UBI Business coach steps in as CEO for KI Startup

Patient Safety Surveillance Solutions (P3S) is developing software that automatically monitors healthcare-associated injuries. Now, Tobias Tovedal, a business coach at Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI), is stepping in as the new CEO of the Karolinska Institutet (KI) startup.

In Sweden, healthcare-associated injuries contribute to approximately 1,400 deaths annually, with additional hospital stays costing the healthcare system around 8 billion SEK per year.

According to the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), half of these injuries are preventable, but current healthcare systems lack effective monitoring and reduction methods. Traditional methods rely on manually reviewing medical records and occasional point prevalence surveys, which, at best, are conducted once a year.

Developed advanced algorithms
P3S has developed and validated advanced algorithms that automatically analyze patient data and provide daily statistics on healthcare-associated injuries, including sepsis, surgical complications, infection risk factors, and hospital-onset bacteremia. These algorithms enable real-time monitoring, allowing healthcare providers to see how organizational and care-related changes impact patient safety without requiring manual data collection.

"Our solution enables continuous improvement of patient safety," says the new CEO, Tobias Tovedal.

A Perfect Fit for Leadership
In addition to his new role at P3S, Tovedal is a business coach at Umeå Biotech Incubator and Umeå University Holding AB. He looks forward to combining this experience with leading a growing startup.

"Building companies excite me, and I’ve been eager to take on a more operational role. Getting the opportunity to lead a company like P3S is a perfect fit for my experience and interests."

P3S originates from the national Vinnova project VRI Proaktiv, coordinated by Region Stockholm, with a budget of 68 million SEK. The project is now being commercialized through P3S.

The company also has strong ties to Umeå and Västerbotten. Anders Johansson, the Medical Director of Infection Control at Region Västerbotten, serves as its scientific advisor. The software is currently in use at Norrland University Hospital (NUS) in Umeå, as well as in Lycksele and Skellefteå hospitals.

Expanding to More Hospitals
"Right now, we’re focusing on implementing the system at Karolinska University Hospital. My immediate goal is to complete that rollout and then expand to more regions in Sweden while continuing to develop the product," explains Tovedal.

How will this influence your role at UBI?
"I believe this experience will give me a deeper understanding of the challenges startups face in an incubator, from growth strategies to problem-solving. It will also allow me to gain insights into how another incubator operates, as P3S is part of KI Innovations. This knowledge exchange will be valuable for me."