views magazine 2016

Tekes Magazine 2016

PAGES 6–10

PAGES 30–33

resource smart

Startups rewrite health tech

Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation

Finland got

gamePAGES 12-19

How to live

2 TEKES VIEWS MAGAZINE 2016

02 index

Magazine 2016

Editor: Eeva LandowskiEditorial assistant: Susanna LehtoWriters: David J. Cord, James O’Sullivan, Sue WelinPhotographer: Markus SommersEditorial Board: Ulla Hiekkanen-Mäkelä, Mari Isbom, Mirja Kaarlela, Minh Lam, Eero Lukin, Kaj Nordgren, Tuula Savola

Layout: Mainostoimisto Cake Oy, Kari Lehkonen

Printed : Erweko OyCover photograph: Markus SommersISSN: 1798-9876Circulation: 10,000 Publisher: Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. www.tekes.fiSubscriptions: [email protected]: www.tekes.fi/views

The future looks smart“Creating an innovative society in which people live comfortably with zero emissions represents a gold mine of opportunities,” says Maria Ritola, co-founder of a Finnish Clentech accelerator.

We got gameThe remarkable growth of the Finnish games industry is the culmination of two decades of development.

Startups rewrite health technologiesGE’s Health Innovation Village in Helsinki fosters collaboration to revolutionise health tech.

Editorial ............................................03

In the spotlight ..............................04

Five resource smart startups to watch ......................................... 10

Column: Jukka Häyrynen: Fun, games and serious business ....... 11

Alphasense revolutionises search for financial data ............. 20

Young Innovative Companies ..................................... 23

Co-creating solutions that work ........................................ 24

Solving environmental problems around the world ........ 28

6 apps for the happy and healthy .................................. 34

Column: Ilona Lundström: Smoothing the parth from science to business ........................35

Tekes: Key figures 2015 ................36

Tekes funding and services ....................................37

Contact info ......................................38

12-19

30-33

6-9

www.tekes.fi

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.tekes.fi/views

TEKES VIEWS MAGAZINE 2016 3


T he innovation environment in Finland is worth getting acquainted with. The country has been ranked on top of the world in innovation, higher education and ICT. The

investments in R&D as well as the share of R&D personnel are high, and the collaboration between companies and research is a common way of working.

Active dialogue involves business, academia and public sector. Smooth and efficient collaboration and networks are also excellent starting points for ecosystems and new openings. Finland can offer vital ecosystems in bioeconomy, circular economy, energy tech-nology, smart mobility and eHealth. For example GE Healthcare decided to focus its global wireless patient monitoring develop-ment in Finland due to the digital health ecosystem and know-how available here.

Tekes is at its best in the dawn, when there is an idea to initiate and grow totally new innovative businesses. The game industry is a good example. Tekes started to boost game startups ten years ago

editorial 03

and today their businesses are flourishing, the worldwide known Supercell as the brightest star.

A recent action is to build up 5G Test Network Finland. Glob-al giants Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei are working together with Finnish SMEs and research groups to generate the best and most appealing 5G test network environment and ecosystem.

It’s said that Finland is the coolest startup hub in the world. One indication of that is Slush, the annual key event for investors and startups. Last year it gathered 14,000 participants to share visions and business opportunities of future technologies.

You are welcome to discover Finland and the opportunities we can offer you to help you grow your business and network.

Pekka SoiniDirector General, Tekes

PHOTO: MARKUS SOMMERS

Join the journey of

innovation


04

In th

e sp

otlig

ht

Men’s fashion startup Formal Friday’s innovative virtual fitting room makes online shopping a breeze. Just select the body type in the shop that most represent you, select the garment you are interested in, and then see how it looks. Set up by five Finnish guys, with diverse skills, Formal Friday provides functional and durable men’s clothing. The biggest contributor to garment quality and usability is the use of Merino Wool. This natural fibre manages moisture well, maintaining the right balance between body temperature and the external environment – a perfect fit.

formalfridayclothing.com

Find the right size in a virtual fitting room

PHO

TO: F

ORM

AL

FRID

AY

http://formalfridayclothing.com


Noise in open plan offices can lower productivity by up to 10 per-cent. The solution is the Framery O phone booth which provides a work space free from interrup-tions. These stylish booths are a great solution to open plan offic-es, where noise can be disruptive. Placing booths in the middle of work areas can help solve the common problem of noisy work environments. The booths come ready to use and include a table top, air ventilation system, electric socket and lighting.

Phone booth brings peace to offices

frameryacoustics.com

runteq.com

Many runners run with poor technique and overuse injuries are a significant problem. Good running skills and correct biomechanics are the best guarantee for the prevention of injuries, more so than the role of running shoes. The Zoi is a revolutionary product that analyses running technique and performance. It guides the runner to improve their technique with personalised exercises. Zoi measures movement and follows your progress to give useful information. It’s your personal running lab that measures heel-strike, stride length, balance and bounce to name a few.

Once you understand your dog’s point of view it’s much easier to train them. With that attitude in mind, a group of

passionate dog lovers, coaches and innovators founded OneMind Dog three

years ago. Their training methodology is based on dogs’ natural behaviour and communication via non-verbal

commands. Now dog enthusiasts around the world can train their dogs

with the help of OneMind Dogs’ easy-to-follow education material online.

Bttn is the simplest internet user interface in the world. It’s a connected, physical push button that lets you send messages, control other connected devices, order food or services, trigger business processes and do many other things, only limited by your imagination. It helps you turn any business into a true on-demand service.

Better running technique

Bttn A connected push button

http://bt.tn/

Connect with your dog

oneminddogs.com

http://frameryacoustics.com

http://runteq.com

http://bt.tn

http://oneminddogs.com


06 insight interviewTEXT: JAMES O’SULLIVAN PHOTOS: MARKUS SOMMERS

A resource smart economy represents an innovative path of opportunities ahead.

THEFUTURE LOOKSSMART

Looking back over the past decade, the most influential de-velopment on a global scale, hands-down, has been the way in which people communicate in the digital age. Now, take a moment to think what might change in the upcoming decade. How will our lifestyles be different?

“Scarcity of resources will be a game changer,” explains Maria Ritola, co-founder of a Finnish Cleantech accelerator Peloton Club and the head of the Resource Smart Economy research area at think tank Demos Helsinki.

Ritola insists we are living in an era akin to the late ‘70s, just before the computer gained a foothold in homes around the world. Back then, who could have predicted the immense impact of IT on people’s lives? Now, with depleting resources and climate change, the impact will be even greater.


“SCARCITY OF RESOURCES WILL BE A GAME CHANGER.”

“Creating an innovative society in which people live comfortably with zero emissions represents a goldmine of opportunities,” says Maria Ritola, co-founder of a Finnish Cleantech accelerator.


“Change is already here,” Ritola out-lines. “If you look at headlines from Google, Uber, Facebook or Tesla, more and more of them are linked with how we leverage our natural resources in smarter ways.”

