Startup 101 Night 1: Ecosystem, Funding & Getting Started in Finland

Do you have a business idea but don’t know where to start? Startup 101 is a free event series by WeCode Platform (WeCode ry) for first-time founders and anyone curious about entrepreneurship. No experience needed. On this first evening, you’ll learn what a startup really is, how to test whether your idea is worth pursuing, how early-stage funding works, and what practical steps it takes to start a business in Finland. And we’ll kick things off with delicious Turkish food! Programme 16:30 Doors open, delicious Turkish food and networking 17:00 Welcome by WeCode ry 17:05 Understanding startups and validating your idea with Mikko Pitkänen 17:50 Short break 18:00 Funding and investment for early-stage startups with Kustaa Valtonen 19:00 Starting a business in Finland: accounting, taxes and compliance basics with Dipali Jani Speakers Mikko Pitkänen, CEO of Surgerix, angel investor, mentor and fundraising advisor. Mikko has been involved in over 400 projects and has raised more than 38 million euros for startups and international R&D and innovation projects. He works with health, medtech, sports and AI software businesses and is an ICF certified performance coach and board professional. Kustaa Valtonen, venture capitalist and early-stage investor. Kustaa heads the program management office of FinEst Bay Area Development, the company preparing the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel. He invests in early-stage startups through FinestLove VC, Valtonen Capital and Random Ventures, with a special interest in student-led projects, and holds board positions in many companies. Dipali Jani, Chartered Accountant (ICAI) and Cost & Management Accountant (ICMAI) with over 10 years of experience in accounting, taxation and financial compliance, including global tax compliance work at Grant Thornton Bharat. She is currently deepening her expertise in the Finnish financial system (Procountor, Netvisor, Power BI) through the Taloushallinnon Career Boost program at Metropolia. Location: Lippulaiva Library, multipurpose space Salonki, Espoonlahti, Espoo Good to know: Free of charge, but registration is required. Delicious Turkish food served from 16:30, so come early! The event is held in English. Register here: meetup.com ↗ Organized by WeCode Platform (WeCode ry), a non-profit association helping people build careers in technology, with a special focus on beginners. wecodeplatform.com