Established by the University of Helsinki in spring 2020, the HELSEED student entrepreneurship programme aims to support and encourage students to transform their ideas into startups. The University of Helsinki Funds will make an initial investment of €10,000–€50,000 in the most promising startups.
To support the programme, the University of Helsinki Funds established the HELSEED endowment fund in early 2021. The fund’s capital and returns will be used for these investments. The anchor investor of the fund was Tradeka Foundation with a donation of €50,000.
“Tradeka’s donation was a welcome boost and we thank them for their contribution. We hope that it will spur others to donate to the fund in order to support student entrepreneurship,” says Anders Ekholm, Chief Investment Officer of the University of Helsinki.
First investments made
The first HELSEED investments have now been made with the help of Tradeka’s donation. The investments, worth €30,000 each, were made in Evergreen Viherseinät Oy and Evexia Oy.
Evergreen Viherseinät Oy manufactures and sells user- and eco-friendly plant cultivation equipment and provides related services. The products promote abundant yields and serve as part of the everyday surroundings of people and businesses. In addition to growing useful plants, the systems increase the attractiveness of various spaces.
Evexia Oy encourages patient-oriented healthcare through building a new digital solution for cancer care. Evexia’s mobile application, data-analysis and clinical dashboard allows doctors to make better and more objective care decisions for patients and thus make cancer care better for all involved.
Investment negotiations are currently ongoing with some other teams involved in the HELSEED programme. More than 20 business plans were submitted in the first HELSEED programme.
“We got off to a great start. I believe that the investments now made will encourage students to bring other promising startups to our attention. Our students have a tremendous amount of potential,” says Deputy Chief Investment Officer Marko Berg, who is responsible for the programme.
HELSEED workshops provide information and support to all those interested in entrepreneurship
This spring, Helsinki Think Company will organise HELSEED workshops that will provide support and tools for different stages of business operations, from refining the idea and selecting a business model to commencing marketing and piloting the idea. The workshops will continue in the autumn when participants can develop their entrepreneurial ideas further. The workshops will be held in English on Zoom.
The HELSEED workshops are open to all those interested in entrepreneurial skills and can be attended either on a one-off basis or comprehensively. Participants need not to submit a business plan as part of the HELSEED programme.
Further information:
Marko Berg, deputy chief investment officer, University of Helsinki
Phone +358 41 534 9893, marko.berg@helsinki.fi
Micaela Haapanen, HELSEED programme manager, Helsinki Think Company
Phone +358 44 445 7654, micaela@thinkcompany.fi
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News item 9 Feb 2021: The University of Helsinki established HELSEED, an endowment fund that invests in startups – Co-operative Tradeka becomes an anchor investor