Fearless approach

Seated in a conference room at Demos Helsinki, one can’t help but notice that the wooden surface in its centre isn’t a tabletop in the traditional sense, moreover a door lying on its back reimagined for a differ-ent purpose. This is symbolic of the think tank’s approach: refreshing the way things are done, in an environmentally sound manner.

Demos Helsinki first realised the abundance of smart business opportu-nities in tech and the sharing economy back in 2009. With only a small number of companies tapping into them at the time, they decided to take the lead and began organising innovation camps. These brought together an increasing number of likeminded businesses, users and mentors, creating a snowballing success that quickly spread around Finland, and then to neigh-bouring Stockholm and Oslo.

Amidst this growing wave of enthusi-asm, Ritola, together with some colleagues at Demos Helsinki, founded its startup accelerator Peloton Club in 2013.

“In Finnish, peloton means fearless,” Ritola explains. “But also in French it means when a group of cyclists cycle to-gether they save 40 per cent of their energy. In that sense Peloton Club symbolises the value of doing things together and building things. We really believe that when you create an ecosystem of different people, bring them together, something amazing can happen.”

Many Finnish startups are starting to make waves in the resource smart economy. Ritola points to companies such as There, which provides energy efficient solutions in the home and Enevo’s innovative solution for waste management that communicates with dumpsters and collector trucks. Meanwhile, the rapidly expanding PiggyBaggy helps turn anyone moving from point A to point B into a courier and Tuup smartly streamlines one’s mobility information into the one place.

HIGH QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE MAKES FINNISH URBAN AREAS GOOD TESTING PLATFORMS FOR SMART SOLUTIONS.

Ambitious goals drive innovative business models

“Helsinki was among the first cities that said it wants to be a city without cars. These types of ambitious goals are vital when it comes to achieving a carbon neu-tral society with the help of new innovative business models in the upcoming decades,” Maria Ritola says.

Our current reliance on natural resources to fuel our lifestyle is mind-bog-gling. In fact, an individual’s top three living expenses spent on housing, food and mobility currently represents more than 70 per cent of their energy consumption.

“Creating an innovative society in which people live comfortably with zero emissions represents a goldmine of oppor-tunities,” she says.

Finnish city officials and big corpora-tions have actively helped to facilitate nu-merous pilots in urban spaces. In Helsinki for example, projects such as Smart Retro bring together city officials, vendors, ar-chitects and construction companies – the ‘gatekeepers’ of the building environment.

“The ‘retro’ in this case refers to the old building environment, built between the ‘50s and ‘70s,” Ritola explains.

“This infrastructure is consuming a lot of energy and the big question is how we can refurbish and renovate it with smart solutions; how to make buildings work more sustainably, but also make these urban areas nicer to live in and more attractive.”

According to Ritola, there are three key advantages that have helped Finns to get a head-start when it comes to building smart businesses:


“We really believe that when you create an ecosystem of different actors, bring them together, something amazing can happen, “ says Maria Ritola from a Finnish think tank Demos Helsinki.

“One is the high quality of our infra-structure, which makes our buildings and urban areas good testing platforms for smart solutions. Second is our top-notch expertise in cleantech that has been rec-ognised in several global surveys. Thirdly is the startup culture that is quickly taking off and challenging existing ways of doing business.”

As for what lies ahead, and the space that’s waiting to be filled with sustainable solutions, the facts speak for themselves: by 2020, the smart building industry is tipped to be worth 150 billion US dollars, smart energy 250 billion and smart transporta-tion 136 billion. Meanwhile, forthcoming years will see the global sharing economy market grow into a 110 billion US dollar industry.

This growth will not be the luxury of a few, Ritola emphasises. Smart living, mo-bility and energy are set to be the default options for everyone.

“There will be a lot of room for new businesses to make things change in these domains,” she states. “This is not just be-cause they require a lot of natural resourc-es, but also because people will spend huge amounts of money on them.”

She pauses for a moment.“We will definitely work out how to

live a good life without wasting natural resources.” ■

“WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK OUT HOW TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE WITHOUT WASTING NATURAL RESOURCES.”


Tuup Brings together all of your mobility services to the one place, without the need for ten different apps. Integrates with your calendar to synch with your daily rhythm, bringing together options for public transportation, taxis, shared car services, bicycling and your own car. It also allows you to pay for everything from your mobile device.

10 startupsTEXT: JAMES O’SULLIVAN PHOTOS: ENEVO, TUUP, VENUU, THERE, PIGGYBAGGY

Five resource smart startups to watchMany Finnish startups are starting to make waves in the resource smart economy.

ThereA turnkey solution for energy management and optimisation in the home that is attractive, easy and affordable. With everything accessible from the one place, users can save up to 40 per cent of their energy costs.

VenuuAn ‘Airbnb for events’ that shares event spaces and optimises different spaces that are not used as often as they could. Their focus is on events, conferences and weddings. You can find a unique place through them, which you might not find if you were looking by yourself.

Enevo A smart waste collection system that automates the planning of waste collection and optimizes travel routes. The smart bin, equipped with a wireless sensor, informs when it needs to be emptied, and the system can forecast when bins become full to optimize collection, taking into account constraints and costs. The company has been growing quickly and gaining ground in the US market.

A peer-to-peer package delivery system. Whenever you go somewhere you can check whether you can deliver a package for someone at the same time. It is something that Uber and others are trying to incorporate.

PiggyBaggy


Small and medium-sized companies are one of the cornerstones of Finnish economy, but we need more international business

experience, courage, enthusiasm and mid size stars. Young growth companies play a key role in creating new jobs and new skills now and in the future.

Startups are not just fun and games. They bring fresh ideas and challenge cor-porations to re-invent themselves by role models of flexible, risk-taking, opportunity seeking and growing business operations. The most successful startups will quickly grow into expansion phase.

The US startup guru Steve Blank defines a startup as “... a temporary orga-nization used to search for a repeatable and scalable business model.” In Finland, a startup is usually defined as a company less than six years old and aiming for the

global market with scalable products. All startups take high risks and some

of them fail inevitably. Our job at Tekes is to share this risk and support the best startup teams to reach excellence and growth. We aim to help teams to cut three years from the first six and thus reach their international market faster than the competitors.

In 2015, Tekes evaluated some 2,500 funding applications submitted by compa-nies, roughly half of them by companies less than 6 years old, and about 36 per cent of Tekes research and development funding went to startups – in total €134million.

These figures show well how the importance of startups has increased in the Finnish innovation field, as just a few years ago startup funding by Tekes accounted for only a fraction of what it is today.

Behind all of this are of course tal-ented, fearless and hard-working people

forming the rapidly evolving Finnish startup community. Many of these experts have made enviable careers in corporations but have made the brave decisions to jump out from the box and work in a startup. Next November you will have an excellent opportunity get to know them better in Helsinki at Slush 2016, one of the world’s largest startup and investor event. See you there! ■

Fun, games and serious business

Jukka HäyrynenExecutive Director responsible for Tekes funding and services for startup companies

column 11PHOTO: EEVA ANUNDI


12 gamesTEXT: JAMES O’SULLIVAN PHOTOS: MARKUS SOMMERS

Timeline of the Finnish Game Scene1980’s Home computers and game development as a hobby becomes popular.

