Innovestor
Palo
is the program for the most promising sustainable tech founder teams & startups with a burning desire to make an impact.
WHAT IS INNOVESTOR PALO?
A successful startup team needs three things to turn its world-changing idea into a reality:
1. Top mentor contacts
2. Hands-on funding partners
3. Customer contacts
That’s why we have launched PALO, a program for the most promising idea/pre-seed stage sustainable tech founder teams.
We light your way
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE?
We will choose 10 idea/pre-seed stage teams for the program and work intensively with them for 12 weeks. You will not work only with us but with chosen top-notch mentors and the most valuable corporate partners, bringing their know-how and much-needed resources to the table. On top of that, the selected 10 companies will each receive a €50 000 investment. Three months of work will culminate on Deal Day, where you will be pitching your idea to a group of investors.
Yet, our journey together will not end on Deal Day: we will follow up on your progress in Q1 /2023, helping you push forward your roadmap for success. If you are an idea/pre-seed stage founder building a sustainable tech company, we would love to hear from you.
Application period for PALO 2022 has ended in June. The program will kick off on 6th of October 2022. We will update the next application period during winter 2023.
Say hello to
PALO companies 2022
IKI Carbon
IKI Carbon has developed a functional mold-castable activated carbon made from biomass side streams, called IKI Carbon. The product can both enhance the business of the raw material producers as well as offer the manufacturing industries a new, carbon negative material to use. IKI Carbon is durable, healthy and fire safe. Its versatility lends itself for many purposes.
Warming Surfaces
Warming Surfaces is rethinking how we’re heating by bringing to market an ultra-fast, ultra-thin, and light weight digital heater technology that turns surfaces in living environments into smart, warming surfaces. It can be cost effectively integrated into a wide range of surface materials. This brings more control and energy efficiencies to heating and can be used in a wide range of end applications. It also helps eliminate bulky space consuming heating elements.
Capalo AI
Capalo AI is a deep tech company developing AI solutions for the energy sector. The company’s primary focus is on applications, for instance, forecasting and optimization solutions and multi-market optimization based on reinforcement learning, considering the potential of batteries and reserve markets to maximize yields. Smart processes reduce emissions; this way Capalo AI embeds sustainability into its work. Furthermore, we have developed state-of-the-art renewable energy forecasting solutions for a wide variety of customers.
Spolia
Spolia specializes in the reuse of dismantled construction materials, as well as designing clean-tech construction projects. It helps both designers and the construction industry in increasing the reuse of building materials. It also develops installation methods that enable better conversion flexibility during the material life cycle, and ultimately the dismantling of building parts more intact.
Blokgarden
Blokgarden aims to enable sustainable food production in urban environments by offering an app supported rental garden box. The company’s core values are soil health preservation, biodiversity and circular economy principles. While providing the garden box is more of a local service, the Blokgarden app teaching people how to grow their food, is globally scalable.
FluffStuff
Fluff Stuff is a material innovation and impact design company that creates planet positive textile fillings and develops new harvesting technology. Their solution is a high performing plant-based filling material from cattail. The material can replace down feathers and polyester textile fillings.
ReFaMo
ReFaMo provides a unique approach to solving the issues related to fatigue structural health monitoring. It offers real time fatigue measuring for welding steel structures, such as trains, bridges, windmills, cruise ships etc. While hardware related, ReFaMo is a software analytics company in its core.
SciAR
SciAR’s Frontline Execution System is a workflow tool, that helps and supports the manual work of frontline employees and increases the even quality of work by mitigating human error. In addition the work done with the help of the software is documentated in an appropriate manner.
It serves the B2B market with its SaaS product, targeting e.g. manufacturing, life science, biotech, pharma, and paper & pulp industries.
PALO in a nutshell
1
Funding
Innovestor invests 50k to each startup and we also support applying for relevant public funding. Our target together is to land pre-seed rounds.
2
Mentoring
During 12 weeks, we create a solid business plan and development program together with a tailored advisory board with best-in-class mentors and leading corporations.
3
Corporate Contacts
Our partnership network includes 300+ corporations. From this one-of-a-kind network, we’ll find the corporate partner that has the strategic interest to build unique business with your team.
MEET SOME OF THE MENTORS
…who will be joining the Growth Boards based on founding team’s specific needs.
Piia Maaranen
CEO Plantui, Board Professional
Building a startup is a speedy ride of seeking a perfect product-market fit. I love coaching early-stage and bringing my +15 years of experience to the table.
Ilkka Kaikuvuo
Co-Founder, Framery, CEO, Board Professional
Startup journey is a bumpy road. It’s worth learning from the mistakes of others and make new ones yourself. I am excited to share my own experiences to support your teams future story!
Aki Soudunsaari
Co-Founder, Naava, Startup scientist, Serial Founder
Corporate cooperation creates huge opportunities for participants in the PALO program. It’s a whole different thing to start taking an idea further having already found the right people and resources to help you.
Wilhelm Lindholm
Innovestor Group CEO
We can say with a strong voice that the program is unique in Finland and offers the teams involved an attractive setting: funding, the right partners and corporate mentoring.
Aleksi Rautavuori
CEO and Board Professional, Angel Investor
I am your partner in questions of strategy and organizational change. I have a background as a growth leader, with successful CEO and CSO experience from both private equity portfolio and large cap companies.
Matti Härkönen
Managing Partner, Corporate Venturing
I’m passionate about solving real world challenges and creating new business through cutting edge innovations.
Pasi Pohjala
Founder and Managing Director, Nordic Startup Ventures
My passion is to support companies to grow by utilising latest services and solutions – by combining technology and business innovation to develop new digital services and best in industry customer experience.
ACCESS TO OUR NETWORK OF
300 CORPORATIONS
These corporations have already teamed up with Innovestor to evaluate program applications:
Neste
Metsä Spring
Walki
Valtra
Oulun Energia
Fortum
Kiilto
Remeo
Oomi Energia
Cargotec
Alva
Kemira
Telia Company
Paulig
Stera
Helvar
Apply to PALO 2023
Applications for Innovestor PALO 2022 are now closed. Sign up to get notified when we open up a new program in 2023.
See the program terms in Q&A section.
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WHY INNOVESTOR?
We want to make a positive impact by supporting and growing businesses that change the world for the better. We call it making good money.
Innovestor is one of the Nordic’s leading venture capital companies and corporate venturing service provider. We also invest in commercial real estate.
The firm currently manages four VC funds with total capital of 190M. Consisting of almost 100 growth companies, it represents one of the largest private venture-backed portfolios in the Nordics.
Some examples of our sustainable investments combined with excellent growth:
REACH OUT
Matti Härkönen
Managing Partner, Corporate Venturing
