What Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation does

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation (Jenny ja Antti Wihurin rahasto) is a Finnish independent charitable foundation established in 1942 in Helsinki, distributing approximately €16.2 million in 2025 across 460 projects in science, art, and social activity. Its operational model consists of an annual open grant cycle supplemented by participation in joint foundation programs (Post Doc Pool, PoDoCo) and direct recognition awards. Foundation support reaches academic researchers, doctoral students, post-docs, artists across all disciplines, NGOs, and civil-society initiatives in Finland, with no commercial pricing or product lines.

The foundation's most distinctive operating asset is the wholly-owned Wihuri Research Institute (founded 1944), located at Biomedicum Helsinki, which conducts internationally recognized biomedical research focused on cardiovascular disease, vascular biology, lymphatic vessel growth factors, meningeal lymphatic system function, and stem cell research. The institute employs approximately 25 international researchers and operates seven independent research groups using transgenic mouse models, sequencing, imaging, spatial transcriptomics, and two-photon microscopy, with leadership linked to a University of Helsinki professorship in translational medicine. The foundation also maintains a contemporary art collection of roughly 3,500 works (1950s to present), donated to Rovaniemi and housed at Rovaniemi Art Museum/Korundi, supported by a 30-year artist residency program with the University of Lapland and a partner-museum (Kummimuseotoiminta) initiative spanning nine Finnish cities.

Commercially, the foundation is non-profit and does not generate revenue; it deploys endowment-derived capital via grants, prizes, donations, and direct research operations. Distribution channels are event-driven (annual spring application cycle plus peer review), with marketing conducted through a website, quarterly newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Notable external commitments include the Erätauko Foundation (co-founded 2019 with Sitra, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, and Svenska Kulturfonden) and a €1 million founding-capital donation toward the planned 2030 opening of the Architecture and Design Museum.

Name

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation

Legal name

Jenny ja Antti Wihurin rahasto

Website

https://wihurinrahasto.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation is a Finnish charitable foundation established in 1942 that distributes roughly €16.2 million annually across 460 projects in science, art, and civil society, while operating the Wihuri Research Institute for cardiovascular biomedical research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy and grant-making foundation

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• Grant-making foundation
• Biomedical research institute
• Science art grants
• Postdoctoral funding pool
• Contemporary art collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Distribution: As a philanthropic foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation distributes grants from its endowment to support projects in science, art, and social activity. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation is a Finnish perpetual non-profit foundation that distributes grants from its endowment to support projects in science, art, and societal activities (approximately €16.2 million to 460 projects in 2025, with cumulative giving of about €483 million). It also directly operates the Wihuri Research Institute in Biomedicum Helsinki, which conducts internationally recognized cardiovascular and stem cell research, and administers a contemporary art collection of more than 3,500 works placed at Rovaniemi Art Museum. Additional programs include postdoctoral research pools (Post Doc Pool, PoDoCo), an international prize fund, artist residencies, and a partner-museum (kummimuseo) program.

Product overview

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation operates as a diversified grant-making foundation rather than a technology company. Its portfolio consists of multiple interconnected programs: the core Annual Grant Program funds science, art, and societal projects; the Wihuri Research Institute conducts biomedical research in cardiovascular sciences; and various specialized programs like PoDoCo (connecting researchers with companies), the Post Doc Pool (international research funding), and the Wihuri Prize Fund provide targeted support. Arts programming includes a major contemporary art collection donated to Rovaniemi, artist residency programs, and the Kummimuseotoiminta (partner museum) initiative. The foundation distributes approximately €16.2 million annually across 460+ funded projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wihurin tutkimuslaitos (Wihuri Research Institute): Biomedical research institute focused on cardiovascular diseases, vascular biology, and stem cell research, operating within Biomedicum Helsinki
• Uudet klassikot -rahasto
• Wihurin kansainvälisten palkintojen rahasto

