Startup Foundation launched

A new foundation to promote grass-roots entrepreneurship has been established in Finland. The Startup Foundation aims to create the proper environment for entrepreneurship and the launch, growth and internationalisation of business operations. The foundation will also support business operations and promote positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship. The foundation will adopt responsibility for the Startup Sauna accelerator programme and the rapidly developing Slush conference.

Sitra has a long history of creating a favourable operating environment for new Finnish businesses, with the aim of promoting the availability of both capital and competence. The initial funding of EUR 300,000 granted to the Startup Foundation is in line with these operations. Previously, Sitra has backed the Slush conference, now continuing under the new foundation, and helped bring Steve Blank to Finland.

“The purpose of the grant is to ensure the future of operations that have offered excellent support for start-up companies, as well as the continuing development of these operations. The operations of the foundation may also help to create new sustainable well-being business that Sitra will be interested in investing in,” says director Sami Tuhkanen.

Read more about the Startup Foundation (Finnish only)

Further information: Matti Aistrich