What Startup Refugees does

Startup Refugees is a Finnish non-profit organization founded in 2015 by Riku Rantala and Tunna Milonoff in response to Finland's 2015 refugee crisis, operating under the legal entity Phoenix ry. It supports refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants with three integrated service lines: employment matching, skills development, and entrepreneurship. Its flagship technology is the Match Made in Startup Refugees digital platform, a web-based database that automatically generates CVs from user profiles, enables employers to search for international talent, and connects users to mentoring and entrepreneurship opportunities. Supplementary capabilities include AI-assisted tools for CV and cover letter creation, job recommendations, and business planning, with all AI outputs staff-reviewed. A multilingual team and community leaders covering 15+ languages deliver in-person employment coaching, mentoring, and entrepreneurship training across four physical offices in Helsinki, Vantaa, Oulu, and Rovaniemi.

The organization's product portfolio comprises the Match Made in Startup Refugees platform (core), Recruitment Services (Find an Employee) offered free to employers, Start a Business Services, a multi-tier Entrepreneurship Course program (Crash Course, Academy, Growth Program), Mentoring Programs co-developed with corporates such as Tietoevry, Nordea, Telia, and Sweco, and specialized projects including SkillUp, Tsemppari Employment Coaching, Entrepreneur Pathway, From Dreams to Career Paths, Arctic Mentors, and Kotona maaseudulla. It also runs the Startup Refugees Fund, providing seed investments of EUR 5,000-10,000 to 3-5 underrepresented newcomer founders annually, and co-launched the Refugee-Friendly Employer recognition program with UNHCR in 2026.

Startup Refugees operates a hybrid revenue model anchored on public project grants and private foundation grants, with incremental revenue streams from tiered corporate partnership packages (Platinum, Diamond, Gold), tailored consulting and DEIB training services sold to organizations, and donations. Core services are free for newcomers, while employers access recruitment free of charge and pay for partnership packages and DEI training. As of disclosed figures, the total annual operating budget is approximately EUR 1.5 million with the Employment Program alone costing around EUR 850,000 per year; total reported economic impact over ten years exceeds EUR 136 million and the organization has placed 2,250+ people into employment, trained 1,300+ aspiring entrepreneurs, and registered 140+ newcomer-founded companies.

Name

Startup Refugees

Legal name

Phoenix ry

Website

https://startuprefugees.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startup Refugees is a Finnish non-profit supporting refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants with employment, skills development, and entrepreneurship. It operates a digital matching platform, runs multilingual mentoring and business programs, and delivers services through four offices in Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee Employment and Integration Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Educational Support Services (611710), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ), Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Refugee employment services
• Immigrant integration programs
• Job matching platform
• Entrepreneurship training
• Workforce diversity consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government and Foundation Grants: Funded by public project grants and grants from private foundations. Operating costs of Employment Program is around 850,000 euros annually with total budget for all operations around 1.5 million euros.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Tiered partnership packages (Platinum, Diamond, Gold) with tailored benefits including ESG/CSR alignment, brand visibility, mentoring program access, and customized impact reporting.
3. Consulting and Training Services: Tailored trainings and consultation services sold to organizations including entrepreneurship courses, recruitment support, onboarding, and DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) trainings.
4. Donations: Accepts donations to support the Startup Refugees Fund for underrepresented founders. Companies can donate through partnership arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Startup Refugees is a non-profit organization that supports refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in Finland through employment matching, skills development, and entrepreneurship services. It operates the Match Made in Startup Refugees digital platform to connect job seekers with employers, runs recruitment services for companies, and delivers multi-tier entrepreneurship courses, mentoring programs, and tailored consulting/training to organizations.

