Where we work · Finland · Our growth focus
Strategy for Finnish founders who have to go global from day one.
Finland is where we are building next. Today we work with Finnish founders and programmes remotely from Hyderabad, in English, two and a half to three and a half hours ahead of Helsinki. We have no office in Finland yet, and we say so plainly.
Strong companies, a small home market, and money from abroad.
€1.9 billion
Raised by Finnish startups in 2025, a record. About 75% came from foreign investors. FVCA, Apr 2026
About 2,000
Active early-stage startups. Helsinki 828, Espoo 309, Tampere 144, Oulu 102 (2023 headquarters). Startup Study 2025 (Tesi, FSC, FVCA)
36% → 19%
Startups raising a first round within three years: the 2015 cohort against the 2021 cohort Startup Study 2025 (Tesi, FSC, FVCA)
75–80% → 42%
Startups using Business Finland grants or loans in their first three years: the 2015–18 cohorts against 2021 Startup Study 2025 (Tesi, FSC, FVCA)
52%
Founders actively planning international expansion within 12 months Startup Barometer Q2/2026
3rd in the EU
Finland's place on the European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard Business Finland, Jun 2026
Early money is scarcer than it was, public funding reaches fewer young companies, and later investors are mostly abroad. That makes go-to-market a first-year decision.
The Business Finland ladder was rebuilt.
- Tempo and Young Innovative Company funding have closed. Tempo's last call ended on 3 October 2025, and Young Innovative Company closed on 10 October 2025. Market Explorer went too. Business Finland, Sep 2025
- Sprint is the new front door. It has been a continuous call since 1 September 2026: a grant of €75–100k covering 75% of the project. It requires at least €50k of equity and a committed team of at least two in Finland. Sprint call
- Sprint will not pay for selling. Sales, marketing and operational costs are ineligible, and at least two-thirds of costs must be R&D.
- Research spinouts start inside the lab. Research to Business funding goes to the research organisation before any company exists, and at least 40% of its costs must be commercialisation preparation. R2B call 2/2026
- Demand exceeds the money. R&D funding applications passed €800 million in the first half of 2026, a record, and some decisions can only be confirmed in January 2027. Business Finland, Jun 2026
For a founder, the private money now comes before the public money, and the public money funds building. The commercial side has to be planned, and paid for, separately.
Where Finnish seed companies get stuck.
| Problem | What it looks like | What we work on |
|---|---|---|
| A home market of 5.7 million | Over half of founders plan to expand abroad within a year, and many consider moving the company itself (53% in the Slush founder survey). | Choosing the first foreign market and the buyer in it, and the pricing and sales motion that market expects. |
| A roadmap shaped by the grant | When public funding pays for R&D and not for selling, the product can get ahead of the customer. | A buyer-shaped plan alongside the R&D plan, with sales capability funded from the start. |
| Domestic buyers who build in-house | Founders report that large Finnish companies build their own "rather than buying from startups". | A first-customer strategy that does not depend on the home market, and a first pilot designed to convert. |
| Investors who are abroad | About three-quarters of 2025's capital came from foreign investors. | A story and a data room written for a Stockholm, London or US investor, prepared before the round. |
Sources: Slush Finnish Founder Survey 2026 · FVCA · Statistics Finland
For Finnish programmes that report on outcomes.
Finnish programmes already measure what they deliver. Helsinki's Campus Incubators Programme, for example, reports programmes run, participants, entrepreneurs launched and capital raised. A Pilot Cohort adds per-founder evidence of readiness and mentoring time to that picture.
| Programme type | What shapes it | How a pilot fits |
|---|---|---|
| University and campus incubators For example, the Campus Incubators Programme 2025–27, jointly funded by Helsinki and the universities. | Funders expect outcome figures. For 2021–24 the city reports 18 programmes, 1,400+ participants and 200+ entrepreneurs launched. | Measures agreed in week one, so the cohort report adds to the outcomes you already publish. |
| Research spinout routes Research to Business inside the university or VTT, then Deep Tech Accelerator funding. | Commercialisation has to start before the company exists. VTT-originated startups took 12% of Finnish startup equity in 2021–25. | Commercial-readiness work for research teams: buyer, pilot design and pricing, using the Pilot Integrity Checker. |
| City programmes Such as Business Helsinki's free startup advisory and pilot platforms. | Free services that reach many founders, often in short formats. | Programme sessions or programme-design work that adds depth for the teams that need it. |
Sources: City of Helsinki, Campus Incubators · VTT LaunchPad · Deep Tech Accelerator call
A shared working afternoon, and written terms.
- Hours
- India is 3.5 hours ahead of Finland in winter and 2.5 hours in summer. A 09:00 Helsinki start is midday in Hyderabad, so we share a full working afternoon.
- Language
- English, the working language of Finnish startups
- Invoices
- In EUR, from our Indian company. For business clients, Finnish reverse-charge VAT rules generally apply; your accountant confirms the treatment. Vero
- Data
- We act as a data processor under a written agreement, as GDPR requires of processors serving EU clients. Founders' work in Founder OS is stored in the EU.
- AI rules
- We track the EU AI Act timeline: obligations for general-purpose AI applied from 2 Aug 2025, general application from 2 Aug 2026, and the Annex III high-risk rules from 2 Dec 2027. We do not give compliance advice. European Commission
India and Finland are working to deepen ties. Business Finland has a market-entry team at the Finland Trade Center in New Delhi, and both governments have made innovation and talent a priority. For non-EU founders, the Finnish Startup Permit is a residence permit route for building a growth company in Finland.
Sources: Business Finland in India · Startup Permit
Offices, funding and Slush.
Do you have an office in Finland?
Not yet. Finland is our growth focus, and we work remotely from Hyderabad for now.
Can you help us win Business Finland or EIC funding?
We help founders build the commercial case and the plan behind it. Funding decisions belong to the funders, and we make no promises about them.
Do you know Slush?
Yes. Most of the value sits in meetings booked in advance through the Meeting Tool and in the side events around the main days. We help founders prepare their story and targets beforehand. Slush 2026 runs on 18–19 November.
How do meetings work across time zones?
Mornings in Finland are afternoons in Hyderabad, so we schedule in your working day.
Figures on this page were last checked on .
Start with the market you have to win first.
A 45-minute call with Dineshwara, scheduled in Helsinki time.