1986 First globally distributed commercial Finnish game Sanxion.

1995 First and still existing Finnish game companies are founded.

1995 Tekes starts funding game companies’ technology development.

1992 Assembly demo parties start.


GAMEWe got

The remarkable growth of the Finnish games industry in recent years is the culmination of two decades of development.

The rise of game development in Finland has been nothing less than stratospheric. In the past five years, the twin successes

of Supercell and Rovio have helped propel growth from a 100 million-euro industry to two billion.

Yet, some 20 years ago when the in-dustry first took root, such success was the

furthest thing from the minds of the game developers.

Let the games begin

The Finnish economy in the early 1990s was taking tentative steps towards recovery after a severe recession had ravaged the country. For university student and bud-ding entrepreneur Ilari Kuittinen, this was a time of opportunity.

Fuelled by a shared enthusiasm for computer games, a local grassroots demo scene had begun tinkering with its col-lective creativity. Little by little members of this hobbyist movement began turning professional, as their technical knowhow increased exponentially.

“Back then there were 20-30 guys somewhat loosely connected with games in Finland,” Kuittinen recalls, who together with Harri Tikkanen founded House-marque, Finland’s longest running games development companies, in 1995.

“Basically it was games studio Remedy and us. Now, 20 years later you have 100 times as many people, and the leading mobile games developer in the world is from here. The world of the videogame industry has been moving so fast. It’s been a rollercoaster ride.”

Games development took an upward swing in the late ‘90s, a time when House-marque’s PC game Supreme Snowboarding racked up global sales of €1.5 million. Fin-land enjoyed its first flush of venture capital,

IMA

GE:

SU

PERC

ELL


with the industry’s ranks quickly swelling in number.

At the same time, Internet connec-tions switched from dial-up to Ethernet and a huge buzz surrounded mobile possi-bilities. The dot.com bubble swiftly began to inflate as many braced themselves for a saturation of mobile games.

However, as history would show, the party was over not long after it began.

“There are a lot of factors why the mobile revolution didn’t happen in the early 2000s: networks and infrastructural things,” Kuittinen states, adding, “mobile phones didn’t develop as fast as was anticipated.”

Licking its wounds, the gaming in-dustry returned to its main focus: PC and console games.

Distribution with ease

Although mobile games had failed to ignite, the local development scene in Finland was far from dormant. The arrival of game studio Remedy’s Max Payne video game dropped a global bombshell when it landed on shelves in 2001, selling 4 million units globally.

By the time the franchise’s second instalment arrived in 2003, the industry was awakening to the possibilities of digital downloads as a cost effective mode of distribution.

This enabled developers to narrow their focus and create smaller titles.

A handful of years later and the arrival of the iPhone and the App Store then opened the floodgates. For the overwhelm-ingly export-focussed Finnish industry, games developers could now easily reach an audience of millions worldwide.

Apple’s touchscreen phenomenon im-pacted directly on the fortunes of Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia. Many of the highly skilled tech experts the company had cultivated were forced to harness their mobile development expertise elsewhere. Startups began emerging around the country. One such venture, Rovio Enter-tainment, took their smartphone-geared gaming experience to unprecedented levels when Angry Birds was released in late 2009.

And, when Supercell fine-tuned its micro transactions business model for free-to-play tablet gaming with Hay Day and Clash of Clans in 2012, the results were mind-boggling. In 2013 Japanese games giant Gung Ho/Softbank acquired 51 per cent of the company for 1.5 billion US dollars.

Funding games

The steamrolling success of Supercell and Rovio benefited the Finnish startup scene as a whole, creating interest from abroad in the innovation possibilities here. This boost was acutely felt in the games industry. In fact, over 70 per cent of the 280 local

1996 Remedy releases Death Rally.

1997 Nokia introduces “a worm game” in its 6110 mobile phone.

1999 Housemarque’s Supreme snowboarding becomes a first Finnish video game selling over 1 million copies.

http://dot.com


“The world of the videogame industry has been moving so fast. Basically it was games studio Remedy and us. Now, 20 years later you have hundred times as many people, and the leading mobile games developer in the world is from here,” says Ilari Kuittinen, CEO of Housemarque.

2000 Dot.com & mobile hype: gaming industry employes 200 people in Finland.

2000 Online community Habbo Hotel

2004 First big mobile game studio acquisitions: Sumea sold to Digital Chocolate.

2001 Remedy releases Max Payne.

http://Dot.com


2011First big international investments to Finnish game companies.

2007Apple releases iPhone and App Store.

2008 Game industry employs 1 147 people in Finland.

2009 Angry Birds becomes the AppStore’s most popular game.

“FINNISH DEVELOPERS SHARE THEIR IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES. PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO HELP OTHERS OUT,” SAYS MARIINA HALLIKAINEN, CEO OF COLOSSAL ORDER.


games studios operating today are less than five years old.

“The kind of success we have seen in recent years feeds success,” explains Ma-riina Hallikainen, CEO of 2015’s Finnish Game Developer Award-winning studio Colossal Order, whose most recent PC game Cities: Skylines is tipped to reach two million in sales this year.

“Money attracts money. When inves-tors notice that there are these big things happening in Finland they become inter-ested, and then there’s more opportunity.”

The Finnish game industry has duly become an attractive investment target for foreign studios. The past couple of years alone have seen nearly 90 million euros of private investor money from abroad boost-ing the industry. This is without taking into account the dizzying figure surrounding the acquisition of Supercell.

Tekes has helped facilitate the flow of capital, providing some 30 million euros in funding through its Skene – Games Refueled programme from 2012-2015. This financing has given the industry a compet-itive edge against big international studios by building momentum for many young studios during the early stages of their development. Thus, by the time they seek bigger funding rounds, many of the typical pitfalls associated with startup growth have already been worked out.

2012 Tekes starts its game business development programme Skene – Games Refueled.

2013 Japanese SoftBank and GungHo acquire 51 % of Supercell shares for 1.1 billion euros.

2015 Finnish game industry grows into a two billion euro business.

2012 Supercell’s HayDay & Clash of Clans – one the world’s most profitable mobile games.

The growth of the Finnish games in-dustry is not forecast to slow down either. The industry has begun showing signs of maturity, with an emerging ‘second round’ startup culture lead by the likes of games studio Next Games. Recently receiving accolades for The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land, the studio was founded by design veterans from Rovio and Supercell.

Games of the future

The number of employees in games devel-opment is set to expand from its current total of 2,500, with the vibrant Finnish startup culture attracting talent from all over the world.

“We need to continue getting the best developers here,” Mariina Hallikainen emphasises.

Meanwhile, over 20 institutions currently provide game education at all levels around Finland. Coupled with a willingness to embrace new development tools and technologies, this solid knowl-edge base is set to further capitalise on the financial boost the industry is enjoying thanks to the help of Tekes.

“If you think about the massive success we have had in recent years, these investments have really paid off,” Hallikain-en states. ■


One constant has remained during the growth of the Finnish games industry over the past 20 years: its collaborative culture.

