Finland is the European leader in venture capital investments

Did you know that Finland is in the TOP-5 European countries in terms of venture capital investments? According to the FVCA study, the list of 5 countries with the highest level of venture capital investments (in relation to GDP), in addition to Finland, includes Sweden, Ireland, Great Britain, and Switzerland.

In 2018 alone, a total of EUR 479 million was invested in the early stage and growth companies, which is 31% more than in the previous year. Since 2010, the volume of venture capital investments in the country has increased 10 times. At the same time, about 70% of venture capital deals were carried out with companies from the Helsinki region, and the total investment share of these transactions amounted to 80% of all venture capital investments in the country.

An important role in this process is played by the extensive infrastructure of accelerators and business incubators in the capital region - there are more than 30 of them. Here are just a few of them:

🔹KIUAS is one of the leading accelerators in Finland, whose portfolio includes more than 25 programs, more than 250 graduate startups, and more than 70 million euros in investments.

🔹Terkko Health Hub is a community of startups, a coworking space, and an event space with a focus on health and biomedicine.

🔹Helsinki Founder Institute is the representative office of the world's largest startup accelerator for pre-seed companies.

🔹SAMPO is an accelerator for startups at the stage of launch or an actively working prototype.

🔹Aalto University is a specialized institution supporting innovation. The focus is on important social issues and the desire for an innovative future.

🔹Turbiini is an accelerator for early stage startups, the organizers of which help business ideas develop into successful projects and companies.

🔹NewCo Helsinki is a capital business unit that helps new business projects and startups in achieving success, growth and development. It also helps companies to enter international markets.

It is important to note that NewCo Helsinki has become a partner of the Finlanding program, organized by Helsinki Centre in St. Petersburg, and will actively help the finalists of the program in registering and developing business in Finland and Europe. Another partner of the program is the Helsinki Business Hub promotion agency.

You can learn more about Finlanding program and apply at the website.