Set up a business

Sat facing the camera, a man at a workstation writes notes on paper, his laptop in front and to the left of him, scissors, pliers and other small tools scattered on the table and an angle-poise lamp to his right illuminating the workspace
Sat facing the camera, a man at a workstation writes notes on paper, his laptop in front and to the left of him, scissors, pliers and other small tools scattered on the table and an angle-poise lamp to his right illuminating the workspace

Set up a business in Helsinki 

Set up your business in Finland and enter the European market through the Nordics – the easy way. Take advantage of our Business Advisors to help you when navigating Helsinki’s ecosystem, introduce you to key players in the market and provide you with practical advice on how to establish yourself here. 

Jussi Hellsten

Matti Pyykkö

Join one of the most innovative business ecosystems in the world.

1. Submit your eligibility statement application to Business Finland

Business Finland will evaluate whether your business plan and the team meet the criteria for fast growth startup business. This must be submitted on behalf of a team, with one team member designated as the main point of contact. Submit your Eligibility Statement through the Enter Finland Platform and attach passport copies and CVs of all team members.

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2. Complete your residence permit application to the Finnish immigration service

Once you have established your company in Finland, you can benefit from a wide range of services and resources. For example, you can apply for Business Finland’s Tempo Funding, provided there is a €30,000 equity investment by a third party or entrepreneurs.

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3. Establish a company in Finland

Once you have established your company in Finland, you can benefit from a wide range of services and resources. For example, you can apply for Business Finland’s Tempo Funding, provided there is a €30,000 equity investment by a third party or entrepreneurs.

Read more: 

4. Renew your startup permit

If you decide to continue living in Finland after your residence permit expires, you will need to apply for an extension. You can apply for your Extended Startup Permit directly at the Finnish Immigration Service. You do not need to apply for a new eligibility statement from Business Finland. If the Finnish Immigration Service requires a renewed Eligibility Statement, they will contact Business Finland.

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Apply in four steps

Setting up a business in Finland is an easy process that takes only a couple of weeks to complete.

Want to grow your startup in Finland?

The Finnish Startup Permit makes it possible for international growth entrepreneurs to build a startup company in Finland and to become part of Finland’s vibrant startup ecosystem. The permit is meant for innovative startup founders coming from countries outside the European Union. 

Jussi Hellsten

Thinking about raising funding?

We connect Finnish startups with international investors. We have strong relationships with angels, VCs and CVCs, and we regularly deliver hand selected deal flow for investors based on their requirements. Submit your startup to get discovered! Should you have any questions, send us an inquiry via the contact form.

Jussi Hellsten

Why Helsinki

Helsinki is a thriving business hub that has a stable and innovative business environment along with a high quality and talented work force. Setting up a business in Helsinki takes only a couple of weeks and the vast majority of services are in English with plenty of information available. Helsinki Partners, along with other public organisations, backed by the City of Helsinki, are here to ease your entry into the market. Besides, you will get to enjoy one of the most equal capitals in the world and the world’s best city for establishing a healthy work-life balance. Read below the top 5 reasons why you should start a company in Helsinki. If you’re curious for more reasons why Helsinki might be the right place for you, find them here.

1. Helsinki as a Service

What sets Helsinki apart is great access to services for young and established companies alike. Helsinki-as-a-service comes in many flavours, like fast 4G across the whole country, innovative testbeds, proactive city and government organisations, and much more.

© Jules Hatfield & Christine Williams

2. Great access to talent

Helsinki offers a huge pool of technical and creative talent. And for an employer, the timing is perfect. Growth companies like Wolt, Smartly, and Supercell have trained Helsinki’s tech workers what real growth looks like, and they’re hungry for new opportunities.

© Jussi Hellsten

3. An attractive business environment

The Finnish business environment is based on trust, facts, sharing and frankness. It has ranked as the most attractive environment in the world, and in the EU, thanks to such factors as security, extensive IP rights, and consistent political stability. Helsinki is an innovative region full of enthusiastic people, and the city’s startup hub is the 8th most valuable in Europe – which is constantly growing year by year.

© Maija Astikainen

4. A collaborative ecosystem

Helsinki offers a huge pool of technical and creative talent. And for an employer, the timing is perfect. Growth companies like Wolt, Smartly, and SHelsinki is an innovative region full of enthusiastic individuals who love to solve problems together with likeminded people. Information is shared both peer-to-peer and between academic, private and public organisations. Open data and public testbeds bring innovators together and help them learn from each other.

© Mikael Ahlfors / Keksi Agency

5. A nurturing environment for early-stage businesses

Finland-based startups benefit from public funding programs and cost-free coaching provided by organisations such as Business Helsinki. They also receive continuous support from several publicly and privately funded incubators and accelerators as well as from nurturing communities such as Maria 01. Moreover, Helsinki is the home of Slush – the largest single gathering of venture capital in Europe with over 1,500 investors to match and meet with.

© Jussi Hellsten

Want to get your idea off the ground?

Our friends at Business Helsinki are happy to offer confidential business advice for starting a company, developing new business, growing a business and internationalising Finnish startups.

Tuomas Uusiheimo

The voice of customers doing business in Helsinki

Explore the thriving business ecosystem and get to know some of the international companies that have made Helsinki their home.

Riku Pihlanto

A word from a customer

Our business model requires a highly efficient patent law infrastructure and related capabilities, a global mindset, a diverse group of technology-driven companies (SMEs and multinationals), and a venture capital infrastructure. We find everything we need in Finland, and particularly in Helsinki.

William Carbone

Co-founder & CEO at The Adjacent Possible

© Peter Forsgard

Contact info

If you are interested in setting up and starting a business in the capital of Finland, our dedicated team is ready to help you deep dive into the Helsinki business ecosystem. Contact us to get you started.

Johanna Huurre Portrait

Johanna Huurre

Director, Strategic Initiatives

johanna.huurre(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 40 021 1251

Maria Melnikova Portrait

Maria Andros

Senior Advisor, Growth and Investments

Canada & Foodtech

Book a meeting with Maria

maria.melnikova(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 50 523 7417

Sandeep Shah Portrait

Sandeep Shah

Senior Advisor, Growth and Investments

(On leave)

sandeep.shah(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 50 366 2152

Sonja Malin Portrait

Sonja Malin

Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives

Japan

sonja.malin(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 400 175 636

Xin Wang Portrait

Xin Wang 王昕

Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives

Founders to Finland Program Manager

xin.wang(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 40 139 2503

Sami Häikiö Portrait

Sami Häikiö

Senior Advisor, Growth and Investments

90 Day Finn Program Manager

sami.haikio(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 40 769 0717

Panu Maulaheimo Portrait

Panu Maulaheimo

Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives

Limited Partners and Funds

Book a meeting with Panu

panu.maulaheimo(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 40 669 3888

Linda Emelianov Portrait

Linda Emelianov

Senior Advisor, Growth and Investments

India & Artificial Intelligence

linda.emelianov(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 50 560 6426

Vladimir Chepurnoy Portrait

Vladimir Chepurnoy

Senior Advisor, Growth and Investments

USA & Data Centres

vladimir.chepurnoy(at)helsinkipartners.com

+358 44 254 8482

Contact Helsinki Partners

If you are interested in learning more about Helsinki and its possibilities – please contact us via the form here. We’ll make sure to get back to you within a few working days.

Juhana Hurtig