STEK ry (Sähkötekniikan ja energiatehokkuuden edistämiskeskus ry)

Name

STEK ry (Sähkötekniikan ja energiatehokkuuden edistämiskeskus ry)

Legal name

Sähkötekniikan ja energiatehokkuuden edistämiskeskus STEK ry

Website

https://stek.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research and Education Grant Funding (Energy Sector)

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSANAEAE

Environmental & Resource Efficiency Funds (Water, Waste, Recycling, Efficiency)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Real Assets Funds (Infrastructure, Real Estate, Energy)

SECONDARYFSANAJAN

SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Impact / ESG & Sustainable Investment Funds

SECONDARYFSANAJAO

Transition / Engagement & Stewardship Funds

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Impact / ESG & Sustainable Investment Funds

Keywords

• Research funding grants
• Energy sector innovation
• Electricity grid resilience
• Education skills development
• Nonprofit foundation funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Asset returns / endowment funding: STEK ry is a nonprofit association funded by the returns on its endowment assets. The organization does not sell products or services. Its annual budget is approximately 2.7 million euros, which is distributed as project funding to advance the electricity and energy sector. STEK is a member of Säätiöt ja rahastot ry (Foundations and Funds association) and adheres to Good Foundation Practice (Hyvä säätiötapa).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

STEK ry is a nonprofit association that funds projects accelerating Finland's electricity and energy sector transition. It offers continuous open funding calls (jatkuva haku) for research, development and innovation, themed funding rounds (teemahaku) targeting strategic priorities such as grid resilience, education and skills development funding, and a pre-application idea testing process (Ideahaku). The organization is funded by returns on its accumulated capital assets, with an annual budget of approximately 2.7 million euros distributed as grants.

