Finland's startup year peaks in November, when Slush brings 12,000 founders and investors to Helsinki and Junction fills an arena in Espoo. ARCTIC15 in June is the cheap way in, and Oulu, Turku, Jyväskylä and Vaasa run their own pitch days and festivals.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Finland from November 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only).
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Best Startup Events in Finland 2026–2027: Calendar from November 2026 to September 2027
November 2026
Since AI Hackathon, Turku: 6–8 November 2026
Challenges come from companies such as Valmet, Bayer, Elisa and Meyer Turku, and the prize pool is €50,000 in cash. Jason Mayes, Google's Web AI lead, gives the keynote.
FiBAN Pitch Finland with OP, Helsinki: 12 November 2026
FiBAN, the Finnish Business Angels Network, puts three industrial startups and then eight investment-ready startups from its deal flow in front of its angels. FiBAN also runs a Screening Board with Business Espoo on 26 November and free startup clinics in Helsinki (FiBAN events).
Slush Oulu Community Side Event: 12 November 2026
Ten early-stage teams pitch for €1,000, €500 and €300, and the organisers coach first-time pitchers. It is the easiest stage in northern Finland for a first pitch.
Junction, Espoo: 13–15 November 2026
Europe's biggest hackathon brings about 2,000 builders to Espoo for 48 hours, with €100,000 in prizes. For founders it is the best place in Finland to meet technical co-founders and early hires.
Slush, Helsinki: 18–19 November 2026
Slush expects 12,000 founders, investors and media. The Slush 100 winner gets €500,000 with no equity taken. The first speakers include Reid Hoffman, Y Combinator co-founder Jessica Livingston and President Alexander Stubb.
Without a pass, the side events are the way in: Slush counts hundreds across Helsinki (slush.org/side-events). The Maria 01 campus lists free startup meetups on 16–17 November and Venture Night@Slush, a 10-startup pitch on 18 November (Maria 01 events). For bank-facing fintech founders, Fintech Farm's Nordic Banking Forum is on 26 November at Clarion Helsinki (helsinkifintech.fi), and AaltoES runs a student hackathon in Otaniemi on 28 November (aaltoes.com).
December 2026
JYU Venture Capital Pitching Day, Jyväskylä: 11 December 2026
Startups pitch to a VC panel for a prize of at least €5,000, and a separate track is for students who pitch research ideas. Lunch is provided for pitchers and investors.
2027
Polar Bear Pitching, Oulu: 18 February 2027
Founders pitch while standing in an ice hole, and they keep talking only as long as they can stand the cold. Run by BusinessOulu, it is one of the best-known pitch competitions in the Nordics.
EnergyWeek, Vaasa: 15–18 March 2027
Vaasa is home to the Nordics' largest energy cluster, and the 2027 programme adds a data centre theme. A good fit for founders in climate tech and energy.
SHIFT Business Festival, Turku: 27 May 2027
The biggest business festival in south-west Finland, with a matchmaking app and an evening party.
ARCTIC15, Helsinki: 16–17 June 2027
ARCTIC15 is built around one-to-one investor meetings, a startup village and pitch sessions. Its startup ticket is the cheapest serious founder-investor ticket in Finland.
Nordic Business Forum, Helsinki: 22–23 September 2027
About 8,000 people come for leadership talks. The 2027 speakers include Trevor Noah, Jacinda Ardern, Esther Perel and Mark Ritson. It is expensive, so it suits founders who already run a team.
Dates not announced yet
- Slush 2027, Helsinki: held every November; the 2027 date is not published.
- Female Founder Pitching Competition, Helsinki: the fourth edition was held at Helsinki City Hall in November 2025, run with FiBAN. No 2026 edition is listed. luma.com/ffpc
- Women in Tech Forum, Helsinki: the 2026 forum was on 22 October. Expected in autumn 2027. womenintech.fi
- Startup World Cup Tampere (15 October 2026) and Turku Startup Prize (final 16–17 September 2026): both held this autumn; 2027 dates not published.
- HealthBIO, Turku (2–3 September 2026) and Startup Summit Kuopio (18 August 2026): 2027 dates not published.
- Startup Weekend Oulu: last held on 17–19 April 2026; the next one is not announced.
