Venture Nordics Program – Europe’s top investor program

Venture Nordics is the ultimate value add program for international investors to efficiently explore New Nordics – the most innovative high-performing tech ecosystem. This year the program will take place in Helsinki between November 13 – 19 2026, and only 10 participants will be selected for this experience, which includes complimentary tickets to Slush along with unique networking events and curated side events.

The application period for the program is now closed. Follow our news to be the first one to know when you can apply for the 2027 program.

About the program Why to join the program Meet the 2026 participants 7-day itinerary in 2026 Subscribe to newsletter Terms & Conditions of the program Q&A about Venture Nordics

Friends in winter hats and jackets laughing outdoors, with a house in the background.

What is the Venture Nordics Program?

Venture Nordics is Europe’s top program for international investors to efficiently explore the New Nordics — a cutting-edge, high-performing tech ecosystem — during Slush, the world’s largest venture capital event.

The program is suitable for international venture capitalists (VCs) seeking to establish their presence in Europe and the Nordics, as well as for international limited partners (LPs) interested in investing in Nordic funds. Additionally, this program may be a good opportunity for international Family Offices to expand their network in the region and meet other families from Finland and beyond.

Held in Helsinki, Finland over seven days, the program offers exclusive networking events, introductions to Finnish and Nordic LPs and VCs, and opportunities to meet top-performing startups and scale-ups from Helsinki, along with a free ticket to Slush.

Check out the program

What’s in it for you?

Exclusive networking

Access to exclusive events with VCs, LPs and Family Offices from Finland and the Nordics.

People chatting at a social gathering with drinks and displays in the background.

Free ticket to Slush

Free ticket to Slush and a spot in several curated side events to get the most out of your Slush experience, plus access to the Slush LP track (to selected participants).

Man in glasses smiling at a networking event with blurred people in the background

Fast-track into the Finnish tech ecosystem

Get to know the ecosystem which always ranks in top 10 most innovative in the world, through company and facilities visits and data directly from the source.

Networking event: man in blue jacket speaks to group, city skyline displayed

Become part of an exclusive alumni network

Become part of alumni network of high-profile international investors.

Venture Nordics Program 2026

The next edition of the program will be held in Helsinki from November 13–19 2026. Here’s a preview of the events planned for the 7-day program. Participants also receive complimentary access to Slush, the largest venture capital gathering in the world (over 3.5K international investors and 4T€ AUM in 2025).

Arrival to Helsinki Day 0 | Nov 12

Get ready to embark on an adventure that sets the stage for an immersive program.

Helsinki Airport sign with Finavia branding and airplane taking off

Welcome to Helsinki Day 1 | Nov 13

This day begins with a warm welcome at our Helsinki office, followed by a visit to one of Europe’s largest and most dynamic startup ecosystems, Maria 01. The day will end with a networking sessions with the local VCs and LPs.

Three professionals networking at a corporate event, discussing business over drinks.

Lasting bonds forged in the Finnish wilderness Day 2–3 | Nov 14–15

The ultimate Finnish adventure – a lakeside escape filled with sauna, ice-cold dips, and the magic of the Nordic forest. More than a retreat, this is a chance to build lasting bonds with the other handpicked investors from the program in an unforgettable setting.

People in winter clothes looking at a certificate outdoors

Deep-tech deep-dive Day 4 | Nov 16

Explore Finland’s innovative ecosystem by meeting Helsinki-based successful deep-tech scale-ups and organisations dedicated to this field.

People mingling at a corporate event near a large conference table and Finnish flag

Investor Day at Slush Day 5 | Nov 17

Investor Day aims to connect investors through peer-to-peer roundtables, venture-focused stage programs, pre-booked meetings, organised matchmaking sessions and free networking. In the evening we’ll guide you to curated events in Helsinki, tailored to align with your goals.

Slush 2026 Day 6–7 | Nov 18-19

Enjoy complimentary access to Slush 2025, world’s largest venture capital gathering and end up the days with curated side-events by us.

