Startup companies in Tampere, Finland, predict growth

According to the new startup survey made by Business Tampere, the startups have succeeded in surviving the pandemic with fairly small consequences. The amount of young, innovative companies in the Tampere region has also grown compared to previous years.   

The smallest startup companies have been the successors in surviving the pandemic. According to the survey, the strongest development of personnel and turnover was found among the startups with turnover from 250 000 euros to one million euros. These companies also had the most optimistic forecasts for the coming year. The survey focused on researching the increase of turnover, growth, employment, state of funding round, internationalization and the need for support of the fast, international growth among startup companies in the Tampere Region. 

Some of the strongest growing startup companies in the Tampere region are EVA Solutions Group, offering services for charging electric cars, MORE Automation, operating on modernizing industrial machine tools, Vaisto Solutions as a supplier of industrial deep tech solutions and Vexlum as a supplier of laser technology. Possible future growth companies were found in all eight municipalities in the region.   

Almost half of the companies involved in the survey are planning to apply for risk funding this year to ensure their growth.   

– This demand is met with direct customer contacts and also by organizing networking events for startups and investors. If one has a strong view and skills on the future success technologies and markets, it is worth joining the world of capital venturing. It is possible to join in a role of an advisor and angel investor, and to get in touch with the startup teams taking advantage of those possibilities first, explains Tommi Uitti, Startup Community Manager, Business Tampere.  

Most of the startups operate in the field of software technology. Other growing fields are health tech, manufacturing industry, technology, circular economy and gaming. 54 of the startups in the region are categorized as L-size (turnover over 250 000 euros) or XL-size (turnover over one million euros) companies. 

– Especially the L and XL size startups have serial entrepreneurs as founders. Their input is important considering the whole startup ecosystem, since their knowledge, experience and networks help to develop scaling, international growth, states Niina Immonen, Director of Business Service Development and Business Environment, Business Tampere.  

The startup companies were collectively satisfied with the Tampere Region as their business environment, expressing their satisfaction as nine out of ten.   

– More than half of the startups participating in the survey have been involved in the operations of Business Tampere’s growth ecosystem. Business Tampere is actively offering funding clinics, sparring on business and growth, relevant webinars and trainings, international networking and leading to right service channels for the local growth aiming companies, advices Tommi Uitti.   

FACTS

• Tampere Region startup survey is an annually made review on the state of the startup ecosystem.  
• The survey was executed for the fourth time.  
• The aim of the survey is to find out the amount of startup companies in the Tampere Region, and to collect and analyze current information about the state of the companies. The information was confidentially collected through email, phone or other customer contacts during the spring 2021.  
• This year’s survey was executed as a commission by the City of Tampere. The report is published on the Business Tampere website:  
  DOWNLOAD STARTUP SURVEY 2021
  DOWNLOAD STARTUP SURVEY 2021 PRESENTATION.
• The survey was executed by coordinator Anni Valkeinen from Business Tampere 

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