Ground-breaking software companies

These leaders in innovation include Dataton, Softube and Sportality, three companies that have done their part to put the city on the map through revolutionary solutions in audiovisual technology, sound production and sports software.

Dataton was founded back in 1973 by CEO Björn Sandlund and is often hailed as Linköping's oldest IT company.

The company develops both software and hardware for presentation technology. The company’s products are sold all over the world and are primarily used to create eye-catching presentations across an unlimited number of projectors and screens. Dataton’s systems have played a leading role in Champion League studios, immersive art exhibitions,
and Broadway productions, to name a few.

The company's biggest product is Watchout, a multi-display production and presentation system that is used to create, control and replay presentations through the use of multiple synchronized projectors or screens for a truly spectacular experience.

Today, the cool – but equally sustainable – geometric building on Mjärdevi accommodates 20 employees, and the company’s sales have now topped SEK 70 million per year.
“The basics of audio technology have been there from the beginning, but so much has happened over the last 50 years – not least since we digitized the entire operation in the early 2000s”, says Björn Sandlund.

Despite the fact that Dataton is a world leader in its industry – with its biggest competitors in England and Germany – the company is not very well known in Linköping.
“The Swedish market may not account for a large share of our sales, but the use areas here are often both exciting and innovative. We have customers all over the world – many that are active in media and culture such as music, theatre and art. Apart from the fact that our products are inherently universal with broad applications, we have done a good job exporting them right from the start. We have also done well in countries with particularly tough markets, for example, due to large geographical distances. This requires patience, finesse and, above all, good relationships in local sales channels”.

“The projects in which our technology is used vary significantly – from small to extremely large productions”.

“Locally, and on a small scale in Linköping, we have, for example, worked with the light and slide show that is usually projected on the castle façade during New Year's Eve and the slide show in Naturum at Tåkern. But we have also done huge events, such as the Olympics and lighting for the 100 metre sculptures in India. Our products have been used in installations that have broken world records for the largest projection surface or high-definition image shows in Singapore, Germany, Dubai and most recently Tokyo”.

The fact that Linköping is such an innovative, forward-looking city is a major factor in the company’s success.

“With so much technical expertise and the innovative environment here, it is a great advantage for us”. As Björn emphasizes, “For a few special jobs, we have brought in consultants from Linköping, and we also have local partners for the manufacture of our products”.

Sportality

Sportality was started as a small-scale operation in 2005 by Andreas Brännström and Lasse Wöien, when they were non-profit supporters of Linköping HC and actively involved in the club's internet radio and website.

“They started with highlights from all the matches in the Elite Series (“Eliteserien, now SHL), which evolved into a custom website platform for the entire league and its clubs”, says CEO Martin Bergh.

By using digital tools to package their services, the company was able to produce a consistent, high standard on the websites – easy to navigate and with certain integrated elements, such as match schedules and statistics, a video platform, common image library and links to ticket sales.

“It also made it easy for webmasters in each association to manage their websites and upload videos with highlights and images”.

Over the years, the number of assignments has increased exponentially. Today, Sportality also delivers its smart website platform to the SDHL (top tier in women's ice hockey) HockeyAllsvenskan (second tier men's league), the Norwegian hockey league (EHL), the Damallsvenskan in women's football, the Elitettan for women’s football, the SSL (highest floorball league) for men and women and the Swedish Basketball League (Svenska basketligan) for men and women.

The number of employees in the company has grown to 20 in Linköping, plus three software developers in the Philippines.

“We are not only constantly developing and manufacturing our platforms, but we also have a content team, which delivers content to sites in the different hockey leagues. This includes videos, graphics, pictures and written articles before and after the matches. During the matches, we are responsible for a live feed, with real-time statistics.

“Within hockey, for example, we also post clips from matches to various social media platforms – such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. Then we have a system for playing back videos, statistics boards and other things in the media cubes at the arenas. With this tremendous variety of options, we are a trustworthy, overall supplier for any sports league that wants to increase visibility and undertake a digital journey together, not separately”.
Sportality – which works from a space on Ågatan in the middle of the city – embodies the spirit of Linköping, harnessing the innovative, forward-thinking energy and technological expertise found right here in the city.

“We have a great reciprocal relationship with the students at the university, and there are so many competent consultants in the tech industry here. Many talents are drawn here and want to stay”, says Martin Bergh.

Softube

Softube started in 2003 and has grown significantly since its inception – especially in the last ten years. The reason this forward-thinking, innovative company from Linköping is not widely known in its home country of Sweden is due to the fact that 98 percent of its sales are generated from exports to other countries. The company currently has sales of SEK 80 million per year.

“We work in every corner of the world, but most of all in the US, Great Britain, many EU nations, Japan and South Korea. Our customers include everything from professional music producers to people who produce music as a hobby”, says CEO and founder Oscar Öberg.
As the company learned, the best business idea is basically about coming up with, developing and producing algorithms in the form of software that is used for music production. Giants including Marshall and Fender were two of the early manufacturers who chose to integrate Softube's unique solution into their products.

“Above all, we have built a name for ourselves through our focus on creating products with very high sound quality. We have invested a lot in that over the years, and that is what we are known for. It is about successfully transferring high quality analogue hardware to digital software.

Softube's key ingredient in its recipe for success – a math-heavy approach.

“What sets us apart from many others in our industry is that we have a high concentration of engineers among our 60 employees. There are a lot of equations and other calculations needed to reach the high sound quality that we have achieved”.

The company, which is based in central Linköping, also manufactures hardware – a plug-in controller that is used together with their unique software.

“With this [hardware], we have revived the tactile, being able to take control with your hands instead of just clicking a mouse when using the software. This means that we can offer our customers a wider range of products, and it makes us more flexible”.

Many music producers who use the company’s components work with well-known international recording artists.

“Of course, it's cool and a lot of fun to think that a producer who works with the British star Adele mixed songs for her with our products. And another producer, who is a customer of ours, produces music for big names like Katy Perry, Pink and Dua Lipa”.

Both the founders and many employees at Softube have completed education programmes at Linköping University – which provides a strong base for recruitment.

“Being active right here in Linköping means a great deal to us and to our success. There is tremendous support from other companies, and the city really invests in our business community. We have received a lot of support in scaling up our company, which played a significant role in our growth”, says Oscar Öberg.

The fact that many stars in pop, rock and screen scoring have their roots right here in Linköping is fantastic, but now we can also boast about our rock'n'roll scientists.