23 Best Tech Startups in Finland: The Nordic’s Startup Hall of Fame

23 Best Tech Startups in Finland: The Nordic’s Startup Hall of Fame

On a recent trip to Helsinki, LinkPanda spent time at Maria 01, the startup campus built inside a former hospital complex in the city’s Ullanlinna district. One wall inside the building is dedicated to companies that have called Maria 01 home or reached major milestones, a physical hall of fame made up of dozens of circular company badges. Maria 01 has grown into one of Europe’s largest startup campuses, hosting hundreds of early stage companies alongside the alumni honored on its wall. The badges range from globally known consumer brands to deep tech companies working on satellites and quantum computers that most people outside the industry have never heard of. We counted 23 identifiable company badges on the wall and researched each one to put together this list. It spans mobile gaming studios, health tech wearables, B2B SaaS platforms, and hard science startups working on space and quantum technology, a useful snapshot of what Finland’s tech ecosystem looks like beyond its most famous names.   Several companies on this list are exactly the kind of B2B SaaS and tech businesses we work with through our SaaS link building service, and the concentration of gaming and deep tech startups on one small campus says a lot about how link building and digital PR outreach can work differently depending on the industry you’re targeting.

1. Wolt

Wolt started in Helsinki in 2014 and has grown into one of the most recognizable consumer brands to come out of Finland, delivering food, groceries, and retail goods on demand. The company was acquired by DoorDash in 2022 in an all stock deal, but it still operates under its own brand across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and its Helsinki roots remain visible in its product design and operations culture.

At a Glance

• Industry: Food Delivery
• Founded: 2014
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 11,000+

Why It Matters

• One of the most valuable consumer tech exits in Nordic history
• Operates in more than 25 countries across three continents
• Acquired by DoorDash in 2022
• A frequent case study in European food delivery expansion

2. Relex Solutions

Relex Solutions has grown from a Helsinki startup into one of Europe’s largest retail tech vendors, helping supply chains forecast demand and manage inventory at scale. Its platform is used by large grocery and retail groups across Europe and North America, and the company has scaled through both organic growth and acquisitions in the supply chain software space.

At a Glance

• Industry: Supply Chain Software
• Founded: 2005
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 2,400+

Why It Matters

• One of the largest enterprise software vendors headquartered in Finland
• Serves major grocery and retail chains globally
• Backed by international growth equity investment
• A leading name in unified retail and supply chain planning

3. HMD

HMD was founded in Espoo in 2016 by former Nokia executives and holds the license to produce Nokia branded mobile phones. In recent years the company has also launched phones under its own HMD brand, moving beyond the Nokia license to build an independent consumer electronics identity.

At a Glance

• Industry: Consumer Electronics
• Founded: 2016
• HQ: Espoo, Finland
• Employees: 1,500+

Why It Matters

• Holds the license for Nokia branded phones
• Founded by former Nokia executives
• Sells devices in more than 100 countries
• Expanding into its own HMD branded phone lineup

4. ICEYE

ICEYE is a space technology company that designs, builds, and operates its own fleet of small radar imaging satellites. Its satellites can capture imagery through cloud cover and at night, and the company works with governments, insurers, and disaster response organizations that need reliable imaging regardless of weather.

At a Glance

• Industry: Space Technology
• Founded: 2015
• HQ: Espoo, Finland
• Employees: 1,000+

Why It Matters

• Operates one of the largest SAR satellite constellations
• Works with governments and defense agencies internationally
• Provides flood and disaster monitoring for insurers
• One of Europe’s most valuable space tech startups

5. Oura

Oura makes the Oura Ring, a smart ring that tracks sleep, heart rate, and recovery, and has become one of the most recognized wearables in the health tech space. The company was founded in Oulu, Finland, and has since expanded internationally, with high profile partnerships and adoption among athletes, executives, and health conscious consumers.

At a Glance

• Industry: Health Technology
• Founded: 2013
• HQ: Oulu, Finland
• Employees: 950+

Why It Matters

• Maker of the widely worn Oura Ring health tracker
• Popular among professional athletes and executives
• Frequently cited in sleep and recovery research
• One of the best known Finnish consumer hardware brands globally

6. Smartly.io

Smartly.io builds automation software that helps large brands manage and optimize advertising campaigns across platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google. The company combined with a creative management platform to bring media buying and creative production into a single workflow for advertisers.

At a Glance

• Industry: Marketing Technology
• Founded: 2013
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 900+

Why It Matters

• Powers ad campaigns for many of the world’s largest advertisers
• Combines creative automation with media buying
• Backed by major growth equity investment
• A leading Nordic name in ad technology

7. Supercell

Supercell is one of the most successful mobile game studios in the world, known for Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Hay Day, and Brawl Stars. The company operates with a famously small, independent team structure and has kept several of its titles as top grossing mobile games for over a decade.