“We don’t see each other as competition, as they do in other industries,” explains Mariina Hallikainen, CEO of Colossal Or-der. “Finnish developers share their ideas and experiences. People are willing to help others out. There’s a sense of pride when people are telling their story, they love to give advice.”

Hallikainen first encountered this as a 23-year-old, when she sought guidance for the fledging company she had just co-founded in 2009.

“I visited all of the big companies and talked to CEOs, producers and game designers,” she recalls. “Everybody was super happy to tell me their war stories.”

Helsinki’s monthly IGDA (Interna-tional Game Developers Association) meet-up was a focal point for Colossal Order and many other Finnish studios. Here a mix of everyone in the industry, from top brass to artists, gathers in a relaxed environment to socialise and com-pare notes.

“That was very, very important to the beginning of our success,” Hallikainen states. “We went there with our game design documents for [debut title] Cities in Design; we just asked designers what they thought.”

The IGDA event has since expanded to many other cities around the country. The local demo scene too has evolved from its humble beginnings, with their annual Assembly meet filling Finland’s biggest ice hockey arena over the years. This has spilled over to the grow-ing Finnish Game Jams culture, bringing developers together for a few weekends a year nationwide.

Along with the support of industry organisations and networks such as Neogames Finland and the Finnish game developer studios association (Suomen Pelinkehittäjät), new talent continues to be nurtured around the country.

Even in light of the recent boom, the industry’s door remains open. The only thing that has changed is the growing amount of experiences being shared amongst its members. ■

DEVELOPING A SHARED EXPERIENCE

neogames.fi

tekes.fi/en/skene

More about the Finnish game industry

Neogames, Hub of the Finnish game industry

Tekes funding for game business development

IMA

GE:

SM

ALL

GIA

NT

GA

MES

IMA

GE:

SER

IOU

SLY

http://neogames.fi

http://tekes.fi/en/skene


FROM GREAT COMPANIES

SMALL GIANT GAMESWith the catchcry ”Fly like never before” Oddwings Escape will keep you in the air. You’ll soar through beautiful islands to rescue the Oddwings from the clutches of the evil Dr Rooster. And there will be plenty of challenges on the way. Frankie is the first to escape from the Dr Rooster’s laboratory, where he has animals captured and is planning to conduct experiments on them so he can learn to fly himself. Help Frankie rescue the others.

EVERYWEAR GAMESStopping the ancient evil threatening your world is the challenge. Sharpen your blade, prepare your spells and secure your armour to fight the rising darkness. Runeblade - Twitter-sized entertainment designed for glance-based gameplay – is a fantasy adventure game for the Apple Watch. There’s hordes of mythological monster and bosses, enchanted runes, spells, magical artefacts and more. Gear up your War Mage to face the ultimate evil at the Forgotten Halls.

DODREAMSThe first to five points wins so start your engine. Drive Ahead in gladiator arenas with off-road cars, garbage trucks and F1 racing cars – each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Watch your head though – this two-player racing battle will be out to lose it. Knock your opponent in the head to score points. Learn to master different tracks and vehicles in daily racing missions. The only way to survive is to attack.

10TONSThe classic hard cult shooter is back. First released in 2003 and now remastered, Crimsonland, a top-down dual stick arena shooter with role-playing game elements. You must complete 60 increasingly challenging missions full of zombies, giant spiders, lizardmen and more to unlock 30 weapons and 55 perks. Can you survive the onslaught?

CUCKOO WORKOUTGet coconuts, buy diamonds and give out donuts in a virtual world to help you stay active at work. Cuckoo Workout is designed to provide rewarding activity breaks for office workers. This easy to use gamified service will remind workers to move, get active and thus feel better. You can create teams and challenge each other to achieve healthy goals – all in a minimum of three, three-minute challenges a day.

TUNNEL GROUNDCrush your enemies with a variety of weapons and choose a mech that suits your gameplay to survive on the unforgiving battlegrounds deep underground. Void of Heroes will have you fighting battles as you make your way to the surface of the world. On the journey you will find and unlock more vehicles, meet new characters and gain access to increasingly more powerful weaponry, skills, mechs and other resources. Buy the comic, get additional features and play the game for a complete experience.

MINDFIELD GAMESBe sent to Titan, the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere and vast liquid seas. Join four others at the research station and continue their work with an unknown object, discovered below Titan’s crust. Pollen puts you inside the space suit and helmet in a fully interactive world where each object has functionality and action. Each step forward leads to new discoveries – to be released this year Pollen will be Finland’s first game for Oculus Rift virtual reality glasses.

RIVAL GAMESInvestigate criminal activity, go to murder scenes, arrest suspects and interrogate them. All the while navigating the pitfalls of an underworld where every choice has consequences. The Detail is an episode-based title and promises to raise the bar for dramatic interactive narrative gameplay. This noir style game pulls no punches when it comes to the dark and nasty criminal underworld.

SERIOUSLYThe night the meteor struck Mount Bloom changed everything for those living in Minutia. The slugs living there are now taking over the world – these greedy, greenery-gobbling pests are devouring everything in their path. Best fiends are all that’s left. These little guys need to rally together to unlock awesome new powers that will help them build a team capable of taking down the Slug Army. Enjoy on your mobile device or Apple Watch.

NEXT GAMES PARTNERING WITH AMCAction packed strategy game The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land will have you experiencing the iconic TV series with its spine-chilling moments as you have to survive in a hostile, post-apocalyptic world. You’ll need to take down zombies, survive missions and save other survivors. Choose the best survival strategy and make the right tactical choice to build your survival refuge, to remain alive in this hand-to-hand combat fight for survival.

GREAT GAMES

IMA

GE:

SM

ALL

GIA

NT

GA

MES

IMA

GE:

SER

IOU

SLY


All the information in the world seems to be at your fingertips. Do you want to know the average annual rainfall in Ecuador? Which Roman general defeated Carthage? All you have to do is to use an internet search engine. But for some specialised information – like financial data – the old methods don’t work. One Finnish company realised this was a serious problem as well as a

significant opportunity.“I started my career as a junior investment banker and experienced how difficult and

painful it was to find information,” says Jaakko Kokko, CEO of AlphaSense. “I spent nights and days looking through big piles of SEC filings, research reports or news headlines. Amaz-ingly there was no ‘Google’ for this. The opportunity for AlphaSense was very clear in building an intelligent search engine to help people quickly get to the information they need.”

20 startupsTEXT: DAVID J. CORD PHOTO: LIISA JOKINEN

ALPHASENSE REVOLUTIONISES SEARCH FOR FINANCIAL DATAFinnish company has brought intelligent search to the financial services industry.


“Tekes was willing to take very early stage risk on something that back then was barely a business plan. What Tekes can do at its best is to take calculated risks in times when investors might be overly risk-averse,” says Jaakko Kokko, CEO of Alphasense.


AlphaSense was founded in 2008, a difficult period for any young company in the financial services industry. Thirteen days after the firm was registered the Dow Jones index fell 7 per cent due to fears over the American bank bailout plan. The financial industry was in turmoil.

