From idea to business

Versatile services from business idea development to company growth and renewal.

Are you looking for:

Draft Program

To whom are Business Center's services intended for?

Yrityksen kehittäminen

For entrepreneurs

Liikeidea

For those with a business idea

Opiskelijoille, opettajille, tutkijoille

For students, teachers, researchers

What services does Business Center offer?

Liikeidean kehittäminen

Business idea development

Expert advice, extensive networks and programmatic service to develop a business idea from the idea stage to the next levels.

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Yritysvalmennus

Business coaching

Business Center Pohjois-Savo's business coaching services are aimed at all companies interested in business growth. We serve for example in business development and the commercialization of innovations.

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Verkostoyhteistyö

Network cooperation

For small and start-up companies, networks are often critically important. The goal of the network cooperation is to help companies in the region find important contacts and succeed and create a strong entrepreneurial culture in the North Savo region.

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Yrittäjyyskoulutus

Business studies

Check out our courses!

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Do you have a business idea that you want to develop? Or a company you want to renew and grow?

Idea mapping and contact

Contact our experts. If you wish, you can fill out the Idea mapping before the meeting.

Meetings are free of charge and confidential.

Needs assessment and guidance

During the first meeting, we identify and prioritize together the following most important follow-up measures, for example 
in terms of commercialization, product development or financing.

Further steps to take your business idea or company forward:

Coaching and programs according to stage

Read more about the different steps by clicking!

Open resources

Open resources and tools for developing a business idea or company. 

Explore the training offerings in entrepreneurship and innovation expertise provided by partner organizations in the service network:

Networks

Business Center Pohjois-Savo’s Network cooperation services provides valuable and useful networks through which people can share knowledge, receive support, and develop their businesses together with like-minded professionals.

See also upcoming events.

Business Center is a significant developer of entrepreneurship and innovation skills

800

Counseling meetings

200

Identified ideas and innovations

20

New potential growth companies

130

Events

News and events

Articles

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Borderland Goes SLUSH 2025

Join the Official Slush Partner Side Event at Epicenter, Helsinki on Nov 18 2025, 18-22 Apply now to pitch your solution at the Borderland Event! We are looking for ambitious...

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Homehunters is a bespoke home search agency in Kuopio

Homehunters is currently a business idea, with the intention of assisting new residents of Kuopio to find their ideal home by listening to their needs and customising the search parameters...

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Startup Summit Eastern Finland and Falling Walls Lab brought Eastern Finnish innovations, entrepreneurship, and research into the spotlight in Kuopio

On September 19, 2025, Kuopio became the focal point of Eastern Finland’s startup and research scene, as the Falling Walls Lab Eastern Finland was organized for the first time at...

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Pohjois-Savon Draftin toukokuun 2025 kierros monipuolinen – mukana useita vaikuttavia liikeideoita

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Draft Applications Are Open – Apply for Funding Now!

Draftprogram.com/en Draft Program® is a business idea program, that helps you build a company that looks like you and develop as a launcher of successful products and services. You can...

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(In Finnish) The January 2025 round of Pohjois-Savo Draft was active – Several technical and service-based business ideas

Draft-liikeideaohjelman tammikuun kierrokselle haki kokonaisuudessaan 25 tiimiä, joista 9 palkittiin rahoituksella. Draft-ohjelmasta on muodostunut yksi merkittävimpiä liikeideaohjelmia Pohjois-Savossa sekä Itä-Suomessa. Ohjelma toimii Pohjois-Savossa ja Pohjois-Karjalassa. Tammikuun kierroksella liikeideaansa esitteli 12...

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Kiuas

Kiuas is Finland's leading startup accelerator and co-founder matchmaker, with a mission to empower ambitious founders on impact-driven missions, aiming to build world-changing companies....
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The Entrepreneur’s Diary podcast: Kolindo Nika & Cortex IoT

Listen episode in Spotify In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Diary, I chat with Kolindo Nika, a data engineer and founder of Cortex IoT. Based in Kuopio, Finland Kolindo has...

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Events

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Partnerships

Savon Yrittäjät
OP Pohjois-Savo
KPY Novapolis
Savon Media

1. Business idea

Individuals or initial teams

Designing and structuring the business idea

Example situation:

Liisa has an initial business idea for a smartphone application. He is directed to attend Havuja Bootcamp to find out the market potential of the idea and the competitors, and practice project planning and how to put together a business idea and sell it. Liisa builds a preliminary business concept.

Objectives:

  • Structuring and clarifying the business idea
  • Defining the market need, value proposition, and customer segments
  • Presenting the business idea, competencies, and the team
  • Assessing key areas for development and preparing preliminary financial estimates

2. Business concept

Teams

Business planning and product and service development

Example situation:

Jere and his team have developed a new vegan product. They participate in the 1st round of the Draft and individual team coaching. The team builds a pitchdeck and a business plan. In the meetings, financial calculations and surveys of premises and product development opportunities are made, and the best cooperation networks are mapped out from the necessary analyses.

Objectives:

  • Conducting a freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis and reviewing intellectual property rights (IPR)
  • Building a product prototype or concept and leveraging networks
  • Clarifying commercialization steps, as well as preparing a pitch and business plan
  • Compiling financial estimates, profitability, and funding plans

3. Start-up company

Approximately 0-3 years old

Starting a business

Example situation:

A health technology company participates in team meetings, where financing, product development, standardization, market analyses, production implementation, contract matters and intangible rights are discussed according to the customer’s needs. The company participates in the second round of the Draft.

Objectives:

  • Formal establishment of the company
  • Planning development projects and providing funding guidance
  • Advising on product and service development
  • Managing intellectual property rights and contractual matters in collaboration with partners
  • Building a sales and marketing plan and leveraging networks

4. Growth-Oriented Companys

Companies

Company growth and internationalization

Example situation:

A company in the metal industry has come up with a new technological solution of its own, which it wants to develop, and thereby seeks new growth. 

Personal meetings for discussing financing, research and development investments, piloting, building a prototype, certifications, customer and market surveys, contacts and cluster cooperation. Consider possibly establishing a new spinoff company based on the invention.

Goals:

  • Managing intellectual property rights and contractual matters in collaboration with partners
  • Business coaching, strategy review, and funding guidance
  • Establishing connections with research and development environments to enhance product and service development
  • Assembling projects within networks that benefit the company