Benefit from our history of tech breakthroughs
6 REASONS FOUNDERS DO R&D
IN HELSINKI
The story of Finland is a story of passionate engineering. Here’s what R&D could look like for you if you joined us in Helsinki:
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You’ll benefit from the established industrial & technological expertise
We’ve been at this for a while. Take these for example—Finland’s commitment to quantum technology began with low-temperature physics in the 1960s.
In the hydrogen sector, Helsinki is at the forefront thanks to years of technical excellence in R&D, specializing in advanced functional materials, chemical synthesis, and energy storage.
And Nokia? Their success in telecommunication is rooted in their history as innovators dating back to 1865.
Hire the exact experts you need: material researchers, quantum experts, or game designers
Here are some simple numbers: Helsinki alone has 1,000+ quantum experts, 53% of the city’s workforce has over a decade of engineering experience, and 26,500 new engineering graduates enter the scene annually. The talent availability in Helsinki was a key factor when Silo AI was acquired by AMD for over €600 million.
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Looking for carbon neutrality (and sneaky tax deductions)? Helsinki’s your place
Our goal for carbon emissions is to reach the state of our typical facial expressions: neutral. Did you know that Finland has the leading position as the most sustainable country, and Helsinki as the #2 most innovative region in Europe?
If you’re interested in helping Helsinki be carbon neutral by 2030 and Finland by 2035, we’ve got some good news for you: RDIs aligning with the green and digital transition get a 150% tax deduction.
Collaboration in Helsinki (and hydrogen)
Despite Finns’ preference for silence and holding a consistent 2-meter distance to each other, we’re actually pretty eager to build things together.
Collaboration is key to scaling up the green hydrogen economy, and there’s no shortage of avenues for collaborative R&D ventures in Helsinki, with organizations like VTT, Hydrogen Research Forum Finland, and Aalto University’s H2 Innovation Center.
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Move to the commercialization phase easily
Support for commercializing your product is found at every street corner in Helsinki. Innovation services, university programs, and research organizations give hands-on advice on taking your solution to the commercial arena. Additionally, various grants and loans, the vibrant startup community, world-class investor connections at Slush, or a presence at startup hubs such as Maria 01, will help your business find its wings.
Join 5,500 other founders at Slush
Not only is Slush the most founder-focused event on Earth, but we also facilitate the largest gathering of venture capital on the planet.
Annually, during the darkest time of year, 13,000 of the most relevant people in startups, VC, and tech flock to Helsinki for 2+1 days hosting 20,000 meetings, 300+ Side Events, company-building advice from unicorn founders, and an event experience described as “Ted Talks meets Tomorrowland”. Something like this is possible only in Helsinki.
Slush 2025 takes place Nov 19–20. Pre-register now.
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Founders to Finland Program connects scale-up founders with key contacts in Helsinki.
The program helps founders build a strong Nordic business network and learn the Helsinki ecosystem inside-out in 7 days. And if you’re not fond of the slushy season, don’t worry—it’s more sunny than slushy in May 2025 when the next program kicks into gear.