At a Glance

• Industry: Mobile Gaming
• Founded: 2010
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 890+

Why It Matters

• Developer of Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, and Brawl Stars
• One of the most profitable mobile game studios globally
• Majority owned by Tencent since 2016
• A cornerstone of Finland’s mobile gaming cluster

8. Epassi

Epassi operates a digital benefits platform that lets employers offer wellness, meal, and commuting benefits to staff across the Nordic and Baltic region. The company has grown through expansion into multiple European markets and partnerships with thousands of employers.

At a Glance

• Industry: HR Technology
• Founded: 2007
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 850+

Why It Matters

• One of the largest employee benefits platforms in the Nordics
• Serves thousands of employers across multiple countries
• Covers meal, wellness, and commuter benefit categories
• Expanded through both organic growth and acquisitions

9. Swappie

Swappie refurbishes used iPhones and sells them with a warranty across Europe, building its business around growing demand for sustainable, affordable electronics. The company operates its own refurbishment facilities and has scaled into one of the continent’s largest dedicated refurbished phone retailers.

At a Glance

• Industry: Refurbished Electronics
• Founded: 2016
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 750+

Why It Matters

• One of Europe’s largest refurbished iPhone retailers
• Operates its own in house refurbishment facilities
• Positioned around circular economy and sustainability demand
• Expanded across more than 15 European markets

10. Bluefors

Bluefors manufactures cryogenic refrigeration systems that cool quantum computers down to temperatures near absolute zero, a requirement for most quantum hardware to function. Its systems are used by leading quantum computing labs and companies worldwide, making it critical infrastructure for the quantum industry rather than a quantum computer maker itself.

At a Glance

• Industry: Quantum Technology
• Founded: 2008
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 700+

Why It Matters

• Supplies cooling systems to major quantum computing labs worldwide
• Considered critical infrastructure for the quantum computing industry
• Systems operate near absolute zero temperatures
• A behind the scenes but essential player in global quantum research

11. M-Files

M-Files builds document management software that organizes content by what it is rather than where it is stored, using metadata instead of traditional folder structures. The platform is used by organizations in regulated industries like legal, finance, and life sciences that need strong document governance and compliance.

At a Glance

• Industry: Document Management Software
• Founded: 2002
• HQ: Espoo, Finland
• Employees: 550+

Why It Matters

• Uses a metadata based approach instead of folder hierarchies
• Popular in regulated industries like legal and finance
• One of Finland’s longest running enterprise software companies
• Backed by international private equity investment

12. Rovio

Rovio created Angry Birds, a game and media franchise that became a global phenomenon after its 2009 launch and expanded into movies, merchandise, and theme park attractions. The company has continued releasing new mobile titles and was acquired by Sega in 2023, remaining headquartered in Espoo.

At a Glance

• Industry: Mobile Gaming
• Founded: 2003
• HQ: Espoo, Finland
• Employees: 550+

Why It Matters

• Creator of the Angry Birds franchise
• Expanded Angry Birds into films and theme park attractions
• Acquired by Sega in 2023
• One of the earliest breakout mobile game studios globally

13. Framery

Framery manufactures soundproof pods and phone booths designed to give privacy and focus space inside open plan offices. The company’s pods are now installed in offices across dozens of countries, and Framery has become one of the most recognized names in workplace acoustic design.

At a Glance

• Industry: Office Furniture
• Founded: 2010
• HQ: Tampere, Finland
• Employees: 490+

Why It Matters

• A category leader in soundproof office pods
• Products installed in offices across more than 100 countries
• Manufactured primarily in Finland
• Frequently cited in workplace design and future of work coverage

14. Aiven

Aiven offers managed open source data infrastructure such as PostgreSQL, Kafka, and other databases, deployable across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and other providers. The company has positioned itself as a cloud agnostic alternative to single vendor database services and has raised significant venture funding to expand its platform.

At a Glance

• Industry: Cloud Infrastructure
• Founded: 2016
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 400+

Why It Matters

• Runs managed open source databases across multiple public clouds
• Positioned as a cloud agnostic data infrastructure provider
• Backed by major international venture capital
• Used by companies migrating away from single cloud lock-in

15. Hostaway

Hostaway builds software that helps vacation rental hosts and property managers list, book, and manage properties across platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. The platform serves everyone from individual hosts to large property management companies handling thousands of listings.

At a Glance

• Industry: Property Management Software
• Founded: 2015
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 350+

Why It Matters

• Manages listings across major platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com
• Serves both individual hosts and large property managers
• One of the fastest growing vacation rental software vendors
• Backed by international growth investment

16. Metacore

Metacore develops mobile puzzle games and is best known for Merge Mansion, a merge and story game that became one of the most downloaded mobile titles in its category. The studio is part of Finland’s dense cluster of mobile gaming companies that trace their lineage back to the country’s early gaming success stories.

At a Glance

• Industry: Mobile Gaming
• Founded: 2014
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 340+

Why It Matters

• Developer of the hit game Merge Mansion
• Part of Finland’s dense mobile gaming startup cluster
• Known for merge and narrative style puzzle games
• Founded by veterans of Finland’s earlier gaming studios

17. IQM

IQM builds superconducting quantum computers and is one of Europe’s most prominent quantum hardware companies. The company sells complete quantum computing systems to research institutions, universities, and national labs, and is a key part of Europe’s push to develop domestic quantum computing capability.

