urban tech
helsinki
FAQ

Yes, international startups are warmly welcome to apply. However, you must be able to commit to work also onsite here in Helsinki, Finland for at least the 8-week onboarding period.

During the 8-week onboarding period we will have two events per week of which one will be a group coaching session or a workshop and the other one will be a community event. You can find all our events here: https://bit.ly/UTHEvents

The purpose of the onboarding period is to equip you with the right tools and knowledge to get the incubation process successfully started. In addition, we want to connect you with other startups, our partners and other relevant ecosystem players that can help you on your journey. 

After the onboarding period you will begin you incubation process and hopefully continue as an active member of the Urban Tech Helsinki community. During the incubation process you are invited to workshops, community and networking events. Participation to these events is strongly encouraged but you can choose to which events you will participate based on your current situation. You will also have one-to-one coaching sessions with your business advisor regularly. After 6, 9 and 12 months we will have checkpoints where we discuss your current needs and progress so far.

It means that your participation in the program can last from 12 to 36 months. After each year we will have a checkpoint where we discuss your progress and business development as well as assess your contribution and activity in the program. Based on this mutual discussion the company might either commit for another 12 months in the program or leave the program.

Yes, each startup will have a dedicated business advisor that will both coach you and connect you with other relevant business advisors and coaches.

No, we do not offer any direct financial support for accepted teams. However, the program and all the services and benefits we offer are free of charge. We also offer flex-desk membership benefits of Maria 01 startup hub and coworking premises at Urban 3 space on the campus for accepted startups.

Yes you can, if you have enough time to join the sessions for both programs. We expect onsite participation twice a week for the 8-week onboarding period.

The challenges of modern cities are vast and versatile. We have categorized the challenges under the following themes: circular economy, clean energy, smart mobility, urban development, urban farming and urban wellbeing. You can familiarize yourself with these themes here and read more about City of Helsinki challenges here.

During the 8-week onboarding period you will have to commit for a few hours twice a week. After that, the hours you put in will depend mostly on you and your motivation. Naturally, the more hours you put in the more you get out of the program.

The only limitation is that the startup must be under three years of age and have at least two people working full time. We don’t have any limitations regarding your funding status or customers etc.

It depends, you can have for example conducted extensive customer research, built an working MVP, gained your first customers or started pilot projects. It means that you have some kind of proof that you have been able to develop a feasible solution to a problem that actually exists in the market and you are ready to test and validate it with the city of Helsinki or other partners.

We have open calls twice a year, spring and autumn. Please do not hesitate to contact our team even if there is not a call open!