Demo Day 2026

Demo Day logo without any clutter

Aalto Startup Center x A Grid Demo Day on March 4th 2026

Aalto Startup Center Demo Day is the perfect opportunity to see the innovation that comes out of Aalto University. During the day, startups and research to business cases from Aalto Startup Center and A Grid portfolio set up to present their case for participants to examine and explore.

In 2025 we had over 90 different booths and over 700 attendees exploring the cutting edge of innovation in Finland. And we aim to top that this year on March 4th.

Demo Day 2024 exhibitors and visitors.

PROGRAM

10:00 - 12:00
FiBAN's Pitching Competition

13:00 - 17:00
Startup Showcase

  • Our startups and research projects are ready to meet you! Come and explore our different floors at A Grid and check out for yourself the inventions that are shaping the future. Almost 100 companies and deep tech projects will be present at the event with a booth to explain what are they working on and answer your burning questions.

WORKSHOPS

13:15 - 13:45
XSTRYV (Fenton room, A Grid's 3rd floor)

  • Demo Day is not only about showcasing your startup. It’s also a place where students and early-career talent come to meet teams, learn about startups, and explore future opportunities. To help you turn short event conversations into meaningful connections, XSTRYV provides a simple way to capture interest and connect with relevant talent. It is an intelligent talent matchmaking platform designed to reduce hiring friction and manual screening,so you can move faster and connect with better-aligned candidates, beyond CVs.

14:00 - 14:45
Wednesday (Fenton room, A Grid's 3rd floor)

  • From Strengths to Startups: In this workshop, we explore how early-stage entrepreneurs can identify real business opportunities by starting from their individual strengths, experiences, and personal brand. Instead of chasing trends, participants will learn how to map their unique positioning, recognize where their skills meet market demand, and translate that into clear monetization paths. The session is practical, reflective, and action-oriented, so attendees leave with a clearer direction for building opportunities aligned with who they are.

14:15 - 14:45
Aalto Founders' School showcase (Jeti auditorium, A Grid's 2nd floor)

  • Aalto Founder Sprint's Spring Cohort takes the stage for the first time. Four teams of students from different backgrounds have spent the past weeks in the building phase, developing their ideas from the ground up. Demo Day marks their first public showcase, where they will present what they've built and put their thinking to the test in front of a live audience.

15:00 - 15:30
XSTRYV (Fenton room, A Grid's 3rd floor)

  • Second instalment of the session that took place at 13:15 (details above).

This year we have expanded the program.

The main body of the event takes place on the afternoon of 4th of March when the startups and research to business projects set up their booths for the eager to wonder all along the lobby areas of A Grid (Otakaari 5) as well as the first two floors of Aalto Startup Center office spaces.

However, we're also organizing a pitch competition in the morning of the day in collaboration with FiBAN. It's the perfect opportunity for the startups and R2Bs who take part in showcasing their projects during afternoon to get a pitch in in front of an audience of investors and interested stakeholders before presenting in more detail on the booth.

For investors:

We are organizing a dedicated investor experience in collaboration with Business Espoo this time around. If you want to join or have any question about this event, contact Sini Karhunen at sini.1.karhunen@aalto.fi

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Startups and Research to Business Projects With a Booth

DIRECTIONS AND PRACTICALITIES

In case of inquiries, contact:

 Markus Karva

Markus Karva

Entrepreneurial Coordinator
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