“We got our initial funding from Tekes at the tail-end of the 2008 financial crisis, when many VCs would have shied away from a company selling to the financial ser-vices market,” Kokko continues. “Of course that market later came back in a big way, which has helped us to grow rapidly.”

Intelligent search

The financial crisis caused many invest-ment firms to tighten their belts, but AlphaSense had a product which they des-perately needed. In 2010 they launched an intelligent search engine for financial data.

“Our key focus and differentiation is in our intelligent search capabilities,” Kokko says. “Users can just type in search keywords and we find all references to the same concept across millions of docu-ments.”

They use advanced linguistic search and nature language processing algo-rithms to search by topics, concepts and ideas, which is a much more sophisticated method than basic keyword searches. This means the system understands the concept and not just the words a person is searching for.

“Let’s say you are looking for ‘order growth in China’ for a company or indus-try,” Kokko explains. “We’ll find those exact keywords, but we’ll also find references to ‘increased bookings in Shenzhen’ and thousands of other potential synonyms for that concept.”

Their database includes filings with regulators, call and conference transcripts, annual and interim reports, news, press re-leases and investor relations presentations.

AlphaSense clients can also contribute.“We let users upload their own con-

tent,” says Kokko. “They can also annotate, share and collaborate – all in one seamless-ly integrated system.”

Room to expand

The past years have been good for the company. They have received numerous awards for their financial technology and were named to the Red Herring Top 100. AlphaSense was also ranked as one of the fastest growing private corporations in America. Kokko says that the company is expanding in their core segments as well as in new markets.

“The majority of our clients are in the United States, where we first started marketing our service,” he says. “Europe is starting to become significant as well, and we are already thinking about expanding into Asia.”

AlphaSense focused on the financial services industry because it was one which Kokko knew well. Yet from the beginning they knew they had the capability to serve knowledge professionals across many other markets. They have already begun to market their product to large American corporations who use it for investor rela-tions, competitive intelligence and market research.

“There are many other verticals that we’ll be expanding our service to over time,” Kokko predicts. “With a billion knowledge workers in the world, our prod-uct can ultimately help millions of them to get their work done more efficiently, collaboratively and with higher quality results.”

Heart in Finland

While most of their clients are in Ameri-ca, AlphaSense’s technology is developed in Finland. They have twenty engineers

in their Helsinki office, many with PhDs. They are experts in cloud technology, search technology, nature language pro-cessing and machine learning, as well as mobile development.

“The team is growing rapidly to ac-commodate client demand for added func-tionality to our platform,” says Kokko. “We are constantly looking for great software developers for our Helsinki office.”

AlphaSense has worked with Tekes almost from the beginning. They were recently named as champions in the Young Innovative Companies programme. Among other criteria, to qualify for the YIC programme a company must have a good management team, clear plan to grow quickly in international markets and a competitive edge. Funding is provided in stages as goals are met.

“Funding from Tekes was really valuable, especially in our early years,” says Kokko. “It allowed us to build our technology and product without being distracted or diluted by VC funding. Tekes was willing to take very early stage risk on something that back then was barely a business plan. What Tekes can do at its best is to take calculated risks in times when investors might be overly risk-averse.”

AlphaSense has taken the risk and are now enjoying the rewards. The life of an entrepreneur is filled with peaks and valleys, but Kokko loves what he does.

“I can’t imagine a more fun job than being a startup CEO and building a product that I’m passionate about, and every day helping customers that really love our product,” Kokko concludes. “I get to wake up every morning thinking about new ideas to enhance our product or new opportunities to go after. And I get to build and work with a fantastic team every day, where everyone is committed and working towards the same goal.” ■


startups 23

Young InnovativeCompanies With the Young Innovative Company funding Tekes intends to accelerate

the global growth of the most amibitious, rapidly growing startup companies in Finland. The funding is granted in stages and the startups which complete the programme will get a YIC Champion title. In 2015, there were ten new YIC Champions.

See the complete list of startups participating in the programme

GPS signals may be useless indoors, but IndoorAtlas has developed a system using smartphone sensors and geomagnetic variations so you can find your way in indoor environments

AlphaSense has created a financial search engine using linguistic search algorithms. This allows their clients to find the necessary data and themes within seconds.

Employee and customer satisfaction is improved with HappyOrNot. The company analyses feedback gathered through a simple smiley system.

ZenRobotics creates robots to recycle waste. Artificial intelligence guides the robots to pick and sort valuable raw material.

Small businesses can track time for customer projects, send invoices online and do their accounting with Zervant’s solutions.

Enevo specialises in waste collection for smart cities. They use wireless sensors in a comprehensive logistics solution to save time, money and the environment.

‘Know your customer’ is the golden rule. Nosto analyses customer behaviour to deliver automated, personalised recommendations so happy consumers buy more.

Verto Analytics uses a holistic view of the digital landscape to give accurate, reliable metrics about how people use multiple devices and access content.

MediSapiens provides solutions and technology for biological research and the biotech industry.

Trademark Now has created a unique trademark management platform which uses artificial intelligence. It allows companies to search and monitor trademarks.

CH

AM

PIO

NS

20

15

®

www.tekes.fi/startups

http://www.tekes.fi/startups


24 new globalTEXT: SUE WELIN PHOTOS: MARKUS SOMMERS

Aalto University students Arturs Arsins (left), Meri Nihtilä, Jymy Parhiala and Emma-Sofie Kukkonen are part of the team that designed an innovative water filter for developing markets.


A technology that works in the North might not be relevant in the South. Aalto University’s research team wants to find ways to create functional products for people living in developing countries.

CO-CREATING SOLUTIONS THAT WORK


Aalto University’s New Global Research and Innovation project, in collaboration with Finnish companies is looking

at innovative ways to provide solutions that would address some of the basic needs, such as clean water, energy, housing and waste management in developing coun-tries.

To find a solution that will work, it is essential to include the local communities as equal partners:

“Resource scarce innovation is chal-lenging and creativity is needed to find a solution that is widely acceptable to their culture and the way of life. We work to-gether with companies, social enterprises, authorities, local universities, and NGOs,” explains Sara Lindeman, project manager for the New Global Research project.

According to Lindeman the kind of innovation that works in developing countries’ resource constrained environ-ments can be exemplified in two ways:

“resource smart solutions” that aim to do more with existing resources such as mobile banking on simple phones or “re-source scarce innovations”, such as renew-able energy, providing smart, distributed solutions that are able to overcome lacks in infrastructure.

Working together with companies

The New Global Research project is currently running innovation case studies in East Africa, India and Latin America involving Finnish companies and technol-ogies and local experts in these countries. Aalto University’s researchers take an active role to facilitate the co-creation to jointly solve complex problems.

According to Sara Lindeman, the optimal Finnish companies to work with are those who have a strategic interest in emerging markets and willingness to devel-op new solutions to issues that are urgent today or in the near future.

“Attitude is also important as experi-mental, piloting and ongoing development of the solution is required,” Lindeman says.