Meet the participants of 2026 program

Twelve international investors have been selected for Venture Nordics 2026. They’re coming from all corners of the world, representing VC firms, family offices and institutional LPs.

Meet them in Helsinki from 13 to 19 November, and at Slush.

Ani

Asatryan

Investor and Board Member, BANA Angels (LP)

Ani is an angel investor from Armenia and an active member of BANA Angels. She has invested in more than 15 early-stage startups across AI, cybersecurity, deep tech, healthtech and SaaS, and is an LP in several venture funds. She is proud of backing EasyDMARC, a cybersecurity company whose successful exit showed the global potential of Armenian startups. Ani supports founders with strategic guidance and access to international investment networks. She joined Venture Nordics to expand her network among Nordic investors and funds, explore cross-border co-investments, and build lasting partnerships between the Nordics and Armenia.

Antonio

Baena

Managing Partner, A.GAIN (VC)

Antonio has been part of the founding team at A.GAIN since 2019. Spanish by background, he spent the early part of his career in Madrid before moving to Copenhagen in 2023 to build the firm’s Nordic presence. A.GAIN is the technology and sports and entertainment arm of IDC Network, an asset manager founded in 1995 with family-office roots, running about $1 billion with capital from more than 350 family offices and professional investors across 30 countries. He points to CookUnity, first backed in 2019 at around $3 million ARR and now close to $1 billion. A.GAIN also led Bob W’s Series A, so Helsinki is already on the cap table. Antonio joined to build the local relationships that presence depends on, and to leave with a pipeline of Finnish companies to back alongside local leads.

Barbara

Emori

Director, 3E Holding (LP)

Barbara leads the venture and private equity arm of 3E Holding, a second-generation family office in Budapest, a mandate she has built from the ground up over the past two years. 3E invests directly in early-stage companies and as an LP across European venture funds, backing people first and building for the long term. Having studied at Nova School of Business and Economics and worked across Monaco, London, Lisbon and Berlin, she brings an international lens to Central European venture. Barbara joined to meet fellow LPs and family offices, get to know the Nordic ecosystem first-hand, and surface co-investment relationships that fit 3E’s mandate.

Daniel

Stolar

Principal, Colibri Equity Ventures (LP)

Dan is a Principal at Colibri Equity Ventures, the family office of the family behind Stata Equity Group, formed after the sale of some 80 buildings to Starwood Capital. He was brought on to build and lead the firm’s venture effort, investing in emerging managers, historically in the United States and now expanding internationally. The team has backed 17 funds since the programme began, and Colibri is also active in sports, with stakes in Ipswich Town, San Diego FC and the United States SailGP team. Dan joined after meeting a fellow participant at a summit in Utah, wanting to go beyond the few Nordic funds he knew. His goal is to find allocators to partner with and emerging managers offering exposure to the region.

Fernando

Casado Cañeque

General Partner, Inclimo Climate Tech (VC)

Fernando is co-founder and General Partner of Inclimo Climate Tech Fund, a Barcelona-based firm investing in early-stage climate tech across Southern Europe and beyond. Inclimo closed its first fund at €33.6 million and is classified as Article 9 under the EU’s SFDR, backing startups in energy, water, agrifood, mobility, circular economy and climate data. Before Inclimo he founded the sustainability consultancy GlobalCAD and worked for years with the United Nations. He highlights Inclimo’s investment in Boldr, turning homes into residential power plants. Fernando joined to connect two complementary climate ecosystems, meeting Nordic GPs, LPs and research hubs, and positioning Inclimo as the Southern European gateway for Nordic climate startups.

