Nokia Foundation
Nokia Foundation is a Finnish charitable foundation established in 1995 that funds ICT research and education through scholarships, grants, and recognition awards for doctoral students, researchers, professors, and educators in Finland and abroad.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersEspoo, Finland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nokia Foundation does
Nokia Foundation is a Finnish charitable foundation established in 1995 to support the scientific development of information and communications technologies (ICT) and to promote education in the sector in Finland. The foundation operates as a grant-giving and scholarship body, funded by an endowment associated with Nokia, and disburses financial awards to doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting professors, and ICT educators. It does not develop technology products; its core deliverable is capital allocation to the Finnish and international ICT research ecosystem.
The foundation administers approximately ten grant programs covering the full academic lifecycle: Nokia Scholarship for doctoral candidates, Fulbright-Nokia and Fulbright Junior Scholar for US-based scholars, France-Nokia Chaire d'Excellence for French scholars, Tutkijat maailmalle and Jorma Ollila Grants for international research exchanges, Nokia Visiting Professor and Nokia Foundation Fellow for established researchers, and the Nokia-OKKA Educational Recognition Award for ICT educators. Grant sizes range from approximately EUR 5,000 for individual scholarships up to EUR 50,400 for Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chairs. In 2009 the foundation awarded 77 scholarships totaling EUR 385,000, and in recent years it has issued 77–89 scholarships annually, maintaining a 1,000+ alumni recipient base since inception.
The foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors (current Chair: Timo Ali-Vehmas; previously Hannu Kauppinen) and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, with a staff of 1–10. It partners with four major Finnish universities (Aalto, Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere) and runs bilateral programs with the Fulbright program and French academic institutions. It maintains a public archive of all grant and scholarship honorees from 1995 to present and holds an annual Recognition Award ceremony honoring individuals for outstanding ICT contributions; past honorees include Jimmy Wales (2009), Tommi Jaakkola (2012), Erkki Oja (2017), and Minna Palmroth (2025).
Nokia Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nokia Foundation
- Legal name
- Nokia Foundation
- Website
- https://nokiafoundation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Nokia Foundation is a Finnish charitable foundation established in 1995 that funds ICT research and education through scholarships, grants, and recognition awards for doctoral students, researchers, professors, and educators in Finland and abroad.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nokia Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Research Grants & Education Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)
Keywords
Where Nokia Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Espoo
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nokia Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Operations, Personnel
Revenue model
- Foundation Endowment: Nokia Foundation operates as a charitable endowment funded by Nokia. The foundation provides scholarships and grants to support the scientific development of information and telecommunications technologies and promotes education in Finland.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Nokia Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nokia Foundation is a Finnish charitable foundation that provides research grants and doctoral scholarships to support ICT-related academic research and education. It funds individual researchers, doctoral candidates, and academic institutions primarily in Finland, with grants administered annually to advance science, technology, and engineering research connected to telecommunications and information technology.
Product overview
Nokia Foundation is a Finnish scholarship and grant organization that provides financial support for research and education in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). The foundation operates multiple grant programs including the Nokia Visiting Professor, Tutkijat maailmalle, Fulbright-Nokia, Nokia Scholarship, Fulbright Junior Scholar, Nokia Foundation Fellow, Jorma Ollila Grant, and France-Nokia programs. These programs support doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and established academics pursuing ICT research, as well as international research collaborations between Finland and other countries (United States, France). The foundation also recognizes excellence in ICT education through the Nokia-OKKA Educational Recognition Award and honors significant contributions to ICT through the annual Nokia Foundation Recognition Award. The organization maintains a comprehensive archive of all grant and scholarship recipients from 1995 to present.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nokia Foundation Research Grant
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 77 scholarships awarded annually totaling EUR 385,000+
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Nokia Foundation
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nokia Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Nokia Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Fulbright ProgramcoreNokia Foundation partners with the Fulbright program to offer Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair positions for American scholars to engage in research collaboration at Finnish institutes of higher education. The program provides grants ranging from EUR 16,800 to EUR 50,400.
