Sweden Ballistics AB

Sweden Ballistics AB (SWEBAL) is a Swedish startup founded in 2024 to address a critical shortfall in Europe's defense supply chain. The company is constructing a manufacturing plant in Nora, Sweden, to produce Trinitrotoluene (TNT), a primary explosive component for military munitions like artillery shells. This facility will be the first of its kind in Sweden since the 1990s and is a direct response to the heightened demand for ammunition highlighted by geopolitical conflicts.

The venture is spearheaded by co-founders Joakim Sjöblom, a tech entrepreneur who previously founded Minna Technologies, and engineer Carl Duforce. Sjöblom, serving as CEO, pivoted from the fintech industry to the defense sector, driven by a mission to enhance European security and strategic autonomy. The company's establishment was not born from a research lab but from identifying a strategic market need through consultations with military and political figures. SWEBAL is a privately held company with 100% Swedish ownership. It has attracted significant private investment, including a €3 million funding round in June 2025 from notable investors such as former Swedish Army Chief Karl Engelbrektson, EQT co-founder Thomas Von Koch, and Apotea founder Pär Svärdson.

SWEBAL's business model centers on becoming a key European supplier of TNT, aiming to reduce the continent's reliance on a single producer in Poland and long-distance imports from Asia. The company plans to source over 80% of its raw materials from Sweden and the Baltic region, further securing the local supply chain. The plant, which is awaiting final environmental permits with construction planned to start by the end of 2025, will be a semi-automated facility. Upon reaching full-scale operations, projected for late 2027 or 2028, the factory is expected to produce over 4,000 metric tons of MIL-spec TNT annually, creating approximately 50 direct jobs. This output would significantly increase Europe's current TNT production capacity by an estimated 75%.

Keywords: TNT manufacturing, explosives production, defense industry, ammunition supply chain, European defense, NATO resilience, strategic materials, energetic materials, munitions components, military-grade explosives, defense technology, sovereign capability, Joakim Sjöblom, Carl Duforce, Nora Sweden, Swedish defense startup, ordnance manufacturing, artillery shells, security of supply, advanced materials