Aalto University Campus & Real Estate

What Aalto University Campus & Real Estate does

Aalto University Campus & Real Estate (legal name Aalto-yliopistokiinteistöt Oy, "ACRE") is a Finnish private limited company that maintains, develops, and rents real estate on behalf of Aalto University across its Otaniemi and Töölö campuses. The company is 100% owned by the Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö foundation and administers 22 joint-stock property companies holding approximately EUR 524 million (2025) of real estate assets. ACRE serves three principal customer segments: the Aalto University community (primary tenant for campus facilities), startups and small businesses (via the A Grid startup hub and Campus Membership coworking program), and large enterprises and retailers (office and retail premises in locations such as A Bloc and A Blanc shopping centres), plus external event organizers renting over 100 venues ranging from 10-person meeting rooms to 600-person seminar halls.

ACRE's product surface spans physical premises (offices, laboratories, retail, coworking, and event venues across properties such as A Grid, Marsio, Kide, Dipoli, Värc, A Blanc, and A Bloc) and a set of digital tools built on third-party platforms. Digital products include the Aalto Space mobile app for room booking and campus navigation, the Spacecatalog online venue booking system (launched November 2024), and the ACRE Extranet tenant portal for lease management and service requests; campus navigation is delivered via the Steerpath platform and maintenance ticketing via Granlund Manager. The company also runs sustainability and accessibility programmes (WWF Green Office certification, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, carbon neutrality by 2030) and pilots campus e-mobility infrastructure in partnership with KotiCharge.

The business model combines subscription/recurring rental income (commercial leases, Campus Membership coworking subscriptions), one-time venue rental fees for events, and bundled property management services (maintenance, cleaning, waste management, and moving coordination delivered through partners such as Palmia Oy and Forsman Oy). Distribution is direct via an in-house leasing team for enterprise leases and self-serve via the Spacecatalog and Campus Membership portals for smaller and event-based customers; the Aalto Startup Center and A Grid hub provide indirect channel-driven demand. Pricing is quote-based for offices and retail, monthly for coworking, and pay-as-you-go for event venues and EV charging (EUR 0.25/kWh as of July 2023).

Name

Aalto University Campus & Real Estate

Legal name

Aalto-yliopistokiinteistöt Oy

Website

https://acre.aalto.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACRE (Aalto-yliopistokiinteistöt Oy) is a foundation-owned Finnish real estate company that develops, maintains, and leases Aalto University's Otaniemi and Töölö campus facilities to the university community, 140+ external tenants, startups, and event organizers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Campus Real Estate Services

