References

Farmikko Oy develops, manufactures and sells accessories to meet the needs of customers repairing energy and fiber wood.

“We received help in the preparation of the development project, which we had already started ourselves. We had identified clear development needs, but together we were able to better clarify the core issues in the required application format. During the project, we also received important support in reporting and change applications.”

Mikko Junttila, CEO

www.farmikko.fi

We got a really good business plan, which became a tool for the management team, and it is included in our daily work.​

Joni Kapanen, CEO

itc.fi

Marginum’s technology promotes the effectiveness of cancer surgeons with monitoring techniques that detect tissue fluorescence. Our vision is to create a leading company producing fluorescence spectrum analysis solutions in surgery.

We participated in the Draft program, from which our team won €4,000 to promote our business. The company was founded only after the Draft program.

Business Center’s advice on starting a business was invaluable. In addition, the tips received regarding suitable funding agencies were relevant. The Business Centers contact networks have also been helpful in identifying various networking events. We are very satisfied with our company.

Samu Lehtonen, CEO & Co-Founder

marginum.com

I think that LEAP is suitable for companies that want to grow, and it brings a lot of added value to the company’s growth plan and to the work of the management team and board

Pasi Pitkänen, CEO

kumoni.fi

Piirre C Oy is a visual design agency that makes the most important things of companies and organizations visible, inspiring and understandable.

“We have received a lot of help in the different stages of our company’s development from Business Center’s sparring sessions. It has been important for us to be able to brainstorm new business ideas together with competent experts. From Business Center, we have received confirmation, encouragement and suitable challenges to develop operations. In addition, it is inspiring to get to know the Business Center’s wide and versatile network and get involved with a low threshold.”
Jenni Pääkkönen, CEO
 

PlainE Oy is a company focused on systematic information security risk minimization, workshops, training and education for SMEs and public actors.​

“Not such a small thing that it’s not worth asking.”​

“Even though the world around us is burning, selling information security services is a difficult business model for micro-enterprises. Maarit and Marja-Leena have succeeded well in sparring and developing my own thinking for business development. From Business Center, you can therefore get new directions for many types of operators, when as a sole proprietor you often have to think things over on your own.”​

Jarkko Laine, CEO

www.plaine.fi

The Butterfly Brick is a patented support piece for the ice hockey goalie’s skate, which makes the butterfly save position more balanced and ergonomic. Our vision is to help goalkeepers prevent hip injuries, which are becoming increasingly common.

I got a lot of help in developing the business idea from the Draft program, which helped us finance the testing phase of prototypes and pilot research on the benefits of supporting blocks.

Business Center has also offered sparring in financial and development matters, pitching coaching, and lots of good contacts. Business Center has been a very valuable support during the initial stages of the company.

Kimmo Rautiainen, CEO

butterflybrick.com

The joint journey of Sonja and Iita began in 2016 at Itä Suomen Muoto ry:ssä, where they, as active members of the board, updated the association’s values, strategy, and action plan. The idea of joint entrepreneurship and the wider implementation of advocacy work sprouted. Hathunters ’goal is to get companies to make better use of design.​

Coaches can give:

Regular meetings helped to do the work systematically. From the morning meeting, Iita and Sonja got a tool to help keep the overall picture checked. Other teams involved in the Havuja #! @% &! Accelerator gave rise to a community with which Hathunters was able to collaborate already during the accelerator.​

Sonja Lehtomäki, CEO

Iita Sallinen, Consultant

hathunters.fi

Tmi Elina Partanen trains social and healthcare service providers about equality and especially about meeting sexual and gender minorities and promoting their health.

Business Center Pohjois-Savo’s support was critical to concretizing the vision of academic entrepreneurship.

Without the sparring of the Business Center’s experts, many of the ideas would not have been implemented. Our team also received start-up capital from the entrepreneurship program to develop operations. With the help of the support, the idea became clearer and our team managed to start academic entrepreneurship in a discipline where it is usually considered really exceptional.

Elina Partanen, entrepreneur

elinapartanen.fi

NOETON is developing a solution to reduce particle emissions from small wood burning. Our vision is to make combustion more environmentally friendly and thus help in the fight against climate change.

I had an idea and a prototype of a device that had been developed at the University of Eastern Finland as part of my dissertation research. My co-founder and I had decided to start working on the idea as a company and our first step was to participate in the Draft program.

From the Draft programs, we received initial capital to establish a company and financial help, e.g. to improve the company’s visual appearance. In addition, we got sparring, good contacts in the local business support network and, of course, valuable experience in pitching.

Heikki Suhonen, CEO

noeton.fi

Toimisto2030 enlightens companies and communities on the development of value-based responsibility through service design and future work. The vision is to promote action towards a sustainable future according to Agenda2023.

I got sparring from Matti and the Havuja program before starting my company. From the advice, I got confirmation to carry ideas about entrepreneurship forward, as well as a challenge to put into words the benefit produced for the customer.

The collaboration was important, because perhaps the biggest threshold was taking action! Entrepreneurship is learned by doing, but the courage to start requires encouragement.

Silja Huttunen, Oivalluttaja, service designer, CEO

toimisto2030.fi

The mission of Nanoscale Oy is to develop smart ECO boards for humidity control with advanced nanotechnology. The ECO boards have the unique features of automatic control of humidity, no electricity consumption, maintenance free, formaldehyde free, zero carbon emission, a long lifetime (>30 years), and mildew-proof. ​

We attended entrepreneurship training of Bootcamp and participated Draft Program. With the 4000 € financial support, we have successfully developed the prototypes of ECO boards and registered the company of Nanoscale Oy.​

The Business Center provides very helpful entrepreneurial services. The specialists in the Center actively help start-ups to establish networks and connect various resources for business development.​

Wujun Xu, CEO and Co-Founder