The cancer-fighting entrepreneur

Milton Lönnroth has his office in a co-working space at Järntorget. There, he works with twelve colleagues with the joint aim of enabling novel treatments to cure cancer. Their clients are pharmaceutical companies all over the world. 

"We talk about treating cancer, but our vision is to cure it. We develop the technology needed to develop non-toxic drugs that specifically target cancer cells without harming healthy tissue," he says.

He has recently played at Pustervik, just across the road with his band Maple & Rye. It was his interest in music that brought him back to Gothenburg after studying biochemical engineering in London. Milton had not lived in his father's hometown since he was nine, when the family moved to Geneva, where his parents worked for WHO and UNICEF.

"I moved to Gothenburg because some friends and I wanted to start a band. But we had problems finding the right people to work with. Nobody who plays trumpet is on LinkedIn. That's when I had the idea to create a forum for the music industry."

International group of students

The idea sparked his interest in studying again, and he began the Master of Science in Knowledge-based Entrepreneurship at the School of Business, Economics and Law. 

"It was a fantastic opportunity to develop my own idea over two years while studying. You can get student loans and maybe find co-founders and colleagues while you are studying," says Milton. 

For Milton, it was important to be in an environment with like-minded people. The whole programme is taught in English, and the students are of all ages and from all over the world. 

"Having lived in different places, I enjoyed that aspect. The international group of students felt right for me".

Turning ideas into business opportunities

During the programme, there are many opportunities to find an idea to develop, including through the “idea providers” who participate in the teaching. These are individuals who are invited to present different ideas for students to take on. Milton appreciated the many skilled and inspiring speakers, both associated with the department and invited from the business world.

"The programme has given me both a better theoretical understanding of entrepreneurship and venture creation, as well as the opportunity to test those theories in the real world," says Milton. 

During the programme, students are encouraged to trust their ability to turn ideas into business opportunities. Milton took his idea for a music forum to Chalmers Venture's Startup Camp for feedback and development tips. It was before the summer break, and he took the opportunity to ask if they had any projects that needed summer workers. He was then advised to apply for a job as CEO and co-founder of Atley Solutions.

Next generation cancer drugs

Since the 1990s, researchers at the University of Gothenburg have been working with Sahlgrenska University Hospital to develop the next generation of cancer drugs. The researchers have developed a new technology that makes it possible to create alpha-emitting drugs that find and kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells. To take the step from research to commercialisation, Atley Solutions was established in 2019. 

"I got on very well with the researchers who had developed and patented the technology. It was a coincidence that it landed on my desk, but not a coincidence that I became so interested," he says. 

During his childhood, two of Milton's best friends had cancer. One recovered, but the other died young. These experiences affected him deeply and shaped his childhood.

"The job was a perfect match of personal interest and my educational background," he says.

In his day-to-day work, he draws on his engineering background and entrepreneurship training. This combination allows Milton to understand both the technology and how to build a scalable business around it.

Available worldwide

It takes about ten years for a drug to go through all the clinical trials. Drugs that make use of Atley's technology will soon be entering phase 1 trials. His role has changed over the past year. Until then, he was the only one doing anything other than product development. The company has now started to generate revenue and has been able to recruit. 

"Now I can concentrate on what I enjoy most: financing, sales and building long-term relationships.” 

He has recently been to Japan and South Africa and is in talks with stakeholders in India and Thailand. 

"It is important that this kind of treatment does not only end up in the hands of a privileged group in the Western world. We want it to be available worldwide," he says.