Startup Summit Kuopio 2026
Thank you.
Startup Summit Kuopio 2026 brought together around 150 founders, investors, researchers, experts and partners for an afternoon of pitches, ideas, practical conversations and new connections.
Startup Summit Kuopio 2026
A big thank you to everyone who made the day happen.
On 18 August 2026, the startup and innovation community gathered at Savonia UAS Kampussydän for the second Startup Summit in Kuopio.
Thank you to every participant, startup, keynote speaker, panelist, jury member, partner, volunteer and member of the organising team. The value of the Summit comes from the conversations, introductions and concrete next steps that continue after the stage programme ends.
2026 recap
What happened at the Summit
The afternoon combined founder stories, startup pitches, investor perspectives, research commercialisation, partner insights and structured networking.
Keynotes
Experience from building and scaling
Antti Väänänen and Petri Kalliokoski shared practical perspectives from entrepreneurship, technology, growth and company-building.
Pitching competition
Six startups on stage
Six selected teams pitched to an experienced jury, investors, partners and the wider audience after 45 applications to the competition.
Networking
Connections that continue after the event
Guided networking and open discussion created space for introductions between founders, investors, researchers and regional business leaders.
Panel discussion
From research to business
The panel explored what is needed to move promising research, expertise and technology toward commercial impact and scalable business.
Investors
Direct access to experienced investors
Investor participation throughout the day gave startup teams opportunities for feedback, new contacts and follow-up conversations.
Community
A strong turnout in Kuopio
Around 150 people joined the event, bringing together the local and regional startup, research, business and innovation community.
Pitching competition 2026
Congratulations to the winner
Six selected startups competed on stage after a 45-company application round.
Tero Puustinen
Congratulations to Tero Puustinen, winner of the Startup Summit Kuopio 2026 pitching competition. The competition brought six selected startup teams to the stage in front of the jury, investors, partners and event audience.
On stage in 2026
Host, speakers and panelists
Thank you to the people who shared their experience, challenged ideas and helped create the conversations that shaped the day.
Saara Närä
Entrepreneur, speaker, social media professional and founder & CEO of Kupla Social.
Antti Väänänen
CEO & Founder, Vireum Oy
Petri Kalliokoski
CEO, entrepreneur, board member
Vilma Torstila
Partner and Investment Director, Bocap
Minna Hendolin
Director of Impact, University of Eastern Finland
Timo Antikainen
Director of City and Economic Development, City of Kuopio
Noora Tuikka
CEO & Partner, Nostetta Ventures
Pitching competition jury
Thank you to the 2026 jury
The jury brought hands-on experience in angel investing, company growth, international business, leadership and board work.
Tiina Laisi-Puheloinen
CEO, Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN)
Startup, fundraising, angel investing, sales and cross-sector network experience.
Vesa Lehtinen
Angel investor, board professional & business coach
Entrepreneurial, investment, financing, international market and business development experience.
Jari Osmala
Business angel, board professional & FiBAN regional angel in North Savo
International business, industrial growth, strategy, board work and angel investing experience.
Event archive
Startup Summit Kuopio 2026 programme
The official stage programme ran from 12:00 to 17:30, followed by an informal afterparty at Luoto Kuopio.
Doors open, registration and coffee
Arrival, check-in, coffee and first conversations before the stage programme.
Welcome and opening words
Opening by Minna Hendolin, Director of Impact at the University of Eastern Finland.
Keynote: Antti Väänänen
Keynote followed by audience Q&A.
Keynote: Petri Kalliokoski
Keynote followed by audience Q&A.
Partner spotlight: Business Joensuu
A short partner introduction before the pitching competition.
Startup pitching competition
Six selected startup teams pitched on stage in front of the jury, investors, partners and audience.
Coffee and guided networking
Facilitated networking for startups, investors, partners and other participants, including partner spotlight content from Novapolis and Business Center Pohjois-Savo.
Panel: How can research be commercialised?
Discussion on moving research, expertise and technology toward scalable business and commercial impact.
Business Kuopio spotlight & winner announcement
The pitching competition winner was announced after the Business Kuopio partner spotlight.
Closing words and open networking
The stage programme closed and networking continued until the daytime event ended.
Afterparty at Luoto
Informal conversations and networking continued at Luoto Kuopio.
The pitching competition was part of Hub Panostamo’s Kipinä programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Development Centre of Eastern Finland.
Partners 2026
Thank you to our partners
Startup Summit Kuopio was made possible by the organisations that contributed expertise, visibility, resources and practical support to the event and the surrounding startup community.
Event archive
A look back at Startup Summit Eastern Finland 2025
While the 2026 event recap is being built out, you can also look back at photos from the previous Summit in Kuopio. Photography by Paula Turpeinen.
Partners
Startup Summit Kuopio 2026 is built together with partners who support innovation, entrepreneurship and growth.
