*Startup ideas, innovations and collaboration – *ship Startup Festival 2025 celebrated the frontrunners of progress

Bold ideas and young talents – day one showcased the diversity of entrepreneurship

The two-day event once again offered an impressive overview of the Finnish startup landscape – full of bold ideas, inspiring discussions and meaningful encounters. The festival brought together startups, investors, students, experts and the changemakers of tomorrow. The highlight of the event, the Pitch Captain Competition, brought forward impactful solutions from startups: the grand prize went to Agronomy, second place to USVA, and third to DAIVIN!

The first day kicked off with keynote speeches exploring the courage to challenge established ways of working (Sanna Koskela), global growth strategies (Jarmo Lumpus), and building businesses that truly address meaningful needs (Michaela Ramm-Schmidt).

A junior-level pitching competition was also held on the opening day, thanks to the support of the regional development company Cursor Oy. Seven teams participated, representing Karhula Upper Secondary School, Ekami, the business program at Kauniainen Upper Secondary School, and the International Business line at Lauttasaari Upper Secondary School. Among these talented upper secondary students, the winners were:

1. Eero Järvinen & Pavel Baranov – Green Route
2. Tiitus Tamminen, Veeti Eerikäinen, Aleksi Kalli & Olga Metelkina – LocalChoice
3. Huugo Kauhanen & Eeli Gunnar – Kauha

Long-time *ship participant Mikko Green (Google) captured the spirit of the day perfectly:
“It feels like coming home. I’ve been involved in the event for the last 10 years, and it’s great to see it still going strong. I feel truly comfortable and proud to be part of it.”

Participants also had the opportunity to dive deeper into entrepreneurial themes through Creator*ship workshops, led by RDI experts from Xamk. Topics included pitching skills, creative competitiveness, ikigai- business ideas with real intent, and new directions in entrepreneurship education. This brought the first day of the event to a successful close.

Encounters, growth stories and ambition – day two brought together the builders of the future

The second day culminated in the Pitch Captain Competition, where no fewer than 30 startups from across Finland pitched their solutions to the jury. At the same time, an ES Meetup took place in the background, organized by the student entrepreneurship society Patteri ES. This side event brought together ES representatives and investors for hands-on workshop sessions focused on building future opportunities and strengthening collaboration networks.

Before the announcement of the Pitch Captain Competition winners, an impactful Fireside Chat took place, featuring Mikko Green (Google) and Aleksi Aaltonen (Accelerando). The discussion delved into timely topics such as the impact of early-stage companies, Finland’s inherent strengths, building purposeful and sustainable startups, and the future of the Finnish innovation landscape.

Harsh from Happiness Games, a Xamk-based startup participating in the Pitch Captain Competition, described the experience as follows:
“Fantastic effort from everyone! We’ve received so many opportunities as people have connected us with investors and other important contacts.”

Winners of the Pitch Captain Competition:

1. place (€10,000): Agronomy – A technology platform that connects producers and customers by reshaping the food supply chain to be fairer and more efficient.
2. place (€3,000): USVA – Smart film technology that integrates privacy, energy generation, design, and communication into glass surfaces.
3. place (€2,000): DAIVIN! – A groundbreaking solution that enables humans to breathe underwater.

Best Startup from Southern Kymenlaakso (sponsored by Cursor, €1,000): Fråbär – A healthy treat combining Nordic berries and frozen yogurt for a refreshing snacking experience.

The jury was impressed by the diversity and high standard of the competition

Tuula Metsälä stated: “There was such an energizing atmosphere on *ship’s second day, especially during the Pitch Captain Competition.”

Sini Ågrén commented: “It would have been difficult to rank startups that were too similar. As a judge, it was both inspiring and challenging that the startups were at very different stages of development.”

Samu Mankkinen summed it up: “All the startups were great. It must be said that the competition successfully brought together a wonderfully diverse range of teams.”

What remained after the event was a strong sense of community, inspiration, and a shared desire to build the future of entrepreneurship together.

A heartfelt thank you to all participants, jury members, speakers, and volunteers – and above all, to our partners: East Coast Events, Cursor Oy, Innovestor, the City of Kotka, Google, Patteri ES, and FiBAN.
See you at the next *ship!

Warm regards,
The *ship event team