On November 22, the Slush Forum was held in Helsinki, Finland, gathering in a cozy chamber the residents of Skolkovo Foundation, Finnish business angels, serial entrepreneurs and local startups.
The leading co-organizers of this event were Veijo Hytti and Timo Soininen, prominent Finnish business angels and serial entrepreneurs, and Anna Nikina, Head of International Programs Development for the Skolkovo Technopark.
Mr. Hytti has experience in leading a Finnish marketing concern, and is now involved in seven startups in various roles – from owner to adviser. Mr. Soininen manages Sudunka, a mobile applications startup, and his experience includes creating such startups as Sulake and Habbo, which were started from scratch, and are now multi-million dollar businesses.
Veijo Hytti explained why he thinks this event is extremely important:
We find ourselves on the threshold of great opportunities, and our goal and dream is to connect Russian minds and rapidly growing economic muscles to Finnish know-how in the fields of technology and branding. We are united by creativity and deep thinking. Ten years ago, in Finland all thought that people were not interested in opening up their own businesses, and that everyone preferred to work for large companies. Today, everyone wants to establish a startup. The same thing will happen in Russia – and even faster than we think.
Anna Nikina, Director of International Programs Development for the Skolkovo Technopark, added:
The development of the business community, with the participation of Russian startups, and their integration into the international environment is an ambitious goal, which consists of small, but specific steps. This event is one such step, which provides an opportunity to make acquaintances, to communicate, to introduce oneself and one’s project, and to establish cooperation.
At the event, Anna Nikina spoke about the Skolkovo Innovation Center and about the Technopark, which can become reliable partners for Finnish entrepreneurs.
Skolkovo residents made pitch-presentations. Finnish investors and business angels also presented themselves, which, incidentally, is not often seen.
As Heli Nelimarkka, one of the leading business angels in Finland, explained: “As a rule, business angels never appear on the scene.”
Dmitry Rokityansky, Director of Development at Global Lab LLC, noted that the event was marked by the fact that:
People were selected very successfully, they had the opportunity to talk to each other, including to business angels, and in the future they have to work on these contacts.
Olga Nikitina, Director of NPP Tenzosensor LLC had this to say:
Participation in such events gives us great opportunities, and serves as a guide to international business. The party, organized by Anna Nikina on November 22 at the offices of the Bob Company, which is a leading consulting company in Helsinki, gave us an opportunity to make very useful contacts with representatives of venture investors, and to talk in a private setting about the specifics of doing business in that country.
Such events would not be available to us as a startup, without the support of Skolkovosaid the director of Tenzosensor.
Аnna Nikinа Head of Development, International Programs T +7 (495) 967 0148 ext.2491 E an(at)sk.ru
Calendar of international programs: http://international.sk.ru