Slush ♡ Helsinki
Helsinki is the home of Slush since 2008
The City of Helsinki has been part of Slush from the very beginning. For more than a decade, the city’s core organisations Business Helsinki and Helsinki Partners have worked side by side with the community to support the growth of the ecosystem.
Together, this collaboration has been instrumental in establishing Helsinki as a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Nordics and beyond.
Here’s what the City of Helsinki can offer you:
International Startup Founders
- Advisory services and networks
- Support for international expansion
- Soft landing services (support with setting up the business in Finland, applying for proper visa, getting a bank account, etc.)
- Matchmaking & events
International Pre-Seed and Seed Stage Investors
- High quality deal flow services
- Ability to offer networking possibilities with the startup ecosystem such as Maria01
- Close cooperation with international ecosystem actors
- Health Incubator Helsinki: health sector startups seeking for funding, matchmaking, direct intros & events
- Helsinki Education Hub: education startups looking for funding
- Business Helsinki Accelerator:
- Ready investment possibilities: selected funding seeking teams
- Clinics and events with partners such as Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) and Aalto University
International VCs and LPs
- Introductions to Finnish VC and LP networks
- Support for establishing a fund in Finland
- Invitations to exclusive investor networking events and tailored visits in Helsinki
- Venture Nordics - Europe's top investor program: a 7-day immersive program during Slush offering curated introductions, meetings with top Finnish funds and startups, and a complimentary ticket to Slush
International VCs and LPs
- Business intelligence, market research, and advisory services
- Support for entering and expanding in Finland
- Soft-landing services
- Matchmaking and networking
- Recommendations and support for selecting relevant events and conferences
- Customized ecosystem immersion visits to Helsinki
- 90 Day Finn — a residency-style program for scaleups and corporate leaders to explore Helsinki as a base
- 90 Hour Helsinki — an accelerated program for executives and decision-makers to get to know Helsinki’s ecosystem in a concise, high-impact format (exclusive program for Helsinki Partners customers)
Why start, expand or invest in finland?
Business-Friendly Tax Environment
- Lowest Corporate Tax Rate in the Nordics: Corporate income tax will drop to 18% by 2027 (currently 20%) — making it one of the most competitive rates in Europe.
- Loss Deduction Extended to 25 Years: From 2026, companies can carry forward tax losses for 25 years, supporting long-termR&D-heavy growth.
- Tax Reform Favors Fund Structures: New regulation by spring 2026 aims to create internationally attractive PE/VC fund structures, encouraging foreign capital into Finnish funds.
Launchpad for R&D and Deep Tech Innovation
- Generous Public R&D Funding: Business Finland and EU-backed programs offer grants, loans, and co-investments — with up to 50% coverage for innovation projects.
- Access to Top Talent & Research: Home to world-class universities (e.g., Aalto University, University of Helsinki) and strong academia-business collaboration.
- Dual-use and Future Tech Friendly: Finland supports emerging tech, including quantum, defence tech, clean energy, and satellite tech. Example: ICEYE, the SAR satellite leader, launched its tech in Finland and now serves global defence clients.
Stable and Strategic Gateway to the Nordics & EU
- EU Single Market Access + Global Connections: Helsinki offers seamless entry to the EU and EEA — with daily direct flights to Asia, the US, and key European hubs.
- Top-Tier IP Protection & Rule of Law: Finland ranks #1 in the world for judicial independence (WEF), giving investors peace of mind.
Open Innovation & Collaboration Culture
- Public-Private-People Partnership Model: Finland thrives on co-creation. Cities, universities, startups, corporates, and citizens work together. Example: Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) was born in Helsinki through tight cooperation between startups, public transport, and the city.
- Ecosystem Access is Democratized: No ivory towers — in Finland, it’s normal to reach out directly to a CVC director, university researcher, or city official.
Top Performer in Innovation & Impact
- #1 in EU Innovation Scoreboard 2023 and #2 in Global Sustainable Report in 2025.
- Ranked Most Resilient Economy in Europe (2024, FM Global Resilience Index).
Startup & VC Ecosystem with Momentum
- Top VC Returns in Europe: Finnish VC funds consistently outperform the EU average. Example: In 2023, Finland’s top-quartile VC funds showed net IRRs of over 20%.
- Home to Global Game-Changers: From Supercell and Wolt to ICEYE and Aiven — Helsinki Area punches above its weight in unicorns. Example: Supercell's AI Innovation Lab in Helsinki is a sandbox for next-gen gaming and creativity.
- Strong LP Base & Growing Funds: Backed by EIF, Tesi, and Finnish pension funds, local GPs are increasingly active in deep tech, green transition, and industrial innovation.
Liveable, Sustainable, and Just Plain Cool
- World’s Happiest Country (8 years running) and one of the safest, greenest, and most functional societies.
- English as a Working Language: Almost everyone speaks English, and many companies operate fully in English.
Business helsinki
Business Helsinki offers services to Helsinki-based companies, entrepreneurs, employers and international talents.
Helsinki Partners
Helsinki Partners matches investors, business professionals, founders, talents and visitors with possibilities in Helsinki