Startups are always looking for something – team members, funding, testing and validating possibilities, customers – and we here at Urban Tech Helsinki are ready to help. Our team of experts is doing everything we can to make the solutions for sustainable cities successful. This Valentine’s Day, we wanted to show the benefits our partner organizations and even the Finnish government are offering for urban tech startups.
Firstly, Aalto University has a mission to increase the innovation capacity of Finland. Urban Tech Helsinki incubator startups also become members of the Aalto community, where world-class research meets with an entrepreneurial mindset and creative thinking. Our second partner, Metropolia UAS opens its campuses for startups to work together with the experts and utilize the excellent infrastructure like Helsinki XR lab and Smart lab in Myllypuro campus. The University of Helsinki is ramping up its innovation activities to utilize the untapped potential, building support services and incubation activities in all campuses, and inviting Urban Tech Helsinki startups to cooperate.
Testbed.helsinki connects Urban Tech Helsinki startups and other companies with city divisions. The cooperation is very close-knit, including innovation challenges and competitions, agile pilot projects, and innovative procurement processes as well as RDI activities. Testing and validating sustainable city solutions in a real-life environment has never been easier for startups.
The Finnish Climate fund is a state-owned company, focusing on combatting climate change, boosting the low-carbon industry, and promoting digitalization. Their journey has only started but they have already made six investments in climate-tech companies like Betolar and P2X Solutions. Pia Erkinheimo’s presentation showed startups where their journey could lead if the investment criteria are fulfilled and the work that starts in Urban Tech Helsinki incubator continues successfully.
Two of our first batch startup founders, Panu Miettinen from VIS Woodtech and Windi Muziasari from Resistomap joined Pia Erkinheimo for a fireside chat. According to the entrepreneurs, access to advisors and the network, as well as coaching and following the business progress are the biggest benefits their company has received in the Urban Tech Helsinki incubator. This is useful, especially for academics who turned into entrepreneurs, in their opinion.
Our second call for startups is now open, so if you got interested, please check the event recording on YouTube and apply by February 28th here
