Boost Turku Entrepreneurship Society

Name

Boost Turku Entrepreneurship Society

Legal name

Boost Turku ry

Website

https://boostturku.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAHAC

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAMAKAK

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/College & Career Enrichment (Mentorship, Internships, Portfolio)

SECONDARYEDAMAHAA

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAMAHAB

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Student entrepreneurship programs
• Startup accelerator programs
• Mentoring and networking events
• Hackathon and ideation workshops
• Non-profit entrepreneurship society

Headquarters

HQ city

Turku

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit organization - Programs are free: Boost Turku is a non-profit association that provides free entrepreneurship events, accelerator programs, and mentoring sessions. The organization is funded by its main partners: University of Turku and Business Turku. All programs and events are completely free of charge for participants.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Boost Turku Entrepreneurship Society is a student-run non-profit association that organizes free entrepreneurship events, accelerator programs, hackathons, mentoring sessions, and a validation grant for higher-education students and early-stage founders in the Turku region. Its core offerings include the Startup Journey 8-week accelerator (run since 2011), the Startup Marathon 42-hour idea hackathon, the OmaHomma flexible summer program, the BoostHer women-entrepreneurship program, and a PoC/Validation Grant for proof-of-concept work.

Product overview

Boost Turku Entrepreneurship Society is a student-run non-profit organization that operates as an entrepreneurship accelerator and support network. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Startup Journey (an intensive 8-week startup accelerator organized since 2011), Startup Marathon (a 42-hour idea hackathon), OmaHomma (a flexible summer entrepreneurship program), BoostHer (women-focused entrepreneurship support), and a PoC Grant for validating startup ideas. All programs are free of charge and the organization does not take equity from participating startups, being funded by the University of Turku and Business Turku.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BoostHer: A program under Boost Turku focused on supporting women entrepreneurs.
• Startup Journey
• Startup Marathon
• OmaHomma

Products and services

• Startup Journey An intensive 8-week startup accelerator program designed to help early-stage startups create prototypes, conduct testing, launch products, and secure a first round of investment. Targeted at student founders and early-stage teams in the Turku region.
• Startup Marathon A 42-hour idea hackathon specially crafted for students who want to experience what it is like to build a business from the ground up. Includes idea-storm and pitching workshops led by facilitators. Held at Edu-City, Joukahaisenkatu 7, 20520 Turku.
• OmaHomma A flexible summer program that helps students turn their skills, ideas, or interests into income through entrepreneurship, freelancing, or side hustles while gaining real-world experience. Funded by the University of Turku.
• BoostHer A program within the Boost Turku ecosystem focused on supporting women entrepreneurs through dedicated events, mentoring, and community activities.
• PoC Grant (Validation Grant) A grant program that helps startups validate their proof-of-concept ideas, providing funding and support to test early-stage concepts.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SparkUp TurkuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntrepreneurial hub venue used for events and programs. Currently undergoing renovations, with events organized in multiple venues.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Junction: Helsinki-based student-run hackathon organizer with chapters across Europe; directly comparable to Boost's Startup Marathon hackathon product as a major student-driven builder event platform.
• Aalto Entrepreneurship Society (Aaltoes): Largest student-run entrepreneurship society in Finland, based at Aalto University in Helsinki. Closely comparable in mission (free, student-led entrepreneurship programming and accelerator-style events) and operating model to Boost Turku, but at significantly larger scale.
• Helsinki Think Company: University of Helsinki's entrepreneurship and innovation support platform, offering coaching, ideation courses, and startup programs for students. Comparable as a student-focused entrepreneurship enabler in Finland's second major university ecosystem.
• Startup Sauna: Nordic student-focused startup accelerator founded in Helsinki; runs cohort-based programs for early-stage founders and is one of the most established student accelerator brands in the region alongside Boost.
• Startup Weekend: Techstars-run 54-hour hackathon-to-startup format active in 150+ countries; the closest direct analog to Boost's Startup Marathon idea-stage sprint for aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Kiuas: Finnish student-led entrepreneurship community that runs accelerator-style programs, hackathons, and founder events comparable in form to Boost Turku's Startup Journey and Startup Marathon.

Broad incumbents

• Slush: Helsinki-headquartered global startup event organizer that connects founders, investors, and operators across the Nordic ecosystem; comparable in community-building and ecosystem-development role to Boost Turku's networking mission.
• Maria 01: Helsinki-based startup campus and accelerator hub offering infrastructure and programs for early-stage startups. Overlaps with Boost's accelerator function and partnership role with SparkUp, but operates at much larger scale as an incubator/workspace.

Others

• Enspire Hackathon / EIT InnoEnergy: European-level innovation and entrepreneurship programs from EU bodies that fund student entrepreneur communities across universities; comparable as a parent ecosystem of student entrepreneurship support that competes for the same founders and mentors.

Regional players

• EDSA (European Digital and Startup Association) / ESTIEM: European student-run organizations supporting entrepreneurship and innovation exchange across universities in different geographies; comparable as a wider student entrepreneur community with regional chapter structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/boostturku
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boostturku
• Instagraminstagram.com/boostturku
• Xx.com/boostturku

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Boost Turku Entrepreneurship Society