NAICS

Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Facilities Support Services (5612)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Housing Property Management (BPAJAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residence Hall Operations & Administration (EDALACAA), Student Housing Property Management (BPAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Campus real estate
• Commercial property leasing
• Coworking spaces
• Event venue rental
• Property management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Real Estate Leasing: Leasing of office, laboratory, retail, and event spaces to businesses, startups, and external tenants. Revenue generated through monthly rental payments based on space size and location.
2. Campus Membership (Coworking): Flexible coworking space access through Aalto Campus Membership, providing hot desk or fixed seat options in A Grid startup hub with campus-wide access benefits.
3. Event Venue Rental: Short-term rental of event venues ranging from small meeting rooms (10 people) to large seminar halls (600 people) for conferences, hackathons, workshops, and celebrations.
4. Property Management Services: Technical maintenance, cleaning, waste management, recycling, and moving service coordination provided to tenants as part of comprehensive property services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aalto University Campus & Real Estate (ACRE, legal name Aalto-yliopistokiinteistöt Oy) maintains, develops and rents Aalto University facilities in Otaniemi and Töölö, Finland. It leases office, laboratory, retail, and event space to external tenants, runs the A Grid startup hub and Aalto Campus Membership coworking program, and provides property management services including maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability programs for the campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Office Premises Office and laboratory spaces available in Otaniemi campus, including the A Grid startup hub, as well as larger education and office facilities in Töölö. Offered to startups, enterprises, and Aalto University units.
• Retail Premises (A Bloc) Shopping centre at Aalto University metro station hub featuring restaurants, cafes, specialty stores, grocery stores, pharmacy, and pop-up spaces. Targeted at retail tenants.
• Retail Premises (A Blanc) Shopping centre located at Alvar Aalto Park edge, offering local services including restaurant, costume rental, hair salon, and office spaces.
• Event Venues Over 100 event venues ranging from small meeting rooms (10 people) to large seminar halls (600 people) available for rent at Otaniemi campus. Catering coordinated through partner operators.
• Aalto Campus Membership Coworking membership program providing access to Aalto University campus through a single membership fee, including workspace at A Grid startup hub with campus-wide access benefits.
• Property Development Services Real estate asset management, property administration, construction management, and space design services for campus properties.
• Property Maintenance Services Technical maintenance, cleaning, waste management, recycling coordination, and moving services for campus properties.
• Sustainable Campus Services Sustainability initiatives including carbon neutrality planning, energy efficiency programs, sustainable mobility solutions, and environmental management.
• Aalto Space Mobile Application Mobile application enabling Aalto University campus users to book meeting and group workspaces and navigate the campus.
• ACRE Extranet Tenant portal providing information on Otaniemi properties, tenant guidance, news, and services related to leasing relationships.
• Spacecatalog Online venue booking platform for Aalto University campus spaces. Allows users to find and reserve event spaces, meeting rooms, and venues.
• A Grid Startup Hub Startup hub ecosystem in Otakaari 5, one of the largest startup concentrations in Northern Europe with labs, makerspaces, and community space. Hosts 150+ startups and partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer satisfaction improved year-over-year with strengthened NPS
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KotiChargecoreTechnology or Integration · 7 July 2023KotiCharge, a startup operating in A Grid, developed an EV charging solution providing 11 kW charging power through existing engine heating poles. Pilot launched at Sähkömiehentie 4 parking lot with spot-based electricity pricing (Nordpool + 0.10 EUR/kWh). Load management enables intelligent use of chargers and engine heaters in same network.
• Palmia OycoreOthersCompetitive bidding selected Palmia Oy as Aalto University's contract cleaning partner for campus facilities.
• Forsman OyminorOthersMoving services provider selected through competitive bidding for university relocation activities.
• Aalto Startup CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Europe's longest-running university-based incubators supporting research-based startups since 1997. Operates Demo Day events and provides startup ecosystem services that drive demand for A Grid spaces.
• Aalto UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACRE is 100% owned by Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö foundation. Aalto University is the largest user of ACRE properties. Partnership focuses on campus development, property management, and creating innovation ecosystem.
• Smart Otaniemi ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and development collaboration on electronic mobility including robot cars and EV charging infrastructure on campus.
• City of EspoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban planning collaboration for Otaniemi development including Kemisti, Kivimies, and Biologin/Meritekniikka areas. Participates in sustainable mobility events and campus vision planning.
• Aalto-Yliopistokiinteistöt Property CompaniescoreOthers22 joint-stock property companies administered by ACRE including Koy Espoon Otakaari 1, 3, 5, 7, 24, Väre, Amfi, and others covering campus buildings.
• Granlund ManagercoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware platform used for building maintenance service requests, enabling tenants to submit maintenance tickets that reach ACRE and property management staff.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global flexible workspace provider with significant coworking operations. Comparable to ACRE's coworking membership and shared office offerings in product/market fit, though with different target segments and brand positioning.
• CBRE Group: Global commercial real estate services firm offering property management, leasing, and advisory. Comparable to ACRE in commercial property management and leasing service capabilities, though operates as a much larger global platform.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Global commercial real estate services firm providing property management, leasing, and capital markets services. Overlaps with ACRE in office leasing, property management, and tenant services.
• Colliers: Global commercial real estate services and investment firm. Comparable to ACRE in commercial leasing, property management, and tenant advisory capabilities across office and retail asset classes.
• IWG (Regus): Global operator of flexible workspace and coworking brands (Regus, Spaces, HQ). Comparable to ACRE's Aalto Campus Membership coworking offering and A Grid, though at vastly larger scale and commercial orientation.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): Global real estate services and investment management firm. Comparable to ACRE across property management, leasing, and tenant advisory, with broader portfolio and geographic reach.

Regional players

• Citycon: Nordic shopping center owner and developer (including Finnish retail properties). Comparable to ACRE's A Bloc and A Blanc shopping center management activities and Finnish retail leasing operations.
• Sponda: Finnish commercial real estate company managing office, retail, and logistics properties in Helsinki and other Finnish growth centers. Comparable in Finnish CRE ownership and leasing activity, though broader in scope than ACRE's campus focus.

Direct peers

• Akademiska Hus: Swedish state-owned company that owns, develops, and manages properties for Swedish universities and research institutions. Closest functional analog to ACRE: a dedicated university property company operating in a Nordic academic real estate context.
• Newsec: Leading Nordic property manager offering commercial and residential asset management, leasing, and property services. Comparable to ACRE in property management services, tenant handling, and Nordic CRE market exposure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aaltocre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aalto-university-properties-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/aaltocre

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries18 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 Aalto University Campus & Real Estate