Nordic Startup News

22/11/2025

Gaming year 2025 is ending soon. Is the most inspiring development the emergence of purpose-driven gaming? Beyond entertainment, developers are exploring new “white space” opportunities in education, health, and social impact.

Games that teach, heal, and inspire—like fitness gamification apps and narrative titles tackling social issues—are broadening the definition of what games can achieve.

Read more by Vahur Orrin here:

The global gaming industry is entering a golden age. With an expected climb to $206.5 billion by 2028, gaming continues to prove its resilience and dynamism. This steady 3% compound annual growth rate is not only a testament to the sector’s economic strength but also to its expanding cultural and ...

22/11/2025

Diffraqtion received a million-euro capital investment from venture capital firms General Catalyst and Cherry Ventures at the conclusion of the Slush event winning the famous Slush 100 competition.

Read more here:

Out of the hundred companies selected for the Slush 100 pitching competition, three of the most promising growth companies were filtered into the final of the Slush growth company event on Thursday, November 20. Diffraqtion, the company developing the Galileo 1 super-camera and the eventual winner,....

20/11/2025

The winner of 2025 Slush100 is… 🥁

Story here: https://nordicstartupnews.com/slush-2025-diffraqtion-took-it-all/

20/11/2025

NOKIA's previous CEO Pekka Lundmark is eyeing on his life after Nokia. So far, he has invested in one startup, Qmill, but, for sure, more is to come.

“Finland desperately needs economical growth, and I think alike many others, the startups and scaleups are here to bring a big chunk of it. Therefore I can see my role and even responsibility to support them as an investor and mentor in the near future, starting next year.

Read more here:

In June 2020 , it was announced that Pekka Lundmark would join Nokia on August 2020. Earlier this year, in February 2025, Nokia announced that Lundmark would step down as president and CEO on 31 March and be succeeded by Justin Hotard.However, Pekka Lundmark will continue to serve as an advisor to H...

19/11/2025

The Slush Week has reached the midpoint, Day1, the opening ceremony was powerful, the slogan "STILL DOUBTING EUROPE? GO TO HEL" sets the scene of European development. It feels great to see how the is on again, putting startup founders into the focus, front of tough, but Fair Jyry. Good luck to all Semi and final finalisti 👌

/Peter

17/11/2025

Slush is on. Not on a ground yet, but the forecast promise has good signs for ❄️🌨️

The Slush week was kicked off nicely at Maria01, w/ Marko Voutilainen’s pro tips for the Slush week for Founders.

As there are 6000 startups and 3500 investors, and all in all 4 Trillion € investments, Helsinki and Slush Week is going to be super exciting for most of us.

So, be ready to pitch wherever, whenever!

And be ready to change the world.

Be helpful, be kind, be human. It is all about the people.

Kind, smart, ambitious people. Theee is this Slush saying: “Give 80, get 80. Give 100, get 1000 - so it really is the last 20% that matters!

Marko’s top tips for Slush:

1: Alter the pitch constantly, different pitch to different investors

2: try to build relationship, get to know investors personally as much as possible

3: pitching is not a monologue, it’s a dialogue

4: Homework before meetings, main things are direction and numbers, shots on goal. But do not shoot without direction, know who you need (as investor) and know what you can offer and what you want/need from that investor

5: follow ups after Slush: Have your pitch deck polished, but don’t try to close, build relationship at Slush.

Some great discussions with the audience and Marko:

The Slush side events: Go hang out, meet the people who know the people and go with the flow. It’s social engineering.

Pro tip: try to get their (investor’s, or anyone you meet and want to build relationships with) WhatsApp, their phone number, instead of email/LinkedIn (which you by the way get from Slush Platform of from the Internet:).

Hope you get them to like you and introduce to friends and other investors. So coming back to the being kind and a great human being. It is all about “human”, or at least 70%, only 30% product.

Also great points on the Slush Week, without Slush Badge. So for example for bootstrapped startups (or “normal” companies”) for one week Helsinki becomes San Francisco. Serendipity is in the air. Even if not raising, this week is great to hang out. Free events inside Messukeskus and all around Helsinki. Slush week is still amazing even without the Sluh badge.

Read more about the side events: https://nordicstartupnews.com/slush-2025-side-events/

/Peter

16/11/2025

Hey peeps, see you at the Holiday Inn/Side Event Wing on Slush day1 @ 15:30. Quick recap of SXSW2026 plans of Nordic/Baltic startups (aka Finestbayarea)

Hey'all.

The time has come. To say YES to SXSW. Join the info session during Slush Day1

The 2026 is pretty interesting, as all the industries are bundled together (as the Austin Convention Center is not in use)

Nordic Startup News will be again covering SXSW (almost like Slush), so listing the best side events and the most interesting Nordic & Baltic (aka Finestbayarea) startups!

The plans are ongoing. MobileMonday planned to be happening again, the "BBB" Accommodation is definitely happening at the same, awesome location. Music and Film with the plans as well, so we will cover the whole show!!

But Slush first. So, on Day1 afternoon we will have a little "1B" gettogether at 15:30 at the Messukeskus Holiday Inn lobby (Slde Event Wing). No Badge required!!!

Sign up for your 1/3 B...
https://platform.slush.org/public/slush25/activities/785d7e02-ba99-4262-8b78-ba27ce108d96

BBB = Bed, Beer, Breakfast. One of those will be available on 19th, come and see which:)

/Peter

14/11/2025

*** Slush LIVE stream ***

We wrote earlier about the Slush Side Events, which many are accessible without the Slush badge.

Many events happen at the Messukeskus, the main venue (Messukeskus Siipi aka Side Event Wing)

So, sit in the Holiday Inn Expo hotel lobby, right above the Slush happpening, and tune into the Slush LIVE stream.Might be a good idea to us badge holders, too

(here's my secret - I spend most of my Slush Day Time at the Media Lounge, checking out stage talks from screens:) or climb out of the darkness to network at the Wing)

/Peter

14/11/2025

14/11/2025

The Slush week(s) are here! Oulu was the first community where the startuppers gathered for a side event under the Slush banner. Read more here:

OULU, FINLAND – The annual Slush Oulu Community Side Event was held as entire successfully bringing an atmosphere of startup energy to Northern Finland. The event, which marked the fifth year the local ecosystem has gathered to celebrate the famous Slush spirit, showcased the strength of the Oulu ...