Jesus

Lozano Lopez

Investment Director, A&G Group (VC)

Jesús is Investment Director at A&G Global Investors, where he leads the firm’s €150 million Energy Transition Tech Fund, writing €5 to 10 million cheques into European growth-stage companies in energy transition, industrial technologies and deep tech. His background combines investment, entrepreneurship and the energy sector, including time at Repsol, and he works closely with the European Innovation Council and several innovation hubs. Jesús joined to understand Nordic venture and industrial innovation, find co-investments in climate and energy, and connect the Nordic, Spanish and wider European ecosystems.

María

Portoles

Investment Partner, Vsquared Ventures (VC)

María is an Investment Partner at Vsquared Ventures, a Munich-based firm backing European deep tech at the frontier, across semiconductors, photonics and quantum, space and defence, robotics, energy and infrastructure, and techbio. The firm invests mainly at Seed and Series A, where transformative potential, technological maturity and durable defensibility converge. She is particularly excited about Apollo Generators, which adapts radioisotope power systems proven on NASA deep-space missions to power subsea and offshore infrastructure. María joined the program for dealflow in exactly Vsquared’s sectors, to build relationships with Nordic co-investors and LPs, and because, as she puts it, you cannot diligence hard tech from a deck.

Melih

Herman

Founder, MHS Ventures (LP)

Melih founded the family office MHS Ventures in 2016 together with his sister Etel Baler. Alongside public markets and hedge funds, MHS invests in venture funds and directly in startups such as Spiky.ai and Idenfit, focusing mainly on established funds backing early-growth companies across Europe and the United States. Melih also works closely with Series A and B portfolio companies on their fundraising. He joined the programme to understand how a region of its size has produced so many unicorns, and to build the relationships that give him access to investment opportunities there.

Michael

Natora

Senior Investment Director, Emerald Ventures (VC)

Michael has a background in physics and computational neuroscience and has spent twelve years at Emerald, a global investor in industrial tech and an open innovation platform for multinational corporations, with €1.2 billion in management and advisory. He focuses on cybersecurity and quantum, and as Future and Frontier Technologies Lead he brings the newest tools into the firm. A favourite in the portfolio is Keto Software from Hyvinkää, which helps large corporations stay innovative from the inside out. Michael joined the programme to connect with the Nordic venture and industrial ecosystem, where Emerald sees real value in strong syndicates and startup-corporate partnerships.

Namhyun

Kim

Principal, Mirae Asset Venture Investment (VC)

Namhyun is a Principal at Mirae Asset Venture Investment, the venture arm of Mirae Asset Financial Group, where he has spent a decade investing across IT, agtech, mobility and digital assets. He has seen both sides of the table, previously as an investment manager at SoftBank Ventures and as CFO of a media startup he helped scale internationally. His cross-border portfolio spans Korea, the US, China and Southeast Asia, and includes Genspark, a Silicon Valley AI unicorn. Namhyun studied at Aalto University School of Business, so returning to Helsinki through Venture Nordics is a full-circle moment. He is here to deepen his Nordic network, back exceptional Nordic GPs, and help bridge companies from the region into Asian markets.

Russell

Deakin

Chief Investment Officer, Single FO, Aceana group (LP)

Russell has more than 25 years in alternative assets across North America, Europe, South America, India and China. He invests across venture and private equity, real estate, infrastructure and renewable energy, agriculture and credit, and in recent years has been active in AI, deep tech, life sciences and fintech through funds, direct deals and co-investments. Impact and ESG funds are a particular interest. Russel joined to meet top-ranked Nordic fund managers and entrepreneurs, exchange ideas with fellow fund investors, and expand his network across the region.

Tülin

Tokatli

Managing Partner, Aspire11 (LP)

Tülin is Managing Partner at Aspire11, a €515 million global investment platform backed by pension capital and headquartered in Prague. Through Tribes the firm invests in leading venture funds globally, while Eternals backs growth-stage technology companies directly. Before Aspire11 she spent five years at the European Investment Fund investing in venture funds across Europe. Tülin joined to build long-term relationships across the Nordics, discover exceptional managers for Aspire11, and strengthen the firm’s presence in the region.

