Interested in entrepreneurship? Apply by 21 January to the Pathways pre-incubator programme!

Pathways.
Bulletin 9.1.2024

Want to learn valuable work-life skills and earn credits? Come and explore the possibilities of entrepreneurship at the University of Helsinki's Pathways Pre-Incubator, the only Pre-Incubator programme for the Spring of 2024, which tackles problems big and small without thematic boundaries.

  • WHAT: 2 months of workshops and lectures led by experts and guest speakers where you'll learn step-by-step how to develop the vaguest idea into an effective solution
  • WHY: Come learn useful entrepreneurial and work-life skills, build the foundations for your own potential business, and meet an interdisciplinary group of other university students interested in entrepreneurship.
  • WHEN: Call for applications closes 21 January, programme will run from 2 February to 27 March. Open info session on 15 January at 16:30.
  • APPLY: Here

Pathways, the University's only pre-incubator for Spring 2024, is an early-stage interdisciplinary 2-month entrepreneurship programme specifically designed for the University of Helsinki’s students, researchers, staff, and alumni ready to discover the many paths available to them in their careers. Also open to people unaffiliated with the University from the Helsinki metropolitan area, the programme will allow meaningful and inspiring encounters between people from various fields and backgrounds.  

Unlike other Helsinki Incubators’ pre-incubators, Pathways does not limit its scope to one specific theme, such as AI or sustainability, but instead is designed to cater to a broad range of topics and approaches and to build collaborative bridges between thinkers and doers from all walks of life. The goal of the pre-incubator is to demystify entrepreneurship as a route worth taking and to offer the basics needed to embark on the journey, through accessible and hands-on guidance. However, don't worry, even though the programme doesn't have a set theme, you'll still be able to get all thematically appropriate advice, guidance, and sparring from the university's entrepreneurship services' experts and the programme's many on-call advisors.

You may apply to Pathways with a ready idea up your sleeve, but you are also welcome to do so without one. Have you noticed a problem you’d want to develop a solution for? Perhaps you’re conducting a research project and want to know if your findings can be worked into something tangible? The only thing needed in Pathways is an open mind and an eagerness to explore paths that, with their twists and turns, may still be unfamiliar to you. You may apply on your own, although we recommend grabbing a friend to join with you to share ideas and the workload of tasks with. 

Following the framework of Helsinki Incubators’ other pre-incubators, Pathways will consist of workshops held 1-2 times a week. You will first learn how to clearly define the problem you’re addressing before moving on to ideating, validating, and refining a solution and a business plan around it. By the end of the two months, you’ll have acquired a toolkit of skills needed to succeed in your entrepreneurial project, which you can use by continuing your journey in one of our thematic, in-depth incubator programmes like NEXUS, Biosphere, or TREMOR, or in working life more broadly. An experienced team of experts and guest speakers will ensure that your solution receives tailored support, and an unparalleled community of peers will be by your side every step of the way. 

And best of all, by completing the programme, you'll be given a certificate with which you can apply to receive 5 ECTS credits. Do note, the final decision in allocating and registering credits lies with your degree programme, and we advise you to check with your degree programme first.

The call for applications to Pathways will run until 21 January 2024, and the programme will run from early February to late March. For more information about the pre-incubator, see the programme webpage. You can also read alumni stories from previous pre-incubator participants here, or contact project lead Santeri Tuovila directly with your questions by email at santeri.tuovila@helsinki.fi or through LinkedIn.

Info Session 15 January

If you’re curious to hear more about the Pathways pre-incubator, we invite you to join an open info session held 15 January at 16:30 in the Helsinki Incubators event space (Vuorikatu 3). This will be an opportunity for you to meet the programme leads, who will be happy to address any of your questions or concerns regarding applying and participating in the programme. Read more and register beforehand through here!