Summertime joys
It’s that time. Time to, again, complete the world before the summer holidays. The same goes with Urban Tech Helsinki. We have now finished our spring activities and will come back in the autumn with something new. At least two major events are to be published. One in this newsletter, the other in the autumn.
There is also a call for new Urban Tech startups. This time to Aalto Startup Center’s Business Generator Programme.
And as usual, it is time to celebrate the success of our startups. New continents concorded, for example, a new subsidiary in the Gulf region and a pilot in Africa. The reach and impact of the Urban Tech Helsinki community continue to span.
We also share some news from our partners. There is a new circular economy challenge in the Helsinki region. Worth checking out.
With this newsletter, the Urban Tech Helsinki Team wishes you all a good summer. We’ll be back in the autumn.
Urban Tech Helsinki – Redefining VC
After conducting our Smart Business, Big Impact survey, to gain insight as to what kind of challenges startups face in the procurement process, we outlined three key issues: a) pilot testing is treated as voluntary charity work, b) current procurement practices are lengthy and bureaucratic and c) only stable, established actors are considered for procurement. These unrealistic standards for startups result in a wealth of innovative solutions going unused.
The Smart Business, Big Impact initiative is looking to break the rigid conventions in the current ecosystem. By embracing the Venture Client model, we’re challenging traditional norms by mobilizing large organizations to procure, utilize, and integrate startup solutions into their business strategies, unlocking crucial benefits such as agility and sustainable growth.
As a pledge to lower the threshold for startups to sell directly to potential buyers, we’re teaming up with KIRAHub , KIRA-kasvuohjelma , and the JAVIST project partly co-funded by the European Union (HEVi – Helsinki+Espoo+Vantaa Innovations), to bring you a one-of-a-kind event where startups can present their innovations directly to those who matter the most: potential customers.
This will be comprised of two sections:
- A pitching event on the 21st of August, with an esteemed jury of major stakeholders in the built construction sector working to provide registered startups with direct feedback on how to attract buyers for their solution.
- A speed dating event on the 4th of September, where startups will be selected to receive further guidance on how to score pilot testing opportunities and further progress their solution with our jury members.
The jury panel will consist of representatives from major stakeholders such as YIT – Urban developer and construction company, Aalto University Campus & Real Estate, and DENSO, with more companies waiting to be announced.
Apply now for our unique pitching event at A Grid , with industry leaders present both on the jury panel and in the audience, to get acquainted with high-tech, sustainable solutions being directly presented to possible customers.
Click here for the registration form for startups wanting to participate in the pitching event. The deadline to apply as a startup is the 8th of August, only 20 startups will be chosen for the event.
Click here for the registration form for attendees wanting to watch the pitching event.
Urban Tech call in Aalto Startup Center’s Business Generator Programme
The Urban Tech movement will continue in the autumn as the next Aalto Startup Center Business Generator Programme will have an urban tech emphasis. There will be no new call for the Urban Tech Incubator in the autumn as the project in its current form is ending at the turn of the year. Therefore, urban tech-related companies are recommended to apply for Business Generator.
The Business Generator is Aalto Startup Center’s main accelerator program. It helps startups to turn sustainable high-tech innovation into a thriving business. It offers services from hands-on workshops to 1-to-1 tailored mentoring and for the urban tech startups connections and topic matter expertise collected in the Urban Tech Incubator.
The next Business Generator batch starts in September 2025. Apply before the 17th of August.
Everything you need to know and the application link here.
Startup news: New continents conquered
Riesa’s Accessibility Index live in Malawi
Riesa has launched a pilot to assess the current accessibility of the Accessibility Index of eight office buildings in Malawi operated by CYECE, Taksvärkki ry. They are partnering up with a local non-governmental organization that promotes the rights of youth and persons with disabilities.
The project is part of Riesa’s internationalization and demonstrates how small startups can create meaningful global social impact.
The Accessibility Index provides a clear, measurable score (0–100) of the level of accessibility of the space and offers concrete proposals for improving accessibility and communicating the accessibility level to stakeholders.
Riesa Consultative Oy is a Finnish startup and leading accessibility expert. To discover how the Accessibility Index works and why it matters, visit Riesa’s website.
ScanwAi Expands to the UAE: New Dubai Entity Launched
We’re excited to announce the official launch of ScanwAi Artificial Intelligence Developing Services LLC in Dubai on May 19th. This marks a major milestone in our global expansion, bringing our cutting-edge AI innovations to the heart of the Middle East. The Dubai entity will focus on AI product development, services, and strategic partnerships, accelerating advancements in smart city technologies, automation, intelligent imaging, and beyond.
Welcome to the future; now powered by ScanwAi in Dubai.
eWatt has secured funding
eWatt Smart Power Systems Oy has secured the next phase of its growth by closing a funding round. The round was led by prominent growth company supporter Gorilla Capital, with participation from nine private investors. eWatt’s technology leverages artificial intelligence to analyze device-level electrical data, unlocking an entirely new way to optimize energy consumption. The solutions utilize AI for device-specific electrical data analysis, enabling significant improvements in energy efficiency, particularly in industrial settings and larger properties.
Urban Tech Helsinki startups in Munich
Remoted took first place in the Start-up Pitch Competition at the International Entrepreneurs Night event in Munich, organized by UnternehmerTUM. They stole the victory from under the nose of another Urban Tech Helsinki start-up ScanwAi. As a result of this win, they have been invited to participate in the Urban Colab in Munich for two weeks
The event was hosted by one of the most prominent European Startup Ecosystems TUM Unternhmer in collaboration with Aalto Startup Center.
Remoted solves mobility challenges with automated vehicles in Europe or beyond.
The challenges of procurement, from the entrepreneurs themselves
Over the past month, as part of our Smart Business, Big Impact initiative, we gathered more insights regarding the challenges entrepreneurs face in the procurement process by asking our own Urban Tech Helsinki startups for their experiences, and more specifically, how they think larger organizations can benefit from mobilizing their solutions.
While the responses varied, one pattern was clear; the only way to lower the threshold for larger organizations to buy directly from startups is through a hands-on approach. Instead of waiting on startups to fend for themselves, which results in a wealth of innovative, sustainable solutions going unused, corporations are encouraged to buy solutions directly from startups at an early stage, allowing for agility and new avenues of growth. This is known as the Venture Client model, which provides access to new technologies and customized solutions through entrepreneurship. In a world currently witnessing a paradigm shift towards sustainability and circularity, it is only inevitable that corporations abandon their outdated practices, and instead embrace startups as a source of accelerated innovation.
As stated directly by Aseem Shakuntal, CEO of Codemenders, when asked about the current procurement processes, “There has to be less bureaucracy, less filling of forms, less of going through the process.” You can find his video on our LinkedIn by clicking here.
Partner news: Circular Building Challenges from Cities
Circular Buildings project is looking for solutions to three challenges from the City of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. The Circular Buildings project is seeking solutions for the following topics:
1) Reusing window and flat glass
2) Effective methods of deconstruction while maintaining structural integrity
3) Business models for reuse Lifecycle-efficient use of existing building stock
The proposed solution can be under development, but it must be sufficiently advanced to be piloted between October 2025 and March 2026. For more information, contact: Ronny Rantamäki, at ronny.rantamaki@hel.fi