Seokjae

Lee

Head of Investment Venture Division, Wonik Investment Partners (VC)

Stephano is a venture capitalist with an engineering background and more than 25 years of investing in Korean deep tech. He leads the VC division at Wonik Investment Partners, which manages around USD 1 billion across its PE and VC arms and is part of Wonik Group, one of Korea’s top three semiconductor equipment manufacturers. He is lead fund manager on a new USD 100 million deep tech fund covering semiconductors, robotics, aerospace, quantum and next-generation energy. He is proudest of TeraView, a UK company he helped list on KOSDAQ. Stephano joined to understand how the Nordics sustain globally competitive deep tech, and to build long-term co-investment relationships between Korea and the region.

Sign up to the newsletter and get exclusive insights and structured information on venture capital, scaling opportunities, and innovation in Helsinki, Finland and the Nordics. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Hi from Helsinki

“A big shoutout to the Venture Nordics team for such a thoughtfully designed program. It gave us the time and space to really understand the ecosystem, connect with key players, and build genuine relationships with the other participants. It was a truly special experience.”

Laura Fox | Co-founder & Managing Partner,
Streetlife Ventures

VentureNordics_14.11_eveningatmaria-36.jpg

“The program provided a strong foundational understanding of the VC ecosystem and investment landscape in Helsinki. It also connected us to various organisations such as investors and service providers to help us kick start our investments in the region.”

Nobutake Suzuki | President and CEO, MUFG Innovation Partners (CVC)

“Access to local GPs is really important when entering a new region. At first, it’s difficult to tell which funds are great, good, or just average. Venture Nordics cuts through that noise by connecting you with the best managers and doing it in a very personal way. I’m going home with real relationships and 10–12 follow-up conversations already lined up.”

Luka Jurcic | Investment Analyst, CoastCap

Venture Nordics participants visiting Nokia HQ in 2024

Meet the Venture Nordics alumni

Be part of a growing alumni network of 30+ Venture Nordics investors from top funds and family offices, including Lowercarbon Capital, SBI Ventures, Potrero Capital, MUFG Innovation Partners, CoastCap and the American Chemical Society — together managing over €50B AUM.

Get to know them

Still not convinced? Hear us out!

VC fund performing well-above European average

18.5% IRR and 2.9x TVPI

Finnish VC funds (inception 2009–2015) are outperforming the European comparison with a 18.5% annual return of a TVPI of 2.9x and a DPI of 1.4x. [Source: TESI]

Fundraising by Finnish VCs reached a record

€678M in 2025

Fundraising by Finnish venture capital investors focusing on startups rose to an all-time high last year, with a total of €678 million raised. [Source: Finnish Venture Capital Association]

Helsinki is the unicorn factory in the Nordics

17 unicorns born in Finland

Finland’s startup ecosystem has given birth to 17 unicorns, including Rovio Games (the creator of the Angry Birds franchise), Wolt (a food delivery technology company), and Supercell (the creator of Clash of Clans) and Oura (the revolutionary smart ring). [Source: Helsingin Sanomat)

Growth funds born in Helsinki

400 million VC fund

Finnish venture capital firm Lifeline Ventures has raised its sixth and largest fund to date, at the size of EUR 400 million.

Forerunner in the Global Innovation Index

#8 in the world and #2 in the Nordics

Finland consistently ranks among the top 10 in the Global Innovation Index and is recognised for institutional and its talent strengths. [Source: Global Innovation Index 2026]

On par with Sweden at deal value

35.1% of Nordic deal value

Finland now represents 35.1% of total Nordic deal value, putting it on equal footing with Sweden. [Source: Pitchbook]

Your team in Helsinki

If you have any questions about the program or about setting up or investing in a fund in the Nordics– you can find the relevant contact details below. We’ll make sure to get back to you as soon as possible.

