Sauna and iceswimming? Startup showcase attracts 800 visitors as Espoo positions itself as European deep tech hub
Aalto University’s annual Demo Day event brought together nearly 800 visitors, 90 startup booths, and over 75 investors from around the world.
Text by Martti Asikainen, 16.3.2026 | Photos by Aalto University
Aalto University’s annual startup showcase attracted nearly 800 visitors and more than 75 investors to Espoo on 4 March, as Finland’s technology hub demonstrated its growing profile in European deep tech.
Demo Day 2026, organised by Aalto Startup Center and A Grid, featured 90 startup booths and research-to-business projects spread across multiple floors of the A Grid building in Otaniemi. The event has grown substantially since its grassroots beginnings in a single room in 2018.
“The goal has always been to provide the companies at Aalto Startup Center with a safe place to grow. Demo Day is a low-threshold event where startups can practice their pitches, make meaningful contacts, and gain attention,” said Marika Paakkala, Head of Aalto Startup Center.
Deep tech diversity
The event showcased startups across multiple sectors. SisuSemi, from the University of Turku, won FiBAN’s (Finnish Business Angels Network) pitching competition with an atomic-level semiconductor cleaning solution designed to boost performance and reduce leaking current.
Mind’s Eyetrack demonstrated eye-tracking technology for diagnosing neurodivergence in children. The startup’s managing director Anna Ptukha, a PhD researcher, explained that disorders such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia affect at least one child in ten, yet are often diagnosed up to three years late.
Gaming startup Taru Tech presented AI-powered player behaviour simulation technology. CEO Emil Bulut recently spent three months in San Francisco through the SILTA programme for Finnish founders, where he encountered a markedly different pace of entrepreneurship.
“In San Francisco, it felt more like a sprint. Ambition was on a next level: almost every investor told us to add a zero to the amount we were seeking,” Bulut said.
Nordic investor experience
Approximately 30 investors from across Europe participated in a dedicated programme organised in collaboration with Enter Espoo, the city’s business development agency.
The investor itinerary included distinctly Finnish elements. On 3 March, participants experienced ice swimming and sauna at a nearby beach club, followed by an intimate dinner. The cold plunge in freezing seawater preceded presentations on the health benefits of ice swimming by wellness coach Leigh Ewin.
“The atmosphere was warm and cosy. The event also showed that we really need more of this kind of pan-European collaboration and VC networking to make cross-investing easier in Europe,” said Ossi Ritvos, Senior Business Advisor at Enter Espoo.
Research commercialisation pathway
Aalto Startup Center, established in 1997, is one of Europe’s longest-running university-based incubators, focusing on research-based startups and deep tech ventures. A Grid, which houses nearly 150 startups and partners, provides physical space for the ecosystem.
The event offers a pathway from research to commercial application. Multiple startups presented technology developed through university research, with demonstrations ranging from robotised eye-tracking cameras to semiconductor cleaning processes.
“For an IPR-based deep tech startup like ours, a pitch is both a marketing and an educational tool at the same time. We work with a niche technology that is not familiar to most people, so we need events such as Demo Day to create contacts, gain visibility in the ecosystem, and present our work to a wide audience,” said Erkki Seppäläinen, CEO of SisuSemi.
Regional positioning of Espoo
A recent Finnish study identified Espoo as the country’s most deep tech-oriented, international and competitive startup city. The municipality has invested in building connections between investors, corporates and early-stage companies.
Enter Espoo provided matchmaking services to investors throughout the event, connecting them with startups aligned to their interests before and during Demo Day.
Angel investor Perttu Ilmarinen, a FiBAN board member, said Demo Day offers value beyond immediate investment opportunities.
“We’re sometimes following founders and startups’ development for years before actually investing. Demo Day offers a front-row seat to technological innovation and promising ventures,” he said.
Growth trajectory is real
The event’s expansion reflects broader growth in Finland’s startup ecosystem. Aalto Startup Center will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027.
“Not everything has to be perfectly polished. What matters is the entrepreneurial spirit and the willingness to help each other out. Anyone can walk in and contribute something. That’s what makes the ecosystem richer,” Paakkala said.
Last year’s Demo Day featured similar startup presentations, leading to unexpected outcomes for participants. Bulut’s participation in the 2025 event led to a representative from the SILTA programme seeing Taru Tech’s pitch, resulting in his subsequent three-month placement in Silicon Valley.
“At events like Demo Day, you can expect to meet some potential clients and investors and have productive conversations. Usually, though, you can’t predict what’s going to happen. You just have to be here,” Bulut said.
Read more from Aalto University’s and Enter Espoo’s websites.
