Interested in entrepreneurship? Call open for NEXUS, TREMOR, and BIOSPHERE incubators – apply by 9 February!

Interested in entrepreneurship? Have a product or service idea you’d like to turn into a company or non-profit? The University’s Helsinki Incubator entrepreneurship programmes, which since 2022 have helped start nearly 100 new companies that have collectively raised nearly 10M€ in funding and grown their business to the US, Japan, and Europe, can help you take that idea to the next stage – no business background needed!

The call for applications for the 4th round of incubator programmes is now open. We’ve got programmes for ideas in Social Impact, Deep Tech, AI, and Sustainability, and by taking part, you’ll learn how to build, grow, and scale your idea into a successful, impactful venture. The following programmes are currently looking for applications:

Interested? Then apply here by 9 February!

Or looking for more info? Then read on below to find out more, or sign up to the info session of the programme(s) you’re interested in: 21 January at 17:00 (TREMOR, City Center Campus), 23 January at 10:00 (NEXUS, Kumpula Campus), or 23 January at 11:00 (BIOSPHERE, Viikki Campus).

WHAT?

Our incubators are free, intensive four-month mentor-driven entrepreneurship programmes designed to turn your idea, research, technology or business idea into a startup that solves a real problem. Our experts and mentors provide teams with entrepreneurial skills and insights to support their personal & professional growth and venture’s success. All programmes are held in English.

FOR WHO?

We’re looking for teams of at least 2 people with well-defined ideas across a range of fields. These include Deep Tech & AI (NEXUS), Environment Sustainability (BIOSPHERE), and Social Impact (TREMOR). Find out more about individual themes on each programme’s respective pages. Teams need not be University affiliated to take part!

WHY?

We offer a platform for entrepreneurial growth through workshops and collaboration between teams, mentors, and experts who will guide you every step of the way, helping you prepare for market entry and scaling. Participants also benefit from valuable resources provided by partners like Nokia, Vaisala X Weather, Continental, and others.

WHEN?

The incubator programmes will run from late February to mid-June. All programmes will feature weekly, fully in-person workshops held at various locations across the University of Helsinki campuses. For specific dates and schedules, check out each the NEXUS, BIOSPHERE, and TREMOR programme pages.

NEW FOR 2025

As a new development for 2025, our incubator programmes will now start with a joint 4-week bootcamp, where participants from all three incubators will take part in common sessions to get to know each other, learn basic entrepreneurial skills, and validate their ideas together. After the bootcamp, teams will split into NEXUS, BIOSPHERE, and TREMOR specific “specialisation tracks” with advanced workshops and mentoring tailored to that programme’s theme.

PROGRAMME OUTCOMES

Participants will walk out of the programme with:

A clear idea of what problem they're solving and how
A product or solution that's been tested in the market and the know-how to keep developing it
The skills needed to set up, run, and grow a startup
A clear action plan for their venture’s future.
8 ECTS work-life studies credits with the course PHD-313. More information about credits here.

APPLYING

The call is currently open! Apply by filling out the form here. The call closes on 9 February at 23:59.

On the fence about whether or not to apply? Not sure what kind of idea could work? Then be sure to check out…

Our mentor interviews! Hear from our mentors about their experiences, career insights, and the guidance they provide.
The ideas that took part in the last editions of NEXUS, BIOSPHERE, and TREMOR. 💎🌱💥
Some of our alumni stories from NEXUS, BIOSPHERE, and TREMOR to learn how taking part in our incubators helped in their journeys.

If you still have any questions about the programmes, their structures, whether or not your idea could be a good fit for one or more, or anything else related to NEXUS, TREMOR, or BIOSPHERE, feel free to reach out to each programme’s manager - they’ll be happy to help!

Andrés Archila, NEXUS Incubator Project Manager

Pedro Gensini, BIOSPHERE Incubator Project Manager

Pete Karumo, TREMOR Incubator Project Manager