The vibrant startup ecosystem of Finland

Slush event in Helsinki

Business Finland

Welcome to Finland, one of the fastest-growing startup scenes in the world, offering a vibrant ecosystem of accelerators, angel investors and VCs.

Finland offers a stable business environment ideal for startups, particularly as a testbed for new technologies. In Finland, you have everything you need: a highly educated and tech-savvy population, robust infrastructure for testing, and leading-edge knowledge in digital technologies. The country is at the forefront of emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, 5G networks, sustainable energy innovations, and advanced biotechnologies, making it an exceptional hub for cutting-edge technological development.  

3800+ startups

dealroom.co 2022

196 investors

dealroom.co 2022

Startup ecosystem #7 in Western Europe

StartupBlink 2023

Startup ecosystem #13 worldwide

StartupBlink 2023

Startups raised €2B in 2021

Dealroom.co 2022

8 cities in the top 1000 startup cities

StartupBlink 2023

Join Finland’s exciting startup scene, where success thrives and opportunities abound!

-

Credits:

Success Stories of Finland's Startup Scene

Finland's startup ecosystem has given birth to more than 10 unicorns, including Rovio Games (the creator of the Angry Birds franchise), Wolt (a food delivery technology company), and Supercell (which creates gaming experiences for tablets and touch devices). Most of these unicorns are headquartered in the capital city of Helsinki, which is the leading startup hub in the country. Oulu, Tampere, and Turku cities follow Helsinki. According to the StartupBlink report, both Helsinki and Oulu rank in the top 5 cities of Nordics.

The Key Industries Driving Finland's Startup Ecosystem

Finland's innovative startups span a range of key industries, including gaming, bioeconomy, clean and smart technologies, health and wellbeing, ICT and digitalization, and travel and tourism. The country is renowned for its global success stories such as Nokia's mobile phone dominance, first heart rate monitor, blackbox at the planes, 5G, and Linux operating system. Additionally, Finland ranks amongst the world's top 10 most innovative countries. Finland is also highly committed to achieving UN sustainable development goals, and has achieved SDGs #1.

What Drives Finland's Startup Success

Business-friendly policies, a stable environment, and a society that is safe, transparent, and has relatively low levels of bureaucracy contribute to Finland's attractiveness for startups. People in Finland are highly educated, and the country has the best expertise in digital technologies, which have driven the startup ecosystem's success. Collaboration between startups, companies, and universities is also a key driver of Finland's startup success.

Investing and Relocating to Finland's Startup Ecosystem

Finland is an attractive destination for both domestic and international investors. Incubators, accelerators (such as Kiuas, Red Brick, and Urban Tech), and venture capital funds are available to invest in promising startups. Finland also offers soft-landing services and the Startup Permit for entrepreneurs looking to establish their startup.

 

Whether you're looking to invest, relocate, or collaborate, Finland's startup scene offers a dynamic ecosystem of innovation, collaboration, and success.

Five young people cooperating at the office  - Business Finland

Startup Permit

The Startup Permit is a residence permit for innovative startup entrepreneurs coming outside the European Economic Area who wants to move and establish a startup company to Finland. The Startup Permit is issued for a maximum of two years and can be renewed. 

Five young people cooperating at the office  - Business Finland

Startup Permit

The Startup Permit is a residence permit for innovative startup entrepreneurs coming outside the European Economic Area who wants to move and establish a startup company to Finland. The Startup Permit is issued for a maximum of two years and can be renewed. 

Services offered by cities

Finnish cities offer soft-landing services for startup founders interested in relocating or establishing their company in Finland. These services are designed to support you in establishing a company in Finland, finding suitable funding instruments, helping with accommodation, and providing support to the spouses and families of founders. You can find more information about these services offered by the capital region, Turku, Tampere, and Oulu from below.

 

Three people checking on computer

Startup in Finland webinar series

What does the startup ecosystem of Finland have to offer for innovative startup founders – Listen our Startup in Finland webinar series to find out