Product overview

STEK ry is a non-profit association that accelerates the energy transition by providing funding for projects, research, education, and skills development in the electricity and energy sector. STEK operates as a funding organization rather than a product company. Their offerings consist of various funding programs including theme-based funding calls (such as the Resilienssi-teemahaku focused on electrical system resilience), continuous TKI funding for research, development and innovation, education and skills development funding, and the Ideahaku concept for pre-testing project ideas. Additionally, STEK facilitates the Prässi stakeholder engagement process held annually to determine themes for upcoming funding calls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TKI-rahoitus (Tutkimus, kehitys, innovaatiot) Continuous open funding call (jatkuva haku) providing grants for research, development, and innovation projects in the electricity and energy sector, available to organizations including universities, research institutions, companies, and associations.
• Resilienssi-teemahaku (Sähkö- ja energiajärjestelmän resilienssi) Theme-based funding call focused on electrical and energy system resilience, supporting projects that improve the grid's ability to withstand disruptions and recover from disturbances such as storms, equipment failures, or cyber threats. The first jointly developed themed call based on the Prässi stakeholder process.
• Koulutuksen ja osaamisen kehittäminen Funding programme for education and skills development in the electricity and energy sector, supporting training initiatives, learning material development, and curriculum work from primary school to university level.
• Ideahaku Idea submission process (ideahaku) allowing potential applicants to test and develop project ideas with STEK before submitting a formal funding application, serving as a pre-application engagement channel.
• Prässi Annual workshop process (Prässi) where STEK collaborates with stakeholders to identify themes for upcoming themed funding calls and map challenges in the electricity and energy sector. Held each spring with the 2026 theme focused on education and skills development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual budget of approximately 2.7 million euros distributed across multiple funded projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SESKO ry (Sähkö- ja teleopillisuuden standardointiyhdistys)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023STEK supports SESKO's electrical standardization work through an annual basic grant under a framework agreement for 2023-2030. The partnership also includes joint outreach and student engagement activities to promote standardization awareness among young people and attract them to the electrical sector. SESKO is the national standards body for electrical and electronics engineering in Finland.
• Tiedekeskus Heureka (Heureka Science Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Long-term partnership since 2014 supporting science education outreach. STEK funds Heurekan traveling pop-up exhibitions and educational programs on electricity and energy topics for schools. The partnership has included multiple touring programs across Finland.
• Kasvu OpencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEK partners with Kasvu Open to provide free expert coaching to 15 selected electricity and energy sector SMEs through Kasvu Open's Growth Program. Kasvu Open brings an expert network of 1,600 advisors. STEK's partnership enables the program to be offered free of charge to participating companies. Results and learnings are shared broadly across the network.
• Suomen Omakotiliitto (Finnish Cottage Owners' Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Energiadata hyötykäyttöön (energy data utilization) project. Provides stakeholder perspective for energy community data governance and consumer/homeowner viewpoints.
• Suomen Kiinteistöliitto (Finnish Real Estate Federation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Energiadata hyötykäyttöön project. Contributes expertise on building-level energy data and property management perspectives.
• Tieke (Finnish Information Society Development Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Energiadata hyötykäyttöön project, bringing expertise in information society development and data governance frameworks.
• Tekniikan museo (Technical Museum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner in the 'Haista kWh!' project, contributing museum-based educational expertise and resources for science communication.
• BusinessOuluminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Haista kWh!' project, contributing local business and economic development perspective to the STEAM education initiative.
• Oulun ammattikorkeakoulu (OAMK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Haista kWh!' project, contributing higher education expertise and resources to the STEAM education program.
• Nuorten Yrittäjyys ja Talous NYT rycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with NYT to integrate energy sector themes into the nationwide Yrityskylä (Youth Enterprise Village) learning program. STEK funding supports development of the VaikutusVirta digital tool for Yrityskylä Alakoulu, launching autumn 2027.
• FITech-verkostoyliopisto (Finnish Technology Industry University Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEK funds a comprehensive mapping of electricity and energy sector university education needs through the FITech network. The network includes Aalto, LUT, Oulu, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, Jyväskylä, Itä-Suomi, and Åbo Akademi universities. The project identifies skill gaps and development needs across the network.
• LUMA-keskus Suomi -verkostocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEK funds the LUMA network's nationwide electricity and energy learning pathway, coordinated by University of Vaasa's LUMA-keskus Pohjanmaa. The program involves LUMA centres across Finland including those in Vaasa, Lappeenranta, Oulu, Turku, Joensuu, Rovaniemi, Helsinki, and Kokkola.
• Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VarttiValo greenhouse production and flexible energy systems project, bringing expertise in plant science and agricultural research.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the VarttiValo project, contributing research expertise in energy systems and technology.
• ABB OycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABB is the industry partner in the smart protection solutions research project with University of Vaasa, co-funded by STEK and Vaikuttavuussäätiö. The project examines how inverter-based renewable energy can be safely integrated into the electricity grid.
• Helmholtz-Berlin (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner with University of Helsinki in the perovskite solar cell ALD research project. The collaboration brings leading European solar energy research expertise to the project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carbon Trust: The Carbon Trust is a mission-driven organization that funds and delivers programs to accelerate the move to a sustainable, low-carbon economy through advisory services, certification, and grant-funded pilot projects. It is comparable to STEK in that both operate as non-commercial mission-driven funders of energy efficiency and decarbonization initiatives.
• Sitra (Finnish Innovation Fund): Sitra is Finland's parliamentary-funded innovation foundation that drives sustainability, energy transition, and economic renewal through thematic programs and grants. It is the closest analogue to STEK in structure (Finnish foundation, sector-shaping role) but operates at materially larger scale and broader mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Bezos Earth Fund: The Bezos Earth Fund is a major philanthropic foundation dedicated to climate and nature solutions, including energy transition. Comparable to STEK in mission (funding climate/energy work through grants) but operates globally with multi-billion-dollar commitments and a much broader portfolio.
• IKEA Foundation: IKEA Foundation is a major global philanthropic foundation funding renewable energy, climate action, and sustainable livelihoods. It shares STEK's focus on funding energy transition work but operates globally and at substantially larger scale as part of a broader sustainability portfolio.
• Innovation Fund (European Commission): The EU Innovation Fund is one of the world's largest funding programmes for low-carbon and net-zero technologies, deploying billions of euros in grants and project-based support. It shares STEK's role as a non-commercial grantmaker for energy-transition projects but operates at EU scale and through a different governance structure.

Emerging players

• European Climate Foundation: The European Climate Foundation is a major European philanthropic funder supporting climate and energy policy, advocacy, and deployment. Comparable to STEK in mission (advancing the energy transition through grant funding) but at much larger European scale and with a stronger policy-advocacy orientation.
• Breakthrough Energy: Breakthrough Energy is a network of entities (founded by Bill Gates) that funds and invests in companies and projects working on climate and clean energy. It shares STEK's energy-transition mission but uses a venture-oriented investment model rather than grants, and operates globally at much larger scale.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: ClimateWorks Foundation is a global climate philanthropy that funds projects and regrants to advance climate and energy transition goals. Like STEK it is grant-making, but operates globally and at significantly larger scale with broader climate scope beyond energy.

Regional players

• Energimyndigheten (Swedish Energy Agency): Sweden's national energy agency funds research, innovation, and market development to accelerate the energy transition. It shares STEK's mission of funding energy R&D and education but operates as a government agency in a different Nordic market with substantially larger annual budget.

Others

• Generation Investment Management: Generation Investment Management is a sustainable investment manager that integrates ESG and long-termism into capital allocation. It is not directly comparable as a funder but operates in the same energy-transition capital ecosystem and represents the investment-management counterpoint to STEK's grant-making model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCh4A6chsHPSMxOHADYS0HEg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stek-ry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about STEK ry (Sähkötekniikan ja energiatehokkuuden edistämiskeskus ry)