Tech Nordic Advocates (TNA), Northern Europe’s largest tech startup ecosystem, based in Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen, secured funding from the City of Helsinki Innovation Fund, City of Espoo, City of Vantaa, and various commercial partners to launch ‘Finland as Female Tech Founder Frontrunner,’ marking the first-ever international accelerator program in Finland designed specifically for growth-stage tech companies led by women and non-binary individuals. This initiative aims to support and nurture these entrepreneurs through workshops, coaching, and access to networks and capital over a two-year period, with the goal of fostering diversity and innovation within the Finnish tech ecosystem.
Tech Nordic Advocates (TNA) is a prominent tech startup ecosystem in Northern Europe, operating in cities like Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen. It serves as a network and platform that brings together tech entrepreneurs, investors, experts, and partners to support and facilitate the growth of technology startups in the Nordic region. TNA focuses on fostering innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship within the tech industry, aiming to create opportunities for startups to scale, raise capital, access networks, and expand internationally. Additionally, TNA is known for initiatives that promote diversity, including programs specifically designed to support women and non-binary individuals in the tech sector, such as the ‘Finland as Female Tech Founder Frontrunner’ accelerator program.
The ‘Finland as Female Tech Founder Frontrunner’ programme – part of Europe’s only international growth programme helping women/non-binary tech entrepreneurs launch, grow, scale and raise capital for technology companies – will be officially launched at a live Slush event on 30 November 16.00-18.00, convening tech entrepreneurs, the wider startup ecosystem, investors and programme partners, including e.g. Google, Lexia, Nordea, London Stock Exchange, G-P, Helsinki Partners, Voima Ventures, FiBAN and Global Tech Advocates.
The new funding to support growth-stage tech startups, led by women/non-binary entrepreneurs, follows the successful delivery of the 2022/2023 ‘Helsinki as Female Tech Founder Frontrunner’ programme. It has helped 125 women/non-binary tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new/early-stage tech startups, sparking the need for next stage support. The International Accelerator programme, now widening to include the cities of Espoo and Vantaa, will initially run for two years. The focus is to help growth-stage tech startups, led by women/non-binary entrepreneurs, scale, raise capital and expand internationally, through high impact bootcamps, masterclasses, workshops, 1:1 coaching, skills development, office hours and access to networks, events and capital, delivered by Finnish and international tech entrepreneurs, experts, investors and partners. The programme offers access to global markets, clients, partners and investors through Tech Nordic Advocates’ Global Tech Advocates community of 30,000 tech leaders across 33 global hubs and partnerships with international embassies.
Harri Paananen, Director of Economic Development, City of Espoo says, “As the tech and innovation capital of Finland, our goal is to support all new entrepreneurship and tackle challenges that prevent new businesses from succeeding. Diversity, equality and inclusion are our main values and we look forward to our partnership with Finland as Female Tech Founder Frontrunners programme by Tech Nordic Advocates. Together we have what it takes to support the increase in female tech founders.”
Tommo Koivusalo, Director of Economic Development, City of Vantaa says, “We will join the “Finland as Female Tech Founder Frontrunner” programme for a simple reason. We want to support diversity in the field of entrepreneurship. Vantaa being the most diverse city in Finland, this is a natural step for us. Besides, the track record of Tech Nordic Advocates speaks for itself.”
The programme will work closely with the wider Finnish, Nordic, Baltic and international tech ecosystem and women-in-tech networks. It is governed by a steering group of the leaders of the Finnish tech startup ecosystem, led by TNA and including Business Helsinki, City of Espoo, City of Vantaa, The Shortcut, Helsinki Partners, Startup Foundation, Women in Tech Finland, Helsinki Think Company and Lexia.
Jeanette Carlsson, Founder & CEO, Tech Nordic Advocates says, “Since 2022, we have helped 125 tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new technology innovations/startups and raise €2m+ in capital. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, which shows what can be achieved with the right support. Finland has huge untapped women/non-binary entrepreneurship talent, deserving of support and much needed to sustain Finnish innovation, competitiveness, growth, jobs and equality. This new funding helps us unlock much more of that potential.”
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