Past events
- Kasvu Open Karnevaali 2026: 28 October 2026 at Paviljonki, Jyväskylä, a growth-company day with free sparring meetings.
Recurring meetups and communities
- FiBAN: weekly online pitch sessions for angels, startup clinics and pitching days. luma.com/fiban
- Maria 01, Helsinki: the startup campus runs several events a month, including co-founder matchmaking. luma.com/maria01
- AaltoES, Espoo: Aalto University's entrepreneurship society runs talks and hackathons in Otaniemi. aaltoes.com
- Business Tampere and Business Turku: pitch events and showcases, mostly in spring and autumn.
- Inactive or quiet: Startup Grind Helsinki lists no upcoming events, no DevFest Helsinki has been found since 2022, and Women Who Code closed in 2024.
Events for women founders in Finland
There are few events in Finland only for women founders, but these are active:
- Slush Female Founder Breakfast: a curated breakfast for women founders on the second day of Slush, 19 November 2026. slush.org
- Women in Tech Finland: a community with a yearly forum in Helsinki (22 October in 2026). womenintech.fi
- Mimmit koodaa: free events for women who want to work in software, online and around Finland. Mimmit koodaa
- Female Founders Suomi: a community for women founders; its site lists no upcoming dates yet. femalefounderssuomi.fi
For money, read our guide to funding for female entrepreneurs and the female entrepreneurship events list. If you organise an event for women founders in Finland, send it to us and we'll add it.
Funding and support to know before you go
- Startup Permit: non-EU founders first get an eligibility statement from Business Finland, then apply for the residence permit. It is issued for up to two years and can be renewed; it doesn't include funding. Startup in Finland
- Company registration: registering a limited company (osakeyhtiö) costs €400, or €300 with the guided online service in YTJ. PRH fees
- Corporate income tax: 20% on the profits of limited companies. Finnish Tax Administration
- Business Finland Sprint grant: up to €100,000, covering 75% of a project's costs, for startups under five years old that haven't had Business Finland funding before (older companies can apply for a significant business change). The older Tempo funding is closed. Business Finland Compare other countries in our guide to startup visas in Europe.
How to get the most out of Finland startup events
- Plan your Slush week early. The startup and investor passes are sold out for 2026, so register for side events and Day 0 meetups now.
- Watch for the next Junction call. Applications for the free 2026 hackathon closed on 25 October; it is still the best place in Finland to find technical co-founders.
- Pitch outside Helsinki. Oulu, Jyväskylä and Turku give early-stage teams a stage, prize money and less competition.
- Buy ARCTIC15 tickets early. The €49 startup ticket needs the SiRA assessment and a business ID.
- Combine it with a trip nearby. Tallinn is two hours away by ferry. See our guides to startup events in Estonia and Sweden, the Stockholm city guide and our guide to startup events in Europe.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Finland? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
Startup events in other countries
FAQ
What is the biggest startup event in Finland?
Slush in Helsinki, on 18–19 November 2026 at Messukeskus, with about 12,000 founders, investors and media. ARCTIC15 (16–17 June 2027) is the second big founder-investor event.
When is Slush 2026?
18–19 November 2026, with Day 0 on 17 November. The 2026 startup and investor passes are sold out; Slush 2027 dates are not published yet.
Are there free startup events in Finland?
Yes. Junction (13–15 November), the Since AI Hackathon in Turku (6–8 November), FiBAN Pitch Finland (12 November) and EnergyWeek in Vaasa (for professionals) are free.
Are there events for women founders in Finland?
Yes: the Slush Female Founder Breakfast on 19 November 2026, Women in Tech Finland's yearly forum, free Mimmit koodaa events and Female Founders Suomi. The Female Founder Pitching Competition in Helsinki has no 2026 date yet.
Where can I pitch my startup in Finland?
At Slush 100, Polar Bear Pitching in Oulu (18 February 2027), the Slush Oulu side event (12 November), the JYU Venture Capital Pitching Day (11 December) and FiBAN's pitching days.
Can foreign founders start a company in Finland?
Yes. Non-EU founders can apply for the Startup Permit after a positive statement from Business Finland, and registering a limited company costs €300–€400. Read more in our guide to startup visas in Europe.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
