Finnish venture capital firm Innovestor will start supporting the activities of Nuori Yrittäjyys ry. The topic could not be any closer to Innovestor’s values and love for entrepreneurship – supporting the learning of young people and backing new ideas with capital and competence.
“We screen hundreds of business ideas annually. We’re usually the “first VC check” when entrepreneurs seek external funding. It is fantastic to start supporting Nuori Yrittäjyys RY and encourage young people to take their first steps towards entrepreneurship,” says Wilhelm Lindholm, CEO of Innovestor.
The goal for the cooperation is to work as close as possible with young people
The co-operation between Nuori Yrittäjyys ry and Innovestor covers e.g., participation in and judging of Finland’s largest entrepreneurship festival for young people, “Uskalla Yrittää”, as well as participating in Job Shadow-day, which gives young people the opportunity to get to know the company.
In the Entrepreneurship Competition, Innovestor’s own title prize is called “Make Good Money”.
“We believe in big ideas that can change the world for the better. Every idea is valuable in the competition, but we particularly want to encourage ideas that have the potential to do good on a larger scale. We can’t wait to see what kind of ideas young people have this year!, ” Heli Mehtätalo-Takala, Innovestor’s Director of Marketing and Communications, says.
“It’s great that Innovestor supports our work for children and young people. In working life, entrepreneurial skills are always useful, and our partners enable us to promote the learning of these skills in more and more schools and educational institutions in Finland. For a new entrepreneur, securing funding can be a challenge, so getting to know the work Innovestor does will help the young people involved with our program to understand also this topic further.” says the Nuori Yrittäjyys ry CEO Sami Suomela.
Finnish start-ups have an important role in our society
“Through breakthrough innovations, they drive productivity improvements, job creation, and economic prosperity. They also develop sustainable solutions for complex problems and contribute to responsible business practices.” says Lindholm. In 2021, Finnish startups raised more than one billion euros in investments, with venture capitalists being the most significant group of investors.
“The key in our cooperation with Nuori Yrittäjyys ry is a positive and encouraging approach for young people. Even thinking like an entrepreneur, solving challenges, and thinking about how to make good ideas work commercially goes a long way in life, ”concludes Lindholm.
Innovestor’s three tips for young entrepreneurs:
- Anyone with a passion can change the world for the better
- Be your own, genuine self
- Build your network and get advice from those who have already succeeded
More information about Nuori Yrittäjyys ry: https://nuoriyrittajyys.fi/en/