At a Glance

• Industry: Quantum Computing
• Founded: 2018
• HQ: Espoo, Finland
• Employees: 300+

Why It Matters

• Builds full stack superconducting quantum computers
• Sells systems to universities and national research labs
• A key player in Europe’s quantum computing strategy
• One of the best funded quantum hardware startups in Europe

18. Small Giant Games

Small Giant Games created Empires and Puzzles, a strategy and puzzle mobile game that has remained a top grossing title for years after launch. The studio was acquired by Zynga in 2018 and continues to operate as part of Finland’s mobile gaming ecosystem.

At a Glance

• Industry: Mobile Gaming
• Founded: 2013
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 150+

Why It Matters

• Developer of the long running hit Empires and Puzzles
• Acquired by Zynga in 2018
• One of several successful studios in Finland’s gaming cluster
• Known for sustained long term player retention in a single title

19. Flow Computing

Flow Computing develops new processor architecture technology aimed at unlocking significantly more parallel processing performance from existing chip designs. As a small team working on fundamental computing infrastructure, the company represents Finland’s deep tech ambitions beyond its well known gaming and consumer software startups.

At a Glance

• Industry: Computing Technology
• Founded: 2014
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 15+

Why It Matters

• Focused on next generation parallel processing architecture
• A small, deep tech team rather than a consumer product company
• Represents Finland’s push into fundamental semiconductor innovation
• Backed by strategic and venture investors in the chip space

20. Seriously

Seriously created Best Fiends, a puzzle adventure game franchise that has maintained a loyal player base since launch. Despite operating with a small team, the studio has kept its flagship title relevant for over a decade, a rarity in mobile gaming.

At a Glance

• Industry: Mobile Gaming
• Founded: 2013
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: 9+

Why It Matters

• Creator of the long running Best Fiends franchise
• Operates with a lean, small team
• Part of Finland’s outsized mobile gaming success relative to its population
• An example of longevity in a fast moving mobile games market

21. AMD Silo AI

AMD Silo AI was one of Europe’s largest private AI labs, building custom AI models and platforms for enterprise and public sector clients. The company was acquired by AMD in 2024 and now operates as AMD Silo AI, continuing its work on AI models while integrating with AMD’s hardware and software roadmap.

At a Glance

• Industry: Artificial Intelligence
• Founded: 2017
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: Not disclosed

Why It Matters

• Was one of Europe’s largest independent AI labs before acquisition
• Acquired by AMD in 2024
• Now operates as AMD Silo AI
• Built custom large language models for European languages

22. Verda

Verda operates in the climate technology space, reflecting Helsinki’s growing cluster of sustainability and clean tech startups. As a newer name on Maria 01’s wall, Verda represents the campus’s ongoing role in supporting early stage Finnish startups alongside its more established alumni.

At a Glance

• Industry: Climate Technology
• Founded: Not disclosed
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: Not disclosed

Why It Matters

• Part of Helsinki’s emerging climate tech cluster
• Featured among Maria 01’s recognized startups
• Represents Finland’s growing focus on sustainability linked technology
• One of the newer names on the Hall of Fame wall

23. Ovido

Ovido works in digital health technology, joining Oura and other Helsinki based companies building health focused products. Ovido’s place on the wall reflects Maria 01’s role in supporting Finland’s expanding health tech sector alongside its gaming and deep tech startups.

At a Glance

• Industry: Health Technology
• Founded: Not disclosed
• HQ: Helsinki, Finland
• Employees: Not disclosed

Why It Matters

• Part of Helsinki’s growing digital health startup scene
• Featured among Maria 01’s recognized companies
• Joins Oura in Finland’s health tech cluster
• Represents the campus’s newer generation of honorees

 

What These 23 Companies Have in Common

Sixteen of the 23 companies are headquartered directly in Helsinki, with five more in neighboring Espoo, plus one each in Tampere and Oulu. That concentration reflects how tightly clustered Finland’s tech ecosystem is around the capital region, even though Maria 01 itself only sits in Helsinki. Mobile gaming accounts for five of the 23 companies, more than any other single category. That’s consistent with Finland’s broader reputation in gaming, a small country responsible for some of the best known mobile titles of the last 15 years. Company size on the wall varies enormously, from Wolt’s more than 11,000 employees down to Seriously’s nine person team. Maria 01 appears to celebrate significant milestones and achievements rather than scale alone, since several of the smaller teams are included for a single hit product rather than headcount growth. A cluster of five deep tech companies, including two quantum computing businesses and a satellite imaging company, points to a less visible side of Finland’s startup scene: serious investment in space, quantum, and AI infrastructure alongside its more famous consumer apps and games. This list reflects one wall inside one Helsinki startup campus, not a comprehensive ranking of every notable Finnish company. Many of the B2B SaaS and tech companies on this list are exactly the kind of client we work with every day.