- France-Nokia (French Institutions)coreNokia Foundation partners with French academic institutions through the France-Nokia Chaire d'Excellence program, providing opportunities for French scholars to engage in research collaboration at Finnish institutes. Grants range from EUR 10,000 to EUR 20,000.
- Aalto UniversitycoreFinnish university receiving multiple Nokia Foundation grants and recognition awards. Major recipient of Nokia Visiting Professor, Nokia Scholarship, and other grant programs.
- University of OulucoreMajor Finnish university receiving Nokia Foundation grants for ICT research. Home to Centre for Wireless Communications, a center of excellence in radio and wireless technologies.
- University of HelsinkicoreFinnish university receiving Nokia Foundation grants and recognition awards. Recipients include professors in space physics, computer science, and science education.
- Tampere UniversitycoreFinnish university receiving Nokia Foundation grants across multiple ICT research areas including signal processing, communications, and machine learning.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Nokia Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Telia Company Foundation / Telia Foundation: Nordic telecom operator's foundation supporting digital inclusion, education, and ICT research. Comparable as a Nordic telecom-sector corporate foundation with similar mission focus on digital/ICT education and research funding.
- Alfred Kordelin Foundation: Finnish private foundation granting funds for science, arts, and education. Directly comparable as a domestic Finnish grantmaking foundation with similar operating model and historical roots in supporting academic research, though broader than ICT.
- Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation: Finnish foundation supporting science, research, and education through major grants. Comparable as a Finnish private grantmaker with similar science/research focus, with several large multi-year research grants comparable in size to Nokia Foundation's programs.
- Finnish Cultural Foundation: Major Finnish private foundation funding scientific research, arts, and education. Comparable in scale and mission as a Finland-based grantmaking foundation supporting academic work including ICT-adjacent fields.
- Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation: Finnish industry-funded foundation supporting technology research and education. Directly comparable as a Finnish foundation with industry backing that funds ICT and engineering research at Finnish universities, mirroring Nokia Foundation's industry-academia bridge model.
- Ericsson Foundation: Sweden-based corporate foundation supporting ICT research and education, founded by a direct Nokia competitor. Closely comparable as a telecom-industry corporate foundation funding university research in ICT, sharing the same industry-academia funding model and target beneficiary base.
Broad incumbents
- Carlsberg Foundation: Danish industrial foundation funding basic research across sciences including technology. Comparable as a Nordic corporate-origin foundation funding research with a much larger endowment and broader scientific mandate than Nokia Foundation.
- Wallenberg Foundation (Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation): Sweden's largest private research funder, supporting basic research primarily in science and technology. Comparable as a Nordic industrial-family foundation funding ICT, AI, and engineering research at universities — similar model but much larger scale and broader mandate.
- Volkswagen Foundation: Large German corporate-origin foundation funding academic research with focus on STEM and ICT-adjacent topics. Comparable as a major European corporate philanthropy funding science research, though much larger scale and broader scope than Nokia Foundation.
Regional players
- Kone Foundation (Saastamoinen Foundation): Finnish private foundation supporting academic research, science, and humanities. Comparable as a Finland-based private grantmaking foundation with similar scale and operational model, though broader in research scope than ICT-specific Nokia Foundation.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nokia Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceNokia Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nokia Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Nokia Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Nokia Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Nokia Foundation
What does Nokia Foundation do?
Nokia Foundation is a Finnish charitable foundation that provides research grants and doctoral scholarships to support ICT-related academic research and education. It funds individual researchers, doctoral candidates, and academic institutions primarily in Finland, with grants administered annually to advance science, technology, and engineering research connected to telecommunications and information technology.
Is Nokia Foundation a public or private company?
Nokia Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Nokia Foundation founded?
Nokia Foundation was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Nokia Foundation based?
Nokia Foundation is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Nokia Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Endowment.
Who are Nokia Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Telia Company Foundation / Telia Foundation, Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation and Ericsson Foundation. Broad incumbents are Carlsberg Foundation, Wallenberg Foundation (Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation) and Volkswagen Foundation. Kone Foundation (Saastamoinen Foundation) is listed as a regional player.
Does Nokia Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nokia Foundation.
What industry is Nokia Foundation in?
Nokia Foundation's product category is Research Grants & Education Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.