Turku Business Region is organising a programme that invites international startups to develop their businesses in Southwest Finland. In the Startup Call Turku competition, innovative teams participate in an intensive three-month programme that highlights the advantages provided by the startup ecosystem in Turku and Finland.
Applying for the Startup Call Turku programme is now open to all international startups. The application period closes on 31 May, when an expert jury will select the teams that will be offered the opportunity to develop their business on-site in Turku. At the core of the three-month programme lies the local BusinessUp acceleration programme.
“BusinessUp is an accelerator programme where early-stage startups receive eight weeks of guidance, support and contacts to get their businesses off the ground. The intensive coaching sharpens the business idea and crystallises the value proposition of the startup or aspiring team. Each team also has its own mentor,” says SparkUp Community Manager Elias Savonlahti from Turku Business Region. By the end of the accelerator programme, the international startups participating in Startup Call will present their ideas to investors.
In addition to the accelerator programme, Turku Business Region will also offer startup teams a workshop course on Finnish entrepreneurship, the opportunity to participate in numerous startup and networking events, workspace in the city’s high-tech cluster, and support with accommodation arrangements. During the programme, international teams will have ample opportunities to get to know the support network of the local startup ecosystem and to build their own networks to kickstart their businesses.
The Turku region requires new talent in the coming years to ensure continued economic growth. The competition for tech talent is fierce around the world. Both the Startup Call Turku programme and the participating startups will bring great benefits to Turku and Finland by guiding new ideas and brave entrepreneurs to the region. The programme provides an opportunity to try out ground-breaking ideas that might be difficult, or even impossible, to implement without a strong support network.
Finland has a number of advantages that contribute to attracting international talent to the region. Experts who have moved to Turku permanently often cite an attractive business environment, clean nature, good education opportunities, and a relaxed work-life balance as their reasons for settling down in the region.
“We look forward to receiving Startup Call Turku applications from innovative teams to whom we are pleased to showcase our region’s startup landscape. Many BusinessUp alumni are already well-established in Turku and have grown their businesses internationally from this home base. The programme is a win-win situation: participating teams get guidance and support, while the Turku startup community gets new entrants,” says Megumi Hayashi, Specialist of Internationalisation Services at Turku Science Park Ltd.
The application deadline is 31st May. The applications are evaluated by BusinessUp experts, and the winning teams will be announced in mid-August. The BusinessUp kick-off is on 24th September. The teams are expected to arrive in Turku around 15th September for the orientation and getting settled.
For more information on how to apply, visit Startupcall.fi
The Startup Call Turku campaign is conducted as part of the Talent Turku project, which is a collaboration between Turku Science Park Ltd. and the City of Turku. Talent Turku is part of the national Talent Boost Finland programme, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs and aims at the attraction, retention, and integration of international talents.