captured exactly what Demo Day is about: making complex ideas simple, and compelling.
Celebrating the people behind the founders
A special moment during the day was recognising Lars Appelstål, who was nominated by several startups as Most Appreciated Investor.
It’s a reminder that building companies is never a solo effort, and that the right support, at the right time, makes all the difference.
Learning from those who’ve done it before
The program also featured a fireside chat with Dora Palfi, co-founder of imagi, who shared honest reflections on scaling a company while staying curious and adaptable.
A timely reminder that growth is rarely linear, and that mindset matters just as much as metrics.
A milestone for Sting
During the event, Karin Ruiz also shared an important milestone:
Sting has now supported more than 500 startups since its inception.
It’s a number that reflects not just volume, but years of working closely with founders building across sectors, technologies, and markets.
The real signal: what happened after the pitches
The pitches were strong, but the real signal of a great cohort came afterwards.
The conversations between founders and investors kept going until the venue had to close. And later, the discussions continued at the Sting office, where founders and coaches exchanged lessons, stories, and a fair amount of laughter.
One theme kept coming up: community.
The part of building companies that doesn’t show up in KPIs, but often makes all the difference.
Just the beginning
Demo Day is never the finish line.
It’s the starting gun.
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