Take the Triangle Walk of Startups in Helsinki
Suddenly there is born this beautiful triangle of world-changing companies, that even the locals may not have noticed.
Area of former mental hospital Lapinlahti, former hospital Maria and Ruoholahti keeps inside very interesting companies. And the walking distance between these three spots is only couple hundred meters, so let’s take this triangle walk of startups.
Here are some startups and companies that are changing the world from the triangle of startups.
Former mental hospital Lapinlahti — Lapinlahden Lähde and Tilanjakamo
The walk starts from the yard of a former mental hospital that was built 1841. This hidden oasis closes the centrum is right next to the sea. There is even a sauna (open almost every day) where Jean Sibelius used to clean his mind and other parts of the body. Now the place is for companies, artists and associations to make the change happen.
1. Heimo
People do not talk about their problems and that causes severe mental health issues in the whole world. Cost of mental illnesses is thousands of billions of dollars per year (yes, thousands of billions), and Heimo is going to change the way how people get help. So Heimo offers an uniquely kind, gentle & empathic online community where you can open your mind. Heimo has been just launched also in Japan. 😸
2. From Waste to Taste, Loop-restaurant
The food that shops would throw away and are still perfectly good to eat, are now saved and restaurant Loop makes delicious menus from “waste”.
They make also beer from bread cooperation with Brewniversen 🍺. The name of the beer is of course Wasted! No need for more words, they are going to save the world!
3. Holvi
Holvi is making digital banking easy for entrepreneurs. They fit all major digital business account needs to one place. How cool is that a bank is in a former mental hospital? 🏦
Former hospital Maria — Maria 0–1
Originally the first public hospital in Helsinki, now a community and a space for entrepreneurs and investors.
4. IRC-Galleria
The social media before Facebook was even an idea. The IRC-Galleria reached almost every young person in Finland during its booming days. IRC-Galleria is a huge part of the history of Finnish internet culture (for example Finnish digital youth work started there and it was the first place where Finnish police started to be present online). Still going strong and looking for a new coming. 👶
5. Naava
One of their founders just got the invitation to the president’s independence day party (which is like the “Super Bowl TV-event” in Finland. Yes, that’s how we party, watching on TV when the president shakes hands), so that’s one indication that they are doing something great. Naava is providing the smart green wall and that way pure air on places where you live and work. So taking some pure Finnish air and innovation to the world.🌿
6. Ninchat
Ninchat is a customer care chat for companies. In Finland, I have seen that several associations that help people in their troubles have taken the Ninchat as one of their main channels to communicate. Like Sekasin chat helps youngsters in their troubles and Ninchat have provided their chat discussion platform.💬
7. TwoDads
You already might know that juices and cereals include a lot of sugar. TwoDads is a children’s food brand founded by two fathers, who is going to change the business and think about what children eat and drink. 🍒
Ruoholahti
Ruoholahti is a quarter in Helsinki, close to Länsisatama (where the big boats goes to Estonia). In Ruoholahti is also the Cable Factory where was held previously the Slush main event and now Slush Music.
8. Team Finland house
Not a company, but a house that brings together all Finnish state-funded internationalization services, including Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes, Finnvera and Finpro. Many startups can thank Tekes for the first funding. 💰
9. Supercell
No words needed: success story that Finns are really proud. You know Supercell from their games, but I want to highlight something else: people of Supercell has also enabled We Foundation (Me-säätiö in Finnish), that is providing funds to diminish social inequality and exclusion of children, youth and families in Finland. ❤️
10. F-Secure
The defender of the safe internet has been there already three decades. Cyber attacks and data breaches to widespread ransomware infections, F-Secure is providing help and protection for companies and consumers.🔒
11. Jongla
Jongla is also a social messaging company that has been in social business for a long time. Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya have been Jongla’s top countries in terms of app usage. 💬
Writers note: There could be so many more companies in this list so the list is based on startups that I know and yes, I’m co-founder of Heimo :) Please, insert startups that you know as a comment, so I can add them later to the story.
Maps: © OpenStreetMap
