Helsinki Incubators Alumni: "Innovate with purpose"—Dora Health Provides a Solution for Pet Health Monitoring

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Helsinki Incubators alumni , an MSc student in Chemistry at the University of Helsinki and CEO of , to discuss his journey and how taking part in the university’s entrepreneurship programmes helped him transform an early idea into an ambitious pet health tech startup aiming to go global.

“Lately we’ve been working on the algorithms and also looking at the design of our products,” explains the mild-mannered, soft-spoken Ahonen, describing the steady progress he and his Dora team are making. “Soon we’ll be starting research trials and testing different methods to see what works best.”

While Ahonen and his team are now focused on the future and pushing to the next level, we’re here to take a look back at how it all began: with Compass 2, held in the first few months of 2023. How did a chemistry student with no prior business experience go from an idea-stage solopreneur to leading a promising health tech startup in such a short time?

Taking part in the programme proved to be an encouraging and constructive experience for Ahonen. Through a well-structured series of informative workshops and the valuable feedback — both positive and critical — he received from fellow participants and mentors, he was able to further develop and refine his idea. What was once Blood Sugar Control eventually evolved into GlucoseCTRL — a stronger, more focused concept shaped by collaboration and continuous learning.

Reflecting on his journey so far, Ahonen admits with a smile, “I couldn’t have done this all by myself.”

Let’s rewind back to the start. It’s not that long ago that what is now Dora Collar was still just an idea, and Ahonen was only getting ready to take his first steps in entrepreneurship.

A diabetic himself, Ahonen had been thinking for some time about how he could utilise machine learning and AI to create a solution to improve quality of life for his fellow diabetics. “I had a concept, a vision,” he explains, adding that, having always been interested in entrepreneurship, he believed that his idea could have real impact on the lives of the half a billion diabetics across the world if turned into a health tech startup.

And so, when Ahonen saw the call for Compass and how it painted the programme as a platform for, among other things, launching impactful AI-based startups, he figured that applying with his Blood Sugar Control algorithm couldn’t hurt. 

It’s been a couple of years since he began his entrepreneurial journey, and during that time, he’s gained a wealth of experience: from learning how to pivot effectively to showcasing his startups at numerous pitching competitions across Finland. So, where is Dora Collar today?

Taking part in our programmes proved an encouraging and constructive experience for Ahonen. With its well-planned structure of informative workshops and the feedback – both positive and negative – he received from fellow participants and workshop experts, he successfully worked on developing his idea further, and what was once Blood Sugar Control turned into GlucoseCTRL.

A few years later, Ahonen has come a long way from those early days of experimentation. At Dora, Ahonen now leads market expansion and coordinates collaboration among departments to advance the company’s mission of democratising pet health monitoring.

Reflecting on his journey, he explains that after graduation, he launched Dora with an initial focus on diabetes management in humans, developing predictive models for blood glucose levels. However, insights gained during the incubator prompted a pivot toward proactive health monitoring for dogs. “Collaborating with a Finnish company for design and manufacturing has been a significant step forward,” he says. “It’s allowed us to move closer to realising our vision for innovative pet health solutions.”

Ahonen credits the programme with giving him the flexibility and mindset needed to adapt.“The supportive community encouraged me to pivot and taught me the importance of staying open to new ideas,” he recalls. “Learning to explore different markets and actively listen to our customers has been invaluable. It shaped my approach to building a responsive startup that truly meets the needs of pet owners.”

What began as a solo effort has now grown into a team of eight, combining expertise in product development, software engineering, and veterinary science. Partnering with a Finnish IoT company has strengthened their technological foundation, and the team is preparing to launch their health monitoring product by the end of next year, with continued work on a microchip for more accurate readings:

“We’re deeply committed to improving pet healthcare,” Ahonen says with a smile. “Every step we take brings us closer to helping pets live healthier, happier lives.”

Looking back at the start of his journey, Ahonen is grateful that he took the first step of applying to Compass. When asked what words of advice he would have for his fellow University students considering applying to the programme, Ahonen thinks for a moment.

“Entrepreneurship opens so many doors,” Ahonen says, “of course, it comes with a lot of challenges, but it’s nothing you can’t overcome.” But by starting your own startup, he continues, you can have a lot of impact on people’s lives. As he sees it, to embark on a journey through a programme like Compass can really help those with visions of a better world get there.

As for final words of advice?

“Innovate with purpose, focus on the goal, but also make a lot of friends on the journey as well.”