Startup Summit Kuopio
Speakers & Jury
Practical perspectives from people building, funding and supporting startups. Meet the first confirmed speakers and host for Startup Summit Kuopio 2026.
What to expect
No empty theory. Real startup experience.
Startup Summit Kuopio brings together people who work hands-on with startups, investment, research, communications, technology and business growth.
The focus is on practical experience, honest perspectives and conversations that are useful for early-stage teams, researchers, investors and people working with innovation.
Speakers & host
Confirmed for 2026
More speakers and jury members will be added as the programme develops.
Saara Närä
Speaker, social media professional and founder & CEO of Kupla Social
Saara Närä is the host of Startup Summit Kuopio 2026 and brings strong experience in communications, content creation and live event hosting.
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Saara is a Kuopio-based speaker, social media professional, and founder & CEO of Kupla Social. Her background in communications and event hosting supports the Summit’s practical, conversational and human tone.
Confirmed speakers
Vilma Torstila
Partner and Investment Director, Bocap
Vilma Torstila works with investment, entrepreneurship and growth companies, bringing experience from both founder and investor perspectives.
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Vilma serves as Partner and Investment Director at Bocap, one of Finland’s private equity companies focused on SMEs. She has worked closely with growth companies as an advisor, investor and board professional, supporting companies in development, funding and strategic growth.
Minna Hendolin
Director of Impact, University of Eastern Finland
Minna Hendolin works at the intersection of science, innovation and business, helping research move toward practical impact.
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With over 25 years of experience across academia, industry and innovation, Minna has worked with research-based growth, commercialisation and international innovation environments. Her work focuses on turning science into real-world value and stronger impact.
Antti Väänänen
CEO & Founder, Vireum Oy
Antti Väänänen builds applied AI and computer vision solutions for smarter industrial production and quality control.
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Antti is the CEO and Founder of Vireum Oy, a Kuopio-based company focused on vision AI, industrial intelligence and applied production analytics. His work turns production data into practical tools for quality control, operational insight and industrial growth.
Petri Kalliokoski
CEO and entrepreneur, High Metal Oy
Petri Kalliokoski is an entrepreneur, investor and board professional with broad experience in innovation and growth.
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Petri is an entrepreneur, investor, chairperson and board member in several startups. He has previously held senior leadership roles at VTT, including Deputy CEO and Executive Vice President, with experience in strategy, business development and innovation leadership.
Noora Tuikka
CEO & Partner, Nostetta Ventures
Noora Tuikka works with early-stage startups, funding and growth, with strong experience in international technology companies.
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As CEO and Partner at Nostetta Ventures, Noora works with regional early-stage startup funds and supports founders in funding, growth and business development. Her background combines investment, startup development and international technology business.
Timo Antikainen
Director of City and Economic Development, City of Kuopio
Timo Antikainen works with city development, business growth, international investments and technology-driven economic development.
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Timo is the Director of City and Economic Development at the City of Kuopio. Before joining Kuopio, he worked as Business Development Director at the City of Tampere and at Invest in Finland, where he promoted Finnish investment opportunities to international companies and supported major foreign direct investment projects. Earlier, he worked as a startup entrepreneur and CEO at Ailocom Oy, and built a long career in the space and defense technology sector at Patria Oy and Insta Oy.
Pitch competition
Jury for 2026 coming soon
The pitch competition jury will be announced closer to the event.
Want to pitch at Startup Summit Kuopio?
Selected startups will pitch on stage in front of the audience, jury, investors and partners.