The aim is to find ways of doing business together in developing countries, but the aim is also at reducing poverty and improving the well-being of the local people, as well as contribute to sustainable development. ■

As part of the New Global project, a group of students from the Aalto University have come up with a water filter especial-ly designed for developing markets. The filter, Nanomaji, was developed together with the Finnish company Ahlstrom and it won the Finnish final of ClimateLauchPad, Europe’s largest climate innovation com-petition. Emma-Sofie Kukkonen from the winning project team explains the impact of their product.

What is the need for a water filter like Nanomaji in developing countries?Urban areas are overcrowding due to rapid population growth and the wa-ter infrastructure cannot keep up the development. Water is scarce and it is not drinkable without purification. Currently the most common way to purify the water is boiling it by burning charcoal.

What is the problem you are solving?Our filter makes it easier to purify water faster, more efficiently and cheaper than other methods. It also prevents deforesta-

Safe water for Tanzaniation because people don’t need to use charcoal. Smoke from the charcoal also causes health and environmental problems and we naturally want to tackle them too.

What has the product development work been like?The process has followed the classic user-centric design process, starting with discovering the context and user needs and creating a concept based on insights gathered from the field. Now we are moving to testing the product. Our team is multidisciplinary and we have knowhow from design, business and tech.

What have you learnt?The problem we are addressing is big, and it is still growing, but possibly solvable with a simple product like Nanomaji.

What has been the key challenge with this project?Understanding the end-users way of life and what the real problems are. These have also been the key things for the team to understand.

What are your next steps?In the near future we are progressing our prototyping, testing the product and the market, and making further iterations if needed. Simultaneously we are looking at possible future partners to enter the market.

Nanomaji water filter was developed as part of the New Global project by a group of students from the Aalto University educational programs Sustainable Global Technologies by Professor Olli Varis and International Design Business Management by Professor Mikko Koria.

New Global is a large research project spanning five years. It is managed and coordinated by Aalto University and has received significant funding from Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation.

Tekes runs a BEAM - Business with Impact programme with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. The programme assists companies and research groups to develop innovations and sustainable business that address global development challenges.

tekes.fi/en/beam

http://newglobal.aalto.fi

http://tekes.fi/en/beam

http://newglobal.aalto.fi


“Resource scarce innovation is challenging and creativity is needed to find a solution that is widely acceptable. We work together with companies, local authorities, universities and NGOs,” tells Sara Lindeman, project manager for the New Global research project.

PHO

TOS:

NEW

GLO

BAL

PRO

JEC

T


MANY CITIES AND CORPORATIONS are looking for ways to reduce emissions and carbon footprint. Neste’s NEXBTL renewable diesel is increasingly being used by cities to improve sustainability and the air quality. In the United States the City of Oakland, California is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and meet-ing ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets established by the City. The city’s 350-strong diesel powered fleet switched to renewable diesel in October 2015. This includes street sweepers, dump trucks, tractors, construction equipment and mowers.

Behind this renewable diesel is the Finnish company Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel.

Solving environmental questions around the world

28 cleantechTEXT: SUE WELIN PHOTOS: LAMOR, ISTOCKPHOTO

RENEWABLE DIESEL – HELPING CITIES TO LOWER EMISSIONS

CALIFORNIA

Their product, NEXBTL renewable diesel is 100% renewable and sustainable, and produced from waste fats, residues and vegetable oils and can result in 40-90 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle when compared with fossil diesel.

The production process was com-mercialized following years of research and development which begun in the early 1990s. It’s now a business operation with an annual turnover of about 2.5 billion euros. Tekes has supported research and development projects for Neste with product development loans. The funding has helped the company to accelerate the challenging R&D work and to secure global markets.


A NEW BIOGAS FUELLED PLANT will generate around 1.5 megawatts of clean energy per hour for the Binh Duong province, in south east Vietnam. Finnish environmental technology company Dor-anova will deliver the power plant and a waste-to-energy plant in the province just north of Ho Chi Min City.

The plant will efficiently sort 35 000 tonnes of waste per year and convert this to energy. The local area will not only ben-efit from the supply of clean energy, there will also be a reduction in the amount of landfill waste.

BREATHING FRESH, CLEAN AIR is some-thing we take for granted in most places. For many people in high density cities it can become a serious health issue.

Lifa Air, the Finnish leader in the production of indoor air quality systems has established a joint venture with Chi-nese consumer electronics manufacturer, Edifier Technology to produce air purifi-ers for the Chinese consumer market.

Until recently the company’s prod-ucts have mostly been used in public buildings, commercial real estate and industry. With the growing awareness of the importance of indoor air quality there is now a consumer market for intelligent air purifiers. And Lifa Air’s products can measure air quality in real time to allow for automatic optimisation.

LAMOR CORPORATION is a family-owned business based in Porvoo, Finland, with strategically located offices, hubs and partners worldwide. The company is an established market leader in oil spill response and environmental solu-tions for a wide range of scenarios and climatic conditions.

The company made its key breakthrough with the invention of the brush skimmer, a device to recov-er oil from maritime spills. The skim-mer separates oils, emulsions and oil debris from sea water and soils.

Lamor’s global reach meets the needs of about 40 per cent of the global oil spill repsonse market with a presence in 94 countries. The company recently made a signifi-cant investment in the Ecuadorian environmental service company, Corena. This expansion focuses on the development of global ser-vices and advanced environmental solutions, including soil and water treatment and remediation.

AIR QUALITY AND HEALTH GO HAND-IN-HAND

CHINA

VIETNAM

HELPING REDUCE VIETNAM’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

In operation for 20 years, Doranova started with two men and a filter, working to restore polluted groundwater. Oper-ations quickly expanded to include con-taminated soil remediation. The company further expanded operations to include landfill leachate treatment, landfill gas utilisation and biogas plants.

ECUADOR

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTION FOR OIL SPILLS


STARTUPS ARE REWRITING HEALTH TECHAlmost thirty startups are based under one roof in GE’s Health Innovation Village. The environment fosters collaboration to revolutionise health technologies.

30 startupsTEXT: DAVID J. CORD PHOTOS: MARKUS SOMMERS

The buzz in the air is excited and expectant, like right before the lights go down and the band takes the stage. But this isn’t

a concert; this is a community of entre-preneurs. Here at GE’s Health Innovation Village in Helsinki startups specialising in health technology have gathered to change the world.

“In the future great progress will not come from a single invention,” says Mikko Kauppinen, GE’s project leader at Health Innovation Village. “It will be putting more elements together, creating mashups. Solutions to our health challenges will be


a combination of different products and services.”

The idea behind the Village is to provide a physical space for diverse health tech startups. A company developing a web-based meal planner is next to a startup using transcranial depression to treat depression. A firm creating bed activity monitors for the elderly is metres away from one specialising in hospital staffing.

“Finland is an excellent place for digital health companies,” Kauppinen continues. “We have strengths in med tech, mobile tech, wearables, the cloud, analytics and big data. There is so much talent out there and we have a great support system

like Tekes’ digital health program. And, of course, we have a great health care system.”

Smart training

Janne Pylväs of Finnish company Myontec shows off a mannequin in a sports bra and black bicycle shorts interlaced with paper-thin sensors. There are thousands of fitness sensors on the market but what differentiates the Mbody system is that it measures and evaluates the electrical activity in muscles.