Products and services

• Annual Grant Program (Yleinen apurahahaku) Annual open grant program funding science, art, and societal-activity projects in Finland. Approximately 6,400-6,500 applications received each year during the spring application window, with peer review by field experts and final decisions by the foundation board.
• Wihuri Research Institute (Wihurin tutkimuslaitos) A biomedical research institute established by the foundation, conducting internationally recognized cardiovascular disease and stem cell research. Located in Biomedicum Helsinki, it operates seven independent research groups and collaborates with the University of Helsinki. Funded by approximately €2 million annually from the foundation.
• Foundation Post Doc Pool (Säätiöiden Post Doc Pooli) Joint postdoctoral funding pool with other Finnish foundations providing 6-24 months of international research funding for post-doctoral researchers seeking foreign research periods.
• PoDoCo (Post Docs in Companies) Joint program connecting doctoral researchers with companies for collaborative research projects with potential commercial application.
• Wihuri Prize Fund (Wihurin kansainvälisten palkintojen rahasto) International prize fund awarding prizes in recognition of achievements across supported fields, managed separately from the main foundation.
• Artist Residency Program (Rovaniemi) 30-year collaboration with the University of Lapland providing 3-month residencies for two Finnish visual artists annually in Rovaniemi. Artists receive a working stipend from the foundation and workspace from the university; 59 artists have participated since 1995.
• Kummimuseotoiminta (Partner Museum Program) Program supporting smaller Finnish art museums in experimenting with new initiatives outside their regular budgets; currently partnered with nine museums in Rauma, Joensuu, Lappeenranta, Tornio, Keuruu, Kouvola, Imatra, Hämeenlinna, and Kuopio.
• Uudet klassikot (New Classics Fund) Fund supporting visual and performing arts with grant calls opening in September for visual arts and performing arts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,435 applications received and 460 projects funded in 2025 (7% approval rate)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Erätauko FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation co-founded Erätauko Foundation with Sitra, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, and Svenska Kulturfonden. The foundation aims to change Finnish discussion culture toward more constructive dialogue, reduce societal polarization, and increase citizen participation. Erätauko is a dialogue method developed at Sitra in 2016-2018.
• Helsinki Graduate School of EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Joint 1.25 million euro contribution with Saastamoinen Foundation to establish new economics and data science professorship at Aalto University School of Business, part of Helsinki GSE (established by Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and Hanken).
• PoDoCo (Post Docs in Companies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Foundation participates in PoDoCo program where doctoral researchers and companies jointly develop research projects. The program awards funding for research with potential for commercial application, connecting academic researchers with Finnish businesses.
• Säätiöiden post doc -pooli (Foundation Post Doc Pool)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint postdoctoral research funding pool involving multiple Finnish foundations. Aims to advance internationalization of Finnish science by providing 6-24 month foreign research periods for young researchers. Foundation participating in sixth three-year period 2025-2027.
• Lapland UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner30-year ongoing artist residency collaboration since 1995. Two Finnish visual artists per year receive 3-month residency in Rovaniemi. Wihuri Foundation provides working stipend, university provides workspace and accommodation. 59 artists have participated to date.
• Rovaniemi Art MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1983, foundation's contemporary art collection (3,500+ works) has been donated to Rovaniemi. Museum established 1986 in former postal building, later expanded to cultural center Korundi. Foundation continues annual art purchases and donations to museum.
• Helsinki UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration including joint position for Wihuri Research Institute director as professor of translational medicine. Joint support for research including national resilience professorship in agricultural and pharmaceutical sciences.
• Baltic Sea Action GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation supported BSAG science communication project on soil's role as carbon sink and biodiversity source with 75,000 euro funding in 2025.
• SitracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of Erätauko Foundation. Sitra developed the Erätauko dialogue method 2016-2018.
• Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (Finnish Cultural Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of Erätauko Foundation.
• Svenska KulturfondencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of Erätauko Foundation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation: Largest private research foundation in Sweden funding basic science and medicine. Similar biomedical research emphasis and grantmaking model, but at substantially greater scale and broader Nordic reach.
• Academy of Finland: Government research funding agency distributing competitive grants across all scientific disciplines. Larger, publicly funded counterpart that overlaps with Wihuri's research-grant mission and competes for the same Finnish principal investigators.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation: Major Danish enterprise foundation funding scientific research, biomedical innovation, and societal projects. Direct comparator on cardiovascular and stem cell research funding, but at vastly greater scale and a global mandate.

Direct peers

• Kone Foundation: Finnish private foundation distributing grants in arts, culture, and scientific research with a similar mission-driven, multi-pillar structure. Operates comparable annual grant cycles and Finnish-only applicant pool.
• Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation: Finnish private foundation supporting science, arts, and medicine with major grants to Finnish research and cultural institutions. Comparable size, mission, and Finland-only distribution model.
• Suomen Kulttuurirahasto (Finnish Cultural Foundation): Largest Finnish grantmaking foundation distributing annual grants across science, arts, and culture. Co-founder of Erätauko Foundation with Wihuri and serves overlapping applicant pools and uses near-identical distribution mechanics.
• Saastamoinen Foundation: Finnish grantmaking foundation supporting culture, science, and society. Co-funded the Helsinki Graduate School of Economics professorship with Wihuri, indicating closely aligned priorities and parallel operating models.
• Svenska Kulturfonden: Major Swedish-language Finnish grantmaking foundation supporting culture, science, and societal activities. Co-founder of Erätauko Foundation with Wihuri; highly comparable in mandate, geography, and grant cycle.
• Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research: Swedish private research foundation funding natural sciences, engineering, and medicine. Comparable scale, scientific focus, and foundation-driven distribution model, primarily serving Sweden with overlap on Nordic cardiovascular and biomedical research.
• Sitra: Finnish Innovation Fund operating as a mission-driven foundation funding research and societal initiatives. Co-founder of Erätauko Foundation and long-time collaborator with Wihuri across multi-foundation programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wihurinrahasto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jenny-ja-antti-wihurin-rahasto
• Instagraminstagram.com/wihurinrahasto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments3 records

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Frequently asked questions about Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation