We are welcoming spring at Urban Tech Helsinki and working hard so that the saplings and plants that our startups have grown will receive the water and sun they need.
This month’s news is about getting things done. Also, about internationalisation. One of our startups has founded a company in Italy, another is active in France.
On the home front, our ‘Smart Business, Big Impact’ initiative is becoming concrete. The first actual challenge from a visionary corporation is out. Grandlund is looking for startup solutions to help monitor the condition of buildings. We are looking to bring two new ones to the table in the following weeks.
In news from our partners, KIRAHub is working on building a ‘Built Environment Energy’ ecosystem together. If you are interested in energy, the built environment, and digitalisation, it is worth having a look.
ScanwAI to Italy – new company founded
ScanwAI is continuing it’s international expansion at speed. They have recently established a company in Italy to conquer the local markets with their easy-to-use and cost-effective infra maintenance solution.
ScanwAI has also joined the D2XEL accelerator jointly run by Aalto Startup Center.
“We are looking forward to the extra boost for our internationalisation efforts”, says group CEO Juha Rytkönen.
Riesa Consultative Oy’s innovative Accessibility Index supports Orion in evaluating the impact of renovation plans on accessibility at their lunch restaurant, already during the design phase. With the help of the Accessibility Index, Orion was able to present precisely measured data on how the planned changes would affect accessibility, supporting the implementation of their responsibility strategy.
The Accessibility Index provides clear, measurable data that aids decision-making in both construction projects and renovations, ensuring that changes benefit all users. It expresses the accessibility level of a space on a scale from 0 to 100. The Accessibility Index is an excellent tool for developing accessibility and bringing transparency to decisions related to social responsibility in construction projects.
Paahtu in Switzerland – 7000 participants listening to coffee burn
Kahviklapi traveled to Switzerland! Paahtu attended one of the leading startup conferences, Start Summit in Switzerland, last month. They pitched the coffee log idea in front of an international audience. With 7,000 participants, the event was an incredible platform to showcase our product, connect with investors, and explore exciting collaborations with fellow startups.
Skanio in France and Britain – Pilots with major customer
Skanio has secured two significant pilots in Europe. They are piloting their digital elevator twin solution in three buildings near Paris and five near London. The pilots will prove Skanio’s solution’s benefits and establish collaboration with major lift companies to start operations in France and Great Britain.
Skanio uses the latest LiDar 3D Reality Capture technology to make a digital survey of an elevator and it’s shaft. The company creates a digital elevator database by capturing a digital representation (twin). It provides vital data to building owners, renovators, as well as elevator OEMs to renovate or renew elevators more efficiently and sustainably, improving the safety.
iPark in Turku – excellent feedback from customers
iPark has extended its pilots to Turku, with Espoo and Helsinki already on the map. The pilots have gained positive feedback from the customers.
The iPark solution makes charging quick and hassle-free, which makes a big difference, especially when you’re in a rush or facing cold weather, explains VTT EV charging expert Dr. Mehrnaz Farzam Far.
The iPark solution requires just the simplest actions from users, making it effortlessly easy, says CFO from Sons of Solar, Arttu Tallgren.
iPark offers innovative EV charging solutions such as appless charging and charger management. They offer comprehensive parking management solutions for residential complexes and office buildings, designed for efficiency and user convenience.
The first Smart Business, Big Impact challenge is open – KIRA startups, take on Granlund’s challenge to extend the lifecycle of buildings!
Detecting structural failures in buildings is often slow, expensive, and happens too late. Surprise repairs and time-senstitive actions can lead to significant costs and even shorten the building’s lifecycle.
Granlund is looking for solution providers! The goal is to find an intelligent image recognition system that can detect structural issues early and enable preventive action.
We are looking for concrete projects to learn how to overcome these issues. If you are a company or a city and would like to benefit from working with startups, please reach out to us, and we will initiate a project with you. Contact our project manager Eetu Helminen: eetu.helminen@aalto.fi.
Partner news:
Join the Energy Ecosystem: A New Initiative by KIRAHub
KIRAHub, funded by STEK ry, has launched a project to create an ecosystem supporting energy transformation, connecting the built environment, energy sector, research, and growth companies. This initiative aims to, for example, prepare new project ideas for Business Finland’s Flexible Energy Systems and Decarbonized Cities programs.
The Built Environment Energy Ecosystem project seeks to develop decentralized solutions for properties and neighborhood-level energy systems, enhance compatibility with new technologies like demand response and intelligent control, and enable the scalability of technologies and business models. It will benefit property owners, energy companies, technology providers, and research institutions by fostering savings, flexible energy solutions, innovation testing, and high-demand research opportunities.
Urban Tech Helsinki invites interested stakeholders to explore this emerging ecosystem and consider joining if the topics resonate with your interests, shaping the future of sustainable energy solutions through impactful collaborations.