Building the Next Generation of Finnish Deep Tech Success Stories
Finland has world-class expertise in semiconductors, microelectronics and deep tech. The challenge is not only to develop excellent technology, but also to turn that expertise into growing companies, new industrial business and long-term competitiveness.
To support this transition, the Finnish Chips Competence Center (FiCCC), Technology Industries of Finland and Aalto University have launched a six-month mentoring pilot program for Finnish semiconductor and deep tech startups.
The program brings together 10 selected startups with experienced technology and business professionals. Its aim is to support companies across both technical and business development, from advancing technologies and accessing relevant expertise and infrastructure to commercialization, funding, partnerships, international growth, and scaling.
Mentoring based on real company needs
The program is built around the individual needs of each startup rather than offering generic mentoring.
At the beginning of the program, participating companies identified the areas where experienced external guidance could best support their next steps. Based on these needs, startups were pre-matched with mentors whose backgrounds and experience were considered relevant.
The mentors bring experience from areas such as technology leadership, entrepreneurship, strategy, commercialization, financing, business development, and scaling technology companies.
Rather than simply assigning mentors to companies, the program allows both sides to assess the fit before forming longer-term mentoring relationships.
From kick-off to active mentoring
The program kick-off was held on 28 August 2026 at A Grid in Otaniemi, Espoo.
During the event, startups presented their technologies, businesses and key challenges and met with their pre-matched mentors in focused discussions.
The matchmaking process continued after the kick-off through additional one-to-one meetings. This allowed startups and mentors to explore potential collaboration more closely before the final mentoring relationships were confirmed.
The objective has not been to maximise the number of mentors for each company, but to find the right people for the right challenges.
Ten companies, different growth paths
The participating companies are:
They represent a broad range of technologies, including semiconductors, processor architectures, photonics, sensing technologies, medical technology, energy solutions, and industrial applications.
Because the companies are at different stages of development, each mentoring relationship focuses on the startup’s own priorities and business challenges.
A six-month pilot designed to create long-term value
Following the matchmaking phase, startups and mentors are now moving into regular mentoring discussions during the six-month program.
The startups take an active role in identifying the topics they want to address and sharing relevant questions or materials in advance. Mentors contribute to their experience, challenge assumptions, provide new perspectives, and, where relevant, help companies connect with wider networks.
The program also includes joint activities and workshops coordinated by Aalto University, as well as a mid-program review to collect feedback and assess progress.
As a pilot, the program is also an opportunity to learn what kind of mentoring model works best for semiconductors and deep tech startups.
The ambition goes beyond the six-month program itself. By connecting promising companies with experienced industry professionals, the program aims to create relationships, knowledge exchange, and networks that can continue supporting the companies beyond the formal mentoring period.
In this way, the pilot contributes not only to the development of individual startups, but also to a stronger Finnish semiconductor and deep tech ecosystem.