“Many of our clients are elite ath-letes,” Pylväs says. “We are used in training centres, bike fitting specialists and rehab

centres. FC Barcelona in football and Tin-koff Saxo in professional cycling have used our system.”

The Mbody measures convention-al performance data such as heart rate, speed and distance, but combined with electromyography it provides unparalleled information, such as if your muscles are properly warmed up prior to exercise or even if you are working one leg more than the other.

“Some companies have used our services to see how their own products affect the body,” Pylväs continues. “For instance, we have been used by Fiskars to test their manual tools and Konecranes for


their machines. But our clear focus is on sports and rehabilitation.”

Global ambitions

Myontec’s main market is Europe but they have resellers on every continent. Their immediate plans to push into the North American market could also be helped by their connections with GE Healthcare as well as other Village residents.

“GE is very active and the team does good work,” Pylväs says. “They help to boost startups and bring potential investors and customers here. Something is going on about every other day.”

Although the wearable segment of consumer electronics is currently booming, Pylväs recognises their offering is an entirely different product and service.

“This area did not exist prior to us,” he says. “You could only get Electromyography (EMG) in labs, uni-versities or in health care. But now you can measure electric activity anywhere and you are not restricted to a place or time.” ■

The American company StartUp Health is moving into the Health Innovation Village in a partnership with Team Finland, Finpro and GE. They will focus on coaching and supporting the entrepreneurs in the Finnish health tech ecosystem.

“Finland is a healthcare pioneer and has the unique ingredients required for groundbreaking digital health innovation to thrive: cutting edge health innovation, mobile and digital leadership, a collaborative environment and a growing entrepreneurial energy,” said StartUp Health CEO Steven Krein.

Through StartUp Health Finnish companies will gain valuable access to the investors, customers and experts in the American market. Select Finnish startups will be invited into the company’s Health Academy, a long-term entrepreneurial coaching program and network.

American StartUp Health accelerator enters Finland


Health technology represents

Finnish health tech companies export

of all Finnish hi-tech exports.

of their products to global markets.

47%

95%

€50million

Tekes Bits of Health programme brings together growth companies and research groups focusing on digital health solutions for example in early diagnosis of diseases, health monitoring and personalized care. The Bits of Health programme funds R&D of new digital health innovations with

Reasons why Finland is the most advanced testbed for digital health solutions

World-class research and digital health experts

Well-functioning healthcare system

100 per cent coverage of Electronic Health Records (HER)

Long history of reliable health registries

Well-documented biobanks and the Biobank Act

Health-conscious and engaged people

Positive culture for cooperating and solving problems together

Government backing with national strategies and R&D funding

1

3

5

7

2

4

6

8

www.tekes.fi/bitsofhealth

http://www.tekes.fi/bitsofhealth


34 apps from Finland

apps for the happy and healthy6

Cosmethics Cosmetics contain many ingredients – some of which you may choose to avoid. Cosmethics helps you make smarter choices about what products you purchase. Simply scan the product’s bar code, and cross-reference it with the default settings. You can personalise your settings so you know exactly what you are purchasing.

Yoogaia Too busy for a weekly yoga class? With

Yoogaia you can attend a live yoga, pilates or core class in the convenience of your own

home. The classes are personally guided in English, German and Finnish. If you choose to, the instructor can see you and give guidance,

and if you miss a class, you can watch the recording anytime.

Youcisian Always wanted to play an instrument, but

feel too old to start? Youcisian wants to give everyone a chance to learn how to play

the guitar or piano easily. The app guides you through exercises that fit your level of

expertise and gives instant feedback on accuracy and rhythm along the way.

Beddit To seize the challenges of the day you need to have a good night sleep. The Beddit app shows you how you’ve slept with a score between 0 and 100. Just place the Beddit sleep tracker, an ultrathin sensor strip, right under your bed sheet and turn your bed into a smart bed. It measures average respiration rate, total sleep time, time to fall asleep and sleep efficiency.

YOU-app Your life is the sum of small choices and changes, done daily, can make a big difference. YOU-app believes the simple things make for happier,

healthier living. The app gives you small mindfullnes actions every day

to focus and appreciate the world around you.

MealLogger On a diet? Suffering food allergies? MealLogger

photo food journal is an easy way to keep track of your healthy eating goals. Simply photograph your food, add a description and nutritional information

and you are done. If you work with a health professional, MealLogger allows you to connect

directly with them for feedback and advice.

TEXT: SUE WELIN


column 35PHOTO: MARKUS SOMMERS

The most important innovations in our lifetime have something in common: a deep-rooted scientific background com-

bined with a fundamental expertise in the companies behind the final products.

Baring this in mind, it is surprising how far from each other the academic and the business communities sometimes seem to be from each other - especially now, when we need more than ever tools and answers to solve world-wide questions such as the aging population and global warming.

All along the Tekes 30 years’ history networking researchers and companies has been in the core of our functions. As result, Finland takes the top spot in international rankings comparing the level of cooperation between businesses and the scientific community. However, the path

from science to business is not straight forward. It is like a curly ribbon filled with trials, errors - and in best cases a break-through that leads to something new that benefits us all.

To smooth the way, Tekes will start to facilitate systematically the academia-in-dustry dialogue. We are not anymore only going to ask the companies to be co-funders in a universities’ and research in-stitutes’ research and development projects, but will also create opportunities for both parties to pitch their ideas and give feed back to each other. We are also looking back into completed research projects in order to help companies and researchers develop the results into business together.

Many large multi-national companies have seen the benefits of the Finnish busi-ness and innovation environment and have established their R&D efforts here.

They value the open collaboration culture and well-functioning networks that in-crease their innovation abilities.

Tekes and the Team Finland net-work build the support network to assist multinationals to take up opportunities in Finland. The price is right and the time is right, and in many cases Tekes can provide financial assistance to help to build suc-cessful R&D activities with a Nordic twist of expertise, efficiency and teamwork. ■

Smoothing the path from science to business

Ilona LundströmExecutive Director responsible for Tekes funding and services to large companies and research organisations


Total Tekes R&D funding was €575 million to 2600 research and development projects

Focus on SMEs and startups seeking to grow their business into international markets

Tekes funding for companies under 6 years

Million Euro

FOCUS AREAS

BIOECONOMY AND CLEANTECH

DIGITALISATION

WELLBEING AND HEALTH

MARKET ACCESS

NEW BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS

Tekes key figures 2015

€209M

€191M

€175M

R&D grants for companies and public organisations

R&D loans for companies

Research funding for universities and research institutes

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

006 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

70% of Tekes company

funding was granted to small and medium-

sized companies

38% of Tekes company

funding was granted to companies under

6 years

In 2015, Tekes funded 702 startup

companies with

€140 million

36 Tekes


Tekes - the Finnish funding agency for innovationTekes funds research and development projects carried out by companies and research organisations working in Finland. Funding is focused to small and medium-sized companies seeking to grow their business into global markets.

Tekes programmes are an excellent platform to connect with other companies and research groups to get the latest knowledge about developments in the programme’s field of business and technology.

