Martin
Strålenhielm
Strategy, technology & people
I've built products from scratch, led large teams, and run complex public-sector deliveries. Currently driving AI initiatives for Karlstad municipality while coaching startups and guest lecturing at Uppsala University.
About Me
I've spent the last decade figuring out how to make complex things work — whether that's building a medtech product from scratch, leading a 23-person team running an entire public transit platform, or untangling a stalled AI initiative for a municipality. The common thread is messy problems that need someone who can see both the system and the people in it.
I'm at my best when I can set direction and still stay close enough to the work to know what's actually going on. I've never been the kind of leader who disappears into meetings — I want to understand the problem well enough to have real opinions about the solution.
The people side matters most to me. I lead by coaching, and I care about building teams where people feel trusted enough to take ownership. Outside of project work, I coach startups and lecture on entrepreneurship at Uppsala University — giving early-stage founders the kind of mentorship that made all the difference in my own journey.
Experience
Karlstad Kommun
Brought in to rescue a stalled AI initiative and give it direction across multiple parallel workstreams at Karlstad municipality. The previous pilot had been halted — I brought structure and clear ownership to a set of initiatives that had neither.
I sit between the business side, IT, architecture, and leadership — helping everyone understand what's actually possible and who should own what. The scope is broad: platform selection (Fabric, Copilot Studio, Foundry, ML environments), information security, legal/GDPR compliance, and managing AI projects from idea to production.
The team's way of working was vaguely "scrum-ish" — I moved them to proper Scrum/Kanban with clear metrics for prioritization. The goal was to leave a setup that makes the next AI project easier to start.
Independent
Coaching early-stage startups on product development, business strategy, and go-to-market. Guest lecturing 2–3 times per semester at Uppsala University on entrepreneurship, innovation, and product development — drawing on firsthand experience from building and scaling a startup.
Region Uppsala &
Region Gävleborg
Led development and service management for the digital public transit platform — an agile transformation with a cross-functional team of up to 23 people and a ~25M SEK annual contract. The client gave us their highest possible quality rating.
Two major security incidents hit during my time — I led the response both times, and we came out with a better product and more trust from the client. I also mediated between the two regions when their priorities clashed, and ran two side projects that fell outside Sogeti's normal scope.
Co-founded Cenvigo, a medtech startup building privacy-first monitoring for elderly care. Our bed sensor system let care homes keep residents safe without cameras — cutting unnecessary night visits that typically eat up to 25% of staff working hours. I set the product and technical direction, created the roadmap, and reported to a board of scientists and domain experts.
In the early stages I was hands-on — designing the system architecture, database structure, and developing algorithms for 200 Hz pressure sensor data analysis using Fourier transforms and anomaly detection. Over time I shifted from writing code to owning architecture and business direction.
Led the team of 3–6 people, acting as the link between customers and developers. Left after strategic disagreements with the investor — the product was working and deployed.
Built and led a support team spanning 1st line, 2nd line, a print shop, and QA. Served as technical expert supporting sales in client meetings and was co-responsible for trade show presence. Held special responsibility for Nordic partner and supplier relationships.
On the technical side, I did QA, troubleshooting, and built custom tools. Developed specialized materials to speed up sign production and worked as an in-house VBA programmer.
Assisted faculty with research at the Department of Business Studies.
Ceremonial Grand Marshal
As Grand Marshal and Deputy Grand Marshal, I held operational and administrative responsibility for the marshals' and standard-bearers' participation in Uppsala University's official ceremonies — including doctoral conferment ceremonies and professorial installations.
I coordinated events in close collaboration with university leadership, police, staff, and representatives from other institutions. The role demanded diplomacy and clear communication at the intersection of university leadership, the student union, and external authorities.
Education & Credentials
Education
Certifications
Academic Work
Recommendations
Jag hade förmånen att arbeta tillsammans med Martin under min tid på Sogeti, där han var projektledare för det team jag tillhörde. Martin är en projektledare som inte bara håller ihop trådarna – han skapar struktur, förtroende och en trygghetskänsla.
Martin är en person som får andra att slappna av även när projekten är komplexa. Han kommunicerar klart, tar ansvar för leveranser och lämnar utrymme för teamet att ta egna beslut.
Han har ett lugn i sin ledarstil, och han är genuint nyfiken på människor. Det märks att han värdesätter relationer – både med kund och kollegor.
Martin är en projektledare jag skulle jobba med igen utan att blinka.
During my time at Cenvigo, Martin served as a much appreciated manager with an impressive array of both soft and technical skills. As a manager Martin had the ability to blend in seamlessly with developers.
His pragmatic and solution driven mindset, combined with his serious but positive approach to both problems and personal criticism, set a good example for everyone, regardless of seniority and field.
Martin confidently faces challenges, and uses whatever resources are available without letting office politics or dogmas get in the way. He has an unwavering determination to make the best out of what he's presented with.
More importantly he has the ability to instill this mindset in others. With Martin in the office one can expect increased morale, high personal responsibility, and high efficiency.
Get In Touch
Always happy to talk — about work, startups, or anything else interesting.