Panu

Maulaheimo

Lead, Venture

+358 40 669 3888 panu.maulaheimo@helsinkipartners.com

Tian

Yu

Senior Advisor, Venture

+358 45 225 8618 tian.yu@helsinkipartners.com

Cristina

Vijoli

Venture Advisor & Senior Marketing Manager

+358 50 357 1228 cristina.vijoli@helsinkipartners.com

Q&A about Venture Nordics program

What is the Venture Nordics program?

Venture Nordics is a seven-day program run by Helsinki Partners that brings international investors to Helsinki, Finland, to explore the Nordic venture ecosystem. The program includes exclusive networking events with Nordic VCs and LPs, visits to Finnish promising startups and scale-ups, curated list of Slush side-events for international investors and complimentary access to Slush, the world’s largest venture capital gathering.

Who is Venture Nordics for?

Venture Nordics is designed for international VCs with an existing Europe/ Nordic strategy looking for being more present into the Nordic market, international LPs eyeing the great performance of the Nordic funds and the great amount of unicorns born out of this region, and international Family Offices wanting to expand their networking in the region. Applicants are based outside Finland.

When and where does Venture Nordics 2026 take place?

Venture Nordics 2026 runs in Helsinki, Finland from 13 to 19 November 2026, with participants arriving on 12 November. The program concludes with Slush on 18 and 19 November.

How much does Venture Nordics cost?

Participation in Venture Nordics is complimentary and sponsored by the City of Helsinki for selected investors, including the Slush ticket and program events. Participants cover their own flights and accommodation in Helsinki (except the cottage night which is covered by Helsinki Partners).

What is included in the Venture Nordics program?

Venture Nordics includes a free ticket to Slush, exclusive networking events with Nordic VCs, LPs and family offices, startups and VCs visits across the Finnish tech ecosystem, a weekend retreat at a Finnish lakeside cottage, and membership of the Venture Nordics alumni network.

How do I apply for Venture Nordics?

Applications for Venture Nordics open annually and are submitted through the program page on www.venturenordics.com. Applications for the 2026 edition are now closed. Subscribe to the Helsinki Partners newsletter to be notified when applications for the 2027 program open.

How many investors are selected for Venture Nordics?

Venture Nordics selects a small cohort each year to keep the program personal and tailored to the participants’ needs. The 2026 edition selected 13 investors from more than 70 applications, representing VC firms, family offices and institutional LPs across Asia, Europe and North America.

Who organises Venture Nordics program?

Venture Nordics is organised by Helsinki Partners, the city marketing and investment promotion agency of the City of Helsinki. The program is managed and run by Panu Maulaheimo, Tian Yu and Cristina Vijoli from the LP & Fund team of Helsinki Partners.

What is the Venture Nordics Alumni Network?

The Venture Nordics Alumni Network comprises former participants of the program, so international VCs, LPs and Family Offices managing €52B+ AUM from prestigious companies such as Lowercarbon Capital, SBI Ventures, MUFG Innovation Partners, CoastCap and more. Alumni continue to receive invitations to exclusive networking events across New Nordics, where they can further meet promising startups, prestigious Family Offices and Limited Partners as well as potential co-investors (Nordic VCs).

Why invest in Finland through Venture Nordics?

Finnish VC funds with 2009 to 2015 inception delivered 18.5% IRR, 2.9x TVPI and 1.4x DPI, outperforming the European comparison. Finnish VC fundraising reached a record €678 million in 2025, Finland has produced 17 unicorns including Supercell, Wolt and Rovio, and now accounts for 35.1% of Nordic deal value.

What are the “New Nordics”?

The New Nordics refers to the Nordic tech ecosystem of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, along with the Baltic one: Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. The New Nordics region has a population of 33M people with 100+ unicorns.

Do I need to be based outside Finland to apply?

Yes. Venture Nordics is designed for international investors based outside Finland who want to explore and build relationship inside the Nordic venture ecosystem, starting with Helsinki, Finland.