Building a functioning startup ecosystem
Entrepreneurship is next to unemployment. When are you going to get a real job?. You made it big, and have to show it small Yet again a company sold abroad I d rather work for a big company I m a normal human, how could I create the next Apple? It s too tough and uncertain to run a company
Northern Europe and Russia Home to a large number of web, gaming and high-tech products and companies
New firms add an average of 3 million jobs in their first year, while older companies lose 1 million jobs annually Kauffman Foundation 2010
is on a mission to build a functioning startup ecosystem into Northern Europe and Russia
Focus region: Northern Europe and Russia Economic region of 250M people. Over 50 events organized. Oulu Tampere Turku Jyväskylä St. Petersburg Helsinki Tallinn Oslo Yekaterinburg Stockholm Kazan Moscow Skolkovo Göteborg Novosibirsk Riga Copenhagen Kaunas Warsaw Budapest Minsk Zagreb Krasnodar *Startup Sauna unique locations since 2011
How does the Startup Sauna program work? Startup Sauna organizes 10-20 local coaching events every spring and fall to map out the dealflow in Northern Europe and Russia, driving applications to the program. Following the local events, 20-30 most promising startups are invited to Helsinki to get coached by experienced serial entrepreneurs and investors. Each program contains a closed investor event, where the companies are set up in one-on-ones with local angel investors and international VCs to gather feedback. After each program, 10-20 most relevant companies are taken to Silicon Valley to meet with the local investors and media, who re more difficult to bring to Finland. Slush is organised every fall to attract a larger pool of international VCs and media to the region, as the competition for their attention is tight on a European level.
Startups - Accelerator Twice a year. 6 weeks. Investors and media - Conference Once a year. 2 days. Talent - Internship. All year long.
Since 2010, Startup Sauna has had over 1300 unique applicants, 450 startups coached 1on1, 80 Startup Sauna alumni companies, 50 Startup Sauna Warmup events organized $25 million raised by the startups
In just few years, Slush has grown to 3500 attendees, 560 startups, 200 investors, 50 journalists 47 VC funds +70 interns Silicon Valley, New York, Helsinki Rovio, ThingLink, DrawElements, YourMechanic, Eucalyptus Systems, Cornivore, Eventbrite, Zendesk, Wooga, Zerply, Evernote, Mendor, Uservoice, Granify, Uservoice, Anybots, Ditto
Every major media in the region has covered Slush or Startup Sauna...
...while 2012 alone produced over 50 articles on international media.
Key ingredients
Legally, Startup Sauna and Slush are run by their own non-profit foundation, founded in the fall of 2012.
Startup Sauna foundation s founders Aki Seeck Anssi Vanjoki Antti Kokkinen Ari Korhonen Artturi Tarjanne Feodor Aminoff Florence Korhonen Hannu Kytölä Harri Koponen Henri Kulvik Ilkka Kivimäki Ilkka Paananen Jaakko Salminen Janne Snellman Jari Pasanen Jani Penttinen Juha Aalto Jussi Harvela Kaija Pöysti Klaus Damsten Kristian Segerstråle Mammu Kaario Mats Therman Micki Honkavaara Mika Mäkeläinen Mika Tammenkoski Mikko Kodisoja Moaffak Ahmed Niklas Törnkvist Nils Forsblom Ossi Pohjola Pekka Alapietilä Pekka Roine Pekka Sivonen Pekka Vartiainen Pekka Viljakainen Peter Vesterbacka Petri Lehmuskoski Petri Niemi Petteri Koponen Pii Ketvel Riku Asikainen Risto Siilasmaa Sakari Pihlava Sami Inkinen Sami Lampinen Seppo Ruotsalainen Sari Baldauf Taneli Tikka Tero Ojanperä Timo Ahopelto Timo Lappi Timo Rosenlöf Timo Soininen Timo Teimonen Toni Toikka Ville Miettinen
Startup Sauna foundation s board Ilkka Kivimäki (chairman) Peter Vesterbacka Petteri Koponen Jussi Harvela Timo Soininen Kristo Ovaska Markus Nuotto
What does Startup Sauna look like in terms of structure and funding? Startup Sauna is funded by Teknologiateollisuus, Sitra and Tekes. Startup Sauna s operational costs are around 0.5M per year, while Slush s 0.5M-1M budget is financed completely by ticket sales and partnerships. As Startup Sauna is fueled by the strong volunteer community at Aalto University, these operations take place with relatively low costs. Aalto University provides Startup Sauna with the physical space in Otaniemi along with most of the operational costs for the internship program.
What makes the Startup Sauna model unique? High reach into the Northern European and Russian startup scene, allowing to attract a lot of dealflow and hence motivate foreign VC investments. Light organization that is able to deliver high levels of value with low inputs (e.g. Slush is four times smaller revenue-wise than its European competitors). Ability to attract high numbers of international investors and media through a well-recognized brand, a large contact network and a great volume of dealflow. Startup Sauna has its foot in the international competition, as both the program and the conference are recognized among the leading ones in Europe.
Startups. Investors & Media. Talent.
Antti Ylimutka Captain of Startup Sauna antti@startupsauna.com 0407268383