Helsinki Partners

What Helsinki Partners does

Helsinki Partners is the official business development and investment promotion agency for the City of Helsinki, Finland, operating as a municipally-owned entity rather than a privately funded company. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Helsinki, the organization is staffed by 51-100 employees and provides services free of charge to international companies, funded through the City of Helsinki's municipal budget. Its mandate is to attract foreign direct investment, facilitate R&D partnerships, and support business expansion into the Helsinki region, with 60%+ of Finland's inward FDI and 40% of Finnish startups concentrated in Helsinki.

The organization's product surface is built around three structured business programs: 90 Day Finn (soft-landing support for companies establishing operations in Helsinki), 90 Hour Helsinki (R&D partnership exploration with the University of Helsinki's Viikki life sciences and Kumpula AI/deep tech innovation clusters, scheduled for September 2026), and Venture Nordics (investment facilitation connecting investors with Nordic startups). Sector focus spans quantum technology, AI, data centers, green hydrogen, and healthcare. Helsinki Partners does not build proprietary technology, software, or AI products; it is a service platform that orchestrates access to Helsinki's research, talent, and business infrastructure.

The go-to-market model combines direct enterprise engagement through the structured programs with a self-serve digital presence via the myhelsinki.fi business portal, supported by LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook channels. Distribution leverages international partnership networks (e.g., IT Park Uzbekistan) and participation in global trade events. Strategic partnerships anchor the model: the City of Helsinki provides funding and mandate, the University of Helsinki provides research infrastructure, and recent MoUs (e.g., Mitsubishi Estate in October 2025) extend the international reach. Revenue is not commercially generated; the entity's economic engine is its municipal budget allocation and the political value of attracting international companies and capital to the Helsinki region.

Name

Helsinki Partners

Legal name

Helsinki Partners (City of Helsinki)

Website

https://helsinkipartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Helsinki Partners is the City of Helsinki's municipally-funded business development agency, running structured programs (90 Day Finn, 90 Hour Helsinki, Venture Nordics) to attract international companies, R&D partnerships, and investment into Helsinki's life sciences, AI, and deep tech clusters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Export Promotion & Market Access Support (BPADAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA)

Keywords

• Investment attraction services
• Business development programs
• R&D partnership facilitation
• Soft-landing services
• Economic development agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal/Government Funding: Helsinki Partners operates as a publicly funded organization under the City of Helsinki, providing free business development, investment attraction, and R&D partnership facilitation services to international companies. Revenue comes from municipal budget allocations rather than commercial operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Helsinki Partners is the official business development and investment promotion agency of the City of Helsinki, providing free services to international companies seeking to invest, expand, or establish R&D operations in Helsinki. The organization delivers three core programs—90 Hour Helsinki (R&D partnership facilitation with University of Helsinki), 90 Day Finn (soft-landing and business expansion), and Venture Nordics (investment connections)—with a sector focus on quantum technology, AI, data centers, green hydrogen, and healthcare.

Product overview

Helsinki Partners is the official business development agency for the City of Helsinki, operating as a unified service platform rather than a software product company. The organization offers three core business programs: 90 Hour Helsinki (R&D partnership facilitation), 90 Day Finn (business expansion support), and Venture Nordics (investment connection services). These programs are supported by sector-focused initiatives in Quantum Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Data Centres, Green Hydrogen, and Healthcare, positioning Helsinki as a cost-efficient European R&D hub for international companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 90 Hour Helsinki An R&D partnership program that enables international companies to collaborate with University of Helsinki researchers and access the Viikki (life sciences/biotech) and Kumpula (AI/deep tech) innovation clusters without heavy upfront infrastructure investment. Applications close on 14 August 2026.
• 90 Day Finn A business expansion/soft-landing program designed to help international companies establish and grow their operations in Helsinki, providing structured support for foreign market entry.
• Venture Nordics An investment program connecting investors with Nordic startup and growth opportunities in the Helsinki region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Finland invests 3%+ of GDP in R&D, among the highest in Europe
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd. signed an MoU with Helsinki Partners and Lahti Region Development LADEC on October 6, 2025, to collaborate with Regenerative Community Tokyo on sustainable urban development. The partnership aims to share expertise, promote innovation, and support companies addressing social and urban sustainability challenges between Finland and Japan.
• Lahti Region Development LADECcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2025Lahti Region Development LADEC (Lahti Region Development Company) is a regional economic development organization that co-signed the MoU with Helsinki Partners and Mitsubishi Estate for the Regenerative Community Tokyo collaboration on sustainable urban development.
• University of HelsinkicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022University of Helsinki is Helsinki's primary research university and a core strategic partner for Helsinki Partners. The collaboration enables international companies to access world-class research facilities and talent through innovation clusters Viikki (life sciences and biotech) and Kumpula (AI and deep tech). The partnership includes the 90 Hour Helsinki Program enabling companies to collaborate with researchers without heavy upfront infrastructure investment.
• City of HelsinkicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Helsinki is the founding and governing body of Helsinki Partners, providing municipal funding and strategic direction. The partnership enables coordinated economic development, investment attraction, and R&D partnership programs between city government and international business development activities.
• IT Park UzbekistanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIT Park Uzbekistan, led by Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov, held meetings with Helsinki Partners to strengthen IT cooperation between Uzbekistan and Finland. Discussions focused on IT outsourcing, startup ecosystem development, joint innovation initiatives, and attracting Finnish technology companies to Uzbekistan through programs including Zero Risk programme and soft-landing initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/helsinkipartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helsinkipartners
• Instagraminstagram.com/helsinki_partners
• Xx.com/hki_partners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Helsinki Partners