Happy 2026 my readers !! Although we are past wishing each other happy new year, I still want to start my first blog of this year (yes, in March :D, procrastinating much) with some optimism.
This one has been long awaited since I wrote part one to this. Just to get some context, read this one: Staying Relevant for 800 years – the Swedish way
Before sharing my AI finds, I want to share – why AI finds? Simply because, using AI to chat and create content is different than using AI to create solutions is different. And, in my opinion, real AI power lies in the latter. Yes, it is good to get acquainted with these models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini etc. but until we are able to think about how to solve real-world problems, it will not be so useful. And we might end up only being an AI user and merely a customer for all these software giants.
But wait, is this really happening – creating real solutions with AI? And is it just a hobby thing or can it become a fully operating venture? YES. And, I found out so many amazing businesses which are not just AI driven for the sake of it but also solving problems, really.
AI Sweden – Just making AI accessible for FREE
AI Sweden is an entire national center for applied AI that brings together over 170 partners from government, universities, and companies. They built a supercomputer called Berzelius at Linköping University. And — they actually built their own language model called GPT-SW3. While other countries were debating whether to ban ChatGPT, Sweden went and built its own version for the Swedish language and released it for free. FOR FREE. That’s so Swedish it hurts.
And literally a few days ago, Sweden released its first-ever comprehensive national AI strategy, aiming for a global top-10 ranking. They’re not just riding the AI wave. They’re building the surfboard.
Neko Health – No needle solution for preventive healthcare
Co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek (yes, that guy again), Neko built an AI-powered full-body scanner that checks you for everything from skin cancer to cardiovascular risk to pre-diabetes — in just 15 minutes. No needles, no MRI tubes, no hospital gowns. It can detect skin changes smaller than the tip of a pencil. They’ve already expanded from Stockholm to London, and New York is next. Build on preventive strategy, this is one of the best companies in this AI Health tech revolution.
Einride – making trucks that drive themselves
Remember Heart Aerospace from Part 1? Electric planes? Well, meet their road cousin. Einride builds autonomous, electric trucks powered by AI that optimizes routes, manages entire fleets, and tracks energy use in real-time. They’re already working with companies like Maersk and Oatly. The trucks are literally on the road today. While the rest of the world argues about whether self-driving cars are safe, Sweden just quietly put self-driving trucks to work hauling oat milk. Peak Swedish energy.
Lovable – Making everyone a vibe coder
What if you could describe an app idea in plain English and the computer just… built it? That’s Lovable. This Stockholm startup created what they call a “vibe-coding” platform — you describe what you want, and AI builds a working app. No programming required. It’s one of the fastest-growing startups in the world right now. Think of it as IKEA for software — you bring the idea, they give you the flat-pack, but this time the AI does the assembly too.
Furhat Robotics – The Robot That Actually Looks at You
Most robots are either creepy or useless. Furhat Robotics is neither. Spun out of KTH (Sweden’s MIT), Furhat builds social robots with customizable 3D-projected faces that can make eye contact, show emotions, and hold real conversations. They’re being used for autism therapy, unbiased job interviews (through their Tengai robot), medical training, and even as travel assistants at German train stations. Their clients include Disney, Intel, and Honda. It’s like they brought Pixar characters to life, but for actually helpful things.
Legora – why should software developers have all the fun?
Legal work means drowning in documents. Legora built an AI assistant that helps lawyers research, review contracts, and draft documents in a fraction of the time. In just two years, they’re being used by 250 law firms across 20 countries — including some of the biggest names in the legal world. This isn’t a chatbot that spits out generic contracts. It’s a tool that genuinely understands legal workflows. Think of it as Spotify for legal research — it knows what you need before you finish searching.
Skyqraft – Drones That Save Power Lines (and the Planet)
Right now, power lines are inspected by humans dangling from helicopters. It’s expensive, dangerous, and terrible for the environment. Skyqraft (recently rebranded as Arkion) sends AI-powered drones instead. They detect 10 times more defects than traditional inspections and cut CO₂ emissions from the process by 93%. A 25-kilometer inspection that used to take two days? Three minutes. They already work with the three largest utility companies in Sweden. It’s the kind of boring-but-brilliant solution Sweden is famous for.
Flox – Protecting wildlife with AI
Here’s one you definitely haven’t heard of. Flox builds autonomous drones that keep wildlife away from farms and airports — without hurting them. The drones use computer vision to spot animals and then scare them off with custom sounds and lights. No harm, no chemicals, no shotguns. Just a Swedish drone politely asking birds to move. It’s the most Swedish solution to a problem I’ve ever seen — ethical, quiet, and it actually works.
Sana Labs – Netflix for Workplace Learning
Sana Labs made workplace training not boring. Their AI platform personalized learning the way Spotify personalizes playlists — adaptive, continuous, and actually engaging. It was so good that Workday (one of the world’s biggest HR platforms) bought the entire company. From a Stockholm startup to a billion-dollar acquisition — built on the idea that learning at work shouldn’t feel like a punishment.
ClimateView – A GPS for Climate Goals
Every city sets climate targets. Almost none of them know how to track progress. ClimateView built a platform that lets cities visualize their emissions, model the impact of different policies, and actually measure whether they’re on track. Think of it as Google Maps but for reaching climate neutrality — it shows you where you are, where you need to go, and which route gets you there. When AI meets sustainability in Swedish hands, you get tools that turn promises into action.
A Note from Someone Who Calls Two Countries Home
I’m Indian. India is home. And India is brilliant — it has some of the best engineers on the planet, one of the most AI-literate workforces in the world, and digital infrastructure like UPI that makes most countries jealous. So this isn’t criticism. It’s a wish.
Because when I look at Sweden — a country with a fraction of India’s population, a fraction of its engineering talent — and I see them building their own language models, scanning bodies for cancer, flying autonomous trucks, reading 300-year-old handwriting with AI, and protecting forests with smart drones… I can’t help but wonder: where’s the Indian Neko Health? Where’s the Indian GPT for Hindi, or Tamil, or Bengali? Where’s the startup that uses AI to solve the problems that only India has?
The talent is there. The ambition is there. What’s missing, I think, is the Swedish mindset: stop consuming AI and start building solutions with it. Not chatbots for customer service. Not AI-generated marketing copy. Real things. For real problems. The kind of things you’d put on a list 800 years from now.
Staying Relevant. Still.
Sweden gave us the seatbelt and made it free so everyone could be safer. It gave us Spotify and changed how the world listens to music. And now it’s giving us a blueprint for how to use AI responsibly — not to generate waste, but to genuinely make the world a better place.
800 years of relevance, and they’re not slowing down.
Sweden can be a complete case study for someone who is trying to understand what ‘build with AI’ actually means. Not just for a while, but for the long run.
On that note, see you next time.
Cheerios!! 👋
