Download - Startup sauna overview

How Startup Sauna changes the Finnish startup ecosystem

• Empowering talent. Startup Sauna internship program has employed

100 interns to high-growth companies in Helsinki, Europe and the US.

• Building quality startups. Startup Sauna pre-seed program has coached

more than 500 companies and graduated a total of 90 companies in

2010-2013

• Building dealflow. Slush has become one of the leading startup events in

Europe with more than 300 investors and 50 international VC funds in

2012.

Startup Sauna Internship

We created Startup Life to help the brightest

students at Aalto to reach their full potential.

- Kristo Ovaska, co-founder of Startup Life

Startup Sauna Internship

• Startup Sauna internship (incl. Startup Life) employs the most talented

university students, researchers and post-graduates in international high-

growth startups.

• There’s an ongoing application period to intern at companies in Helsinki,

Silicon Valley and New York with over 150 positions currently open.

• More than 100 interns have been employed to date, around half of which

in Finland and the other half mostly in the US.

Startup Life Demographics 2011-1/2013

Aalto University

42% School of Science

23% School of Business

8% School of Engineering

23% School of Art and Design

54% technical

27% business

19% designers

Startup Sauna Internship Impact 2011-1/2013

27% 80% previous startup experience working at startups 6 months after

the internship

6 companies founded by alumni, Incl.

Kippt, HealthPuzzle and Caktus

Startup Sauna program

How does the Startup Sauna program work

• Startup Sauna organizes 10-15 local coaching events every spring and fall to map out the deal flow in Northern

Europe and Russia, driving applications to the program.

• Following the local events, 20 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.

• 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.

• After each program, 10 most relevant companies are taken to Silicon Valley to meet with the local investors

• Main focus in the Nordics,

Baltics and Russia

• In addition, local events

focused on promoting the

region, organized also in New

York, Los Angeles, San

Francisco, Beijin, Shanghai and

Tokyo

Startup Sauna tour 2013

2 Months 1 Month 1.5 Months 0.5 Month

Local coaching events

in 10-15 different cities

Intensive part for 20-30

most promising

startups

Investor meetings in

Silicon Valley

Best 10-20 get 40K

option and continue

Investor day in the end

of the program

How does the Startup Sauna program work

1400 applied 500 coached 100 admitted 90 graduated ( 20M raised)

Key performance indicators 2010-2013


• Since 2010, Startup Sauna has run seven batches, attracting a total of 1041

applications. 90 companies have graduated, raising over 20M in funding.

• More than 50 local events have been organised in 18 different cities,

providing one-day coaching to 500 companies.

• These activities have received significant coverage in both domestic and

international media, including the likes of WSJ, The Economist and BBC.

• Startup Sauna has been noted as the leading young accelerator program in

Silicon Valley by UBI Index (June, 2013).

Startup Sauna Leading Young Incubator

Slush Conference


• Years 2008-2010: 300-500 attendees, 20-40 local startups, local angel

investors and VCs, mostly no media nor international investors

• Year 2011: 1500 attendees, 150 mostly local startups, 15 foreign venture

funds, Finnish media well present, small coverage in international media

• Year 2012: 3500 attendees, 560 startups, 41 foreign venture funds, 50-60

articles on international media, around 40-50% international companies

• Year 2013: 5000 attendees, 1000 startups, 100 foreign venture funds, 200-

300 articles on international media, 70% international companies

press.