Tekes is a public organisation funded by the Finnish government.

Innovation funding in a nutshellTekes offers companies working in Finland low-interest loans without collateral for development and pilot-ing projects and grants for research projects. Research organisations can apply for Tekes funding when they cooperate with businesses. Tekes covers part of the project costs, typically around 50 per cent of the project’s total budget.

Large companiesLarge, international companies can benefit from Tekes R&D funding, when the development work creates value for the whole business ecosystem. Tekes asks large companies to collaborate with SMEs and research organisations.

Research organisationsTekes opens funding calls for universities and other research organisations regularly. Tekes funds research organisation’s projects that involve cooperation with companies. The research results should have a business impact.

Networks - Expertise - International collaborationTekes is part of the Team Finland network that offers public advice, networking and funding services for growth companies. Internationally, Tekes collaborates with science and technology funding organisations around the world and contributes actively in the developments of the European research and innovation area.

Team Finland

http://team.finland.fi/en

Startup companies under 5 yearsTekes offers funding for startup companies seeking to grow to international markets. With Tekes funding startups can test their idea with potential customers, set up an expert team, get better a understanding of target markets, and develop products and services. The most promising startups can speed up their global growth with the support of the Tekes Young Innovative Company programme.

Small and medium-sized companies

SMEs developing innovative products and services for global markets can accelerate their product development with the help of Tekes funding. A research and development project can include also testing and piloting, and development of management and leadership within the organisation.

IDEA

CONCEPT

SCALE

MinimumViableProduct

CustomerValidation

ProductMarket

fit

Pivot

R&DIPR

Pre-startupVision & Mission

GrowthScaling-up fast

StartupCustomer feedback, testing the product

Tekes supports startup companies’ growth

@tekesfi www.tekes.fi

http://team.finland.fi/en

http://www.tekes.fi


HELSINKI, HEADQUARTERS

Kyllikinportti 2P.O. Box 69FI-00101 HelsinkiTel. +358 29 50 55000

Find Tekes personnel

www.tekes.fi/en/search

PALO ALTO, CA

Tiina Tanninen-AhonenHead of Office, Silicon Valley

Tel. +1 (408) 893 [email protected]

Thuong TanManager, Innovation Collaboration


United StatesTekes is an active partner collaborating with local start-ups and entrepreneur ecosystem in the areas of, for example, eHealth and digital solutions. Tekes is part of Team Finland network and provides services related with identifying future trends and new business opportunities. We also collaborate with local top level universities.

www.tekes.fi/usa

FinlandTekes employs approximately 400 experts in Finland and abroad. Tekes’ headquarters are located in Helsinki. Part of the personnel work at the regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY centres) located around the country. Globally, Tekes works in close cooperation with the Team Finland network’s 70 local teams across the world.

WASHINGTON D.C.

Jukka SalminiittyCounselor, Innovation


Venla Vainio-Puhju Junior Adviser Tel. +1 202 394 1555 [email protected]

38 Tekes network

www.tekes.fi/en/search



www.tekes.fi/usa



TOKYO

In Japan Tekes promotes research and innovation co-operation with Japanese funding agencies and partners.


RussiaTekes promotes cooperation in innovation between Finnish and Russian companies and public research organisations, especially in Saint Petersburg and Moscow area. Tekes is part of the Team Finland network and helps companies to detect and understand innovation signals, business trends and market changes in Russia and to initiate cooperation between Russian and Finnish partners.

www.tekes.fi/russia

MOSCOW

Pavel CheshevTekes’ partner facilitating innovation cooperation in Russia

Tel. + 7 495 280 [email protected]

SHANGHAI & HONG KONG

Jarmo Heinonen, ShanghaiConsul, Science and TechnologyTel. +86 1366 1878 [email protected]

Elisa Yu, ShanghaiAdviserTel. + 86 2161 [email protected]

Sari Arho Havrén, Hong KongConsul, InnovationTel. +85 26 895 [email protected]

ChinaTekes has bilateral agreements with key science and technology administrators in China. The agreements have created excellent collaboration in areas such as ICT, nanotechnology, Cleantech and urban development.

www.tekes.fi/china

BEIJING

Arto MustikkaniemiCounselor, InnovationTel. +86 138 1020 [email protected]

Candice ZhangOffice ManagerTel. +86 1381 0156 [email protected]

IndiaAs part of the Team Finland Network, Tekes advances research and innovation collaboration between Finnish and Indian organisations and facilitates future business opportunities for Finnish companies in India.

www.tekes.fi/india

TAIPEI

In Taipei Tekes co-operates with the Team Finland partners with special focus in the Future Watch studies and foresight work related to East Asia.

The Team Finland network helps Finnish companies go global. The service brings together the government-funded services for growth companies.

Team Finland network offers companies financing, advice and training, visibility as well as networks and official contacts in target markets.

team.finland.fi

EuropeThe Brussels office of Tekes monitors, analyses and provides anticipatory information about the development of European research and innovation policy. In addition, the office brings forth Tekes’ views to key European bodies and decision-makers and keeps up a wide contact network of European research and innovation actors. In Europe, Tekes is also starting operations in Germany in cooperation with Finpro.

www.tekes.fi/brussels

Team Finland helps companies go global

BRUSSELS

Matti HiltunenCouncellor, Research and InnovationFinnish Liaison Office for EU R&DBrussels, BelgiumTel.+358 2950 [email protected]

Saara KuittinenProject [email protected]

MUNICH

Michael WiehlSenior [email protected]

www.tekes.fi/russia

pavel.cheshev

tekes.fi




www.tekes.fi/china



www.tekes.fi/india

http://team.finland.fi

www.tekes.fi/brussels




SEE YOU IN FINLAND

PHO

TO:

ISTO

CKPH

OTO

VAASA ENERGY WEEK March 14–18, Vaasa

energyweek.fi

ICTEXPO April 27–28, Helsinki

easyfairs.com

GAMES FIRST HELSINKIMay 10, Helsinki

gamesfirsthelsinki.com

CIB WORLD BUILDING CONGRESS May 30 - June 3, Tampere

wbc16.com

ARCTIC15June 2–3, Helsinki

arctic15.com

HELSINKI DESIGN WEEK September 1–11, Helsinki

helsinkidesignweek.com

NORDIC BUSINESS FORUM October 6–7, Helsinki

nbforum.com

MINDTREK October 17–19, Tampere

mindtrek.org/2016

SLUSHNovember 30 - December 1, Helsinki

slush.org

FIND OUT MORETekes calendar of events

www.tekes.fi/events

This is Finland Finland.fi

Team Finland team.finland.fi

Tekes Views Magazine is published by Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation

Tech and Business Events 2016

@Tekesfiwww.tekes.fi

http://energyweek.fi

http://easyfairs.com

http://gamesfirsthelsinki.com

http://wbc16.com

http://arctic15.com

http://helsinkidesignweek.com

http://nbforum.com

http://mindtrek.org

http://slush.org

http://www.tekes.fi/events

http://Finland.fi

http://team.finland.fi

http://www.tekes.fi

views magazine 2016

Documents