Coompanion operates from Skånegatan 61 in Stockholm, serving as the national hub for a federation of 25 regional organizations across Sweden. With over 100 employees specializing in cooperatives and social enterprises, it has supported more than 10,000 startups and cooperatives in the past 30 years. Its 1,000-plus members include cooperatives, social economy groups, and local authorities.
Founded as Föreningen för kooperativ utveckling, Coompanion provides free business consultancy and coaching to new entrepreneurs, funded partly by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. It also offers paid support to established entities. Advocacy efforts target policies favoring bottom-up social innovation at local, regional, and national levels.
Recent projects address societal challenges through partnerships. In Stockholm, a social impact accelerator coaches over 500 startup founders yearly and hosts events like Stockholm Entrepreneurs Day. Nationally, it runs ESF-funded initiatives integrating labor market outsiders via cooperatives, such as work-integration models. Promotion includes pitching workshops to attract partners and investors.
Owned by public and cooperative bodies, Coompanion emphasizes democratic business forms amid Sweden's welfare shifts, where cooperatives grew 21% in 2012 despite an overall business decline.