DealFlow Night: Helsinki startup ecosystems collaborate to connect founders with investors

Every ambitious founder wants the chance to meet investors face to face. But getting those meetings is not always easy. DealFlow Night was created to close this gap for promising Helsinki startups working in sustainability, med-tech and deep-tech.

Jointly organized by Aalto Startup Center, Business Helsinki Accelerator, Health Incubator Helsinki and legal advisory Lexia, this year’s event was held on a sunny September evening at startup hub Maria 01. Finnish investor network FiBAN provided support too.

“This is the second time we’ve brought our ecosystems together for DealFlow Night. By pooling our resources, we can provide founders with a focused way to meet investors and start real conversations. It’s a very different atmosphere from the big startup fairs,” said event coordinator Mia-Stiina Heikkala, Senior Business Advisor at Helsinki Accelerator.

In the months leading up to the event, the 12 startups received dedicated support to sharpen their investor pitches. TV host and singer-songwriter Elias Kaskinen led presentation and voice-training sessions aimed at building on-stage confidence, while author and pitching coach Walid O. El Cheikh brought in-depth substance expertise through his proven Pitching FOR LIFE method, used widely in schools, startup hubs, executive courses, leadership programs, company trainings, and keynote speeches.

“I like the way this event brings together different incubators and a carefully chosen investor crowd,” said Attorney at Law Marko Moilanen, a startup and growth expert at Lexia Attorneys. “For founders, it’s a chance to have their plans examined by people who understand technology and the business side of scaling internationally.”

Circular ideas for a cleaner economy

Sustainability was one of the most popular themes with the investor audience. Three of the startups are rethinking materials and resources to reduce waste and emissions.  

Paahtu turns used coffee grounds into material-dense logs that burn slower than wood. The company’s circular approach also reduces landfill methane and cuts transport emissions. 

Business angel Jyri Leinonen, who comes from a family with a forestry background, was impressed by the product: “I love the circular-economy angle – getting paid for waste and turning it into a sellable resource. If they can also produce smaller briquettes, bio-heating centers across Finland would be a natural market.” 
 
Another circular company is Bubbles with Benefits, which makes fully bio-based and water-soluble bubble wrap. With three pilots already underway, the team is aiming at the EUR 33 billion global packaging market. Samples of the material were passed around during the pitch, prompting questions from investors about extending the company’s use cases.

Ecocan digitizes bottle and can recycling with QR-coded labels and a smartphone app. The company is building on a successful pilot in Kenya with plans to scale its solution across East Africa. Ecocan’s technology rewards each return, lowering collection costs for beverage producers while combating counterfeits and gathering market data.

AI-powered care, creativity and code

Several of the featured startups are working on med-tech and deep-tech solutions, often using AI to tackle complex health and industrial challenges.

Uoma combines psychology expertise and AI to turn conversations into personalized stories that help users reframe their anxiety and depression. Ankerias is aimed at cutting reliance on opioids, using AI and sensors to provide personalized spinal-cord stimulation therapies for patients with chronic pain. Software project Surgerix develops imaging solutions that combine multiple video feeds into a single view, for greater precision in microsurgery operations. 

By using AI to integrate data from exercise, nutrition, sleep and mood, the platform-agnostic BodiBuddy service provides users and wellness professionals with daily guidance. Completing the med-tech group, Hoivita deploys ceiling sensors that send real-time alerts and activity trends to carers – enabling people to live at home for longer.  

In deep tech, Aani pitched a solution that lets ordinary microphones capture true spatial audio. The company is already in discussions with major camera manufacturers. Taru Tech drew attention for its AI solution that playtests games in minutes instead of weeks – slashing costs and speeding up game releases. Two pilots and a developer waitlist indicate strong traction.

Foxdo is an online service that enables people to easily find contractors for home renovations, while AVITE.io uses AI to create training videos directly from product manuals – boosting engagement while saving content production costs.

“This was a well-run, classic pitching evening, with short and sharp presentations followed by direct questions. It’s a great way to see a cross-section of founders and start the conversations that lead to real investments,” said Juha Ruohonen, a Founding Partner at Superhero Capital.

Companies that are part of the following incubator and accelerator programs:

Aalto Startup Center: Bubbles with Benefits, Aani, Paahtu, Taru Tech
Health Incubator Helsinki: Ankerias, Uoma, Hoivita
Business Helsinki Accelerator: BodiBuddy, Ecocan, AVITE.io, Foxdo