Product overview

Startup Refugees is an award-winning Finnish non-profit organization operating a multi-service platform that supports newcomers (refugees, asylum seekers, migrants) in employment, skills development, and entrepreneurship. The core offering consists of the Match Made in Startup Refugees digital platform, which serves as a job-matching database connecting talent with employers. Supporting services include Recruitment Services for employers seeking newcomer talent, Start a Business Services for entrepreneurship support, a multi-tier Entrepreneurship Course program (Crash Course, Academy, Growth), and Develop Your Skills training programs including the Mentoring Program. The organization also operates specialized projects including SkillUp (youth employment), Tsemppari Employment Coaching (Vantaa), Entrepreneur Pathway (funded by Yksityisyrittäjäin säätiö), From Dreams to Career Paths (Oulu/Kuusamo youth program), Arctic Mentors (Lapland), Kotona maaseudulla (rural entrepreneurship), and the Startup Refugees Fund (entrepreneurship grants). Consulting and Training Services are offered to organizations. The company operates from offices in Helsinki, Vantaa, Oulu, and Rovaniemi, and provides multilingual support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Match Made in Startup Refugees Web-based platform where job seekers create profiles and CVs, employers search for international talent, and users connect to entrepreneurship support and mentoring opportunities. Free for newcomers and hiring employers.
• Recruitment Services (Find an Employee)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2250+ people employed to open job market, with ~250 placed annually and 60% retention beyond first year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• The Foundher TableflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Strategic partnership for the 2026 Female Edition of the Entrepreneurship Awards, placing special focus on supporting migrant women entrepreneurs. Cooperation aims to address gender disparity in startup funding.
• Business HelsinkicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Public business support organization supporting outreach and participant referrals for the Entrepreneurship Pathway program.
• Business OulucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Public business support organization in Northern Finland supporting outreach and participant referrals for the Entrepreneurship Pathway program.
• City of VantaacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Implementing partner for Tsemppari Employment Coaching project promoting migrant employment through culturally informed guidance. Nine years of collaboration.
• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Leading the Refugee-Friendly Employer award program in Finland with Startup Refugees, the first-ever recognition program for businesses creating opportunities for people with refugee backgrounds.
• Living RoomminorOthers · 9 October 2025NGO sharing perspectives on how Finland's restrictive policies affect migrants and the organizations that serve them.
• International House HelsinkiminorOthers · 9 October 2025Organization providing services to migrants, sharing perspectives on policy impacts alongside Startup Refugees.
• TietoevrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on Mentoring Programs and Hackathons for 2025. Also provided expertise to migrant entrepreneurs through business development services. Contributes professionals to mentoring programs.
• Plan InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on NGO-focused mentoring program in 2025, contributing to diverse program offerings.
• AmnestyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on NGO-focused mentoring program in 2025.
• DiakonissalaitosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on mentoring program bringing social services expertise.
• Varia Vocational SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Vocational school that collaborated on welding workshop training in Vantaa.
• Suomen YrittäjäopistocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Finnish Entrepreneurship Institute collaborating on Kotona maaseudulla project developing operating models for rural entrepreneurship support.
• Aktion ÖsterbottenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Regional organization collaborating on Kotona maaseudulla project for rural entrepreneurship support.
• Suomen KylätminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Finnish Villages organization collaborating on Kotona maaseudulla project.
• Rovaniemi and Ranua MunicipalitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Arctic Mentors project collaboration with municipalities in Lapland region to promote migrant employment and improve diversity expertise among employers.
• SupercellminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Technology company that has offered expertise and opportunities to migrant entrepreneurs through Startup Refugees network.
• SlushminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Startup event organization that has offered expertise and opportunities to migrant entrepreneurs. Hosts entrepreneur showcases.
• FuturiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Technology company that has offered expertise to migrant entrepreneurs through business development services.
• TaivalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Consulting firm that has offered expertise and support to migrant entrepreneurs.
• Flow FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Festival organization that has offered opportunities to migrant entrepreneurs through Startup Refugees network.
• KasvuOpencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Growth coaching organization collaborating on the Growth Program for entrepreneur alumni, providing intensive mentoring days with hand-picked experts.
• SwecocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration on Engineering mentoring program matching engineers with immigrant backgrounds with professional mentors from Sweco.
• NordeacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration on Business mentoring program for professionals with migrant backgrounds. Contributes banking and finance professionals as mentors.
• NetlightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Long-standing collaboration on Mentoring Programs since 2018. Contributes experienced professionals as mentors to highly educated migrants and refugees.
• TeliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Long-standing collaboration on Mentoring Programs since 2018. Provided professionals for mentoring initiatives supporting newcomer employment.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Kone Foundation (KONEEN SÄÄTIÖ): Finnish cultural and societal foundation that has funded Startup Refugees; representative of the foundation ecosystem that underwrites much of Finland's refugee-support infrastructure rather than a direct service competitor.
• Business Helsinki: Helsinki city's public business support organization partnering with Startup Refugees on the Entrepreneurship Pathway. Acts as an enabling public-sector referral channel rather than a competing service provider.
• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): UN agency co-leading the Refugee-Friendly Employer program with Startup Refugees in Finland. Functions as a strategic ecosystem partner and standards-setter rather than a direct employment service competitor.

Direct peers

• TalentLift: Swedish nonprofit founded in 2015 connecting newly arrived immigrants and refugees with employers through mentorship and job-matching. Closest geographic peer to Startup Refugees in the Nordics with nearly identical mission and timing of founding.
• Talent Beyond Boundaries: International nonprofit that connects refugees with employers globally through a talent-matching platform and employer partnerships. Closely mirrors Startup Refugees' recruitment services and corporate partnership model, but operates across multiple countries.
• Refugee Talent: Tech-focused refugee employment nonprofit active in the UK and Canada that places skilled refugees into professional roles via employer partnerships. Highly comparable model to Startup Refugees' enterprise recruitment services targeting skilled newcomers.
• Upwardly Global: US-based nonprofit that helps immigrants and refugees with professional credentials reconnect with their careers through training, mentoring, and employer matching. Directly comparable to Startup Refugees' Mentoring Program and Match platform serving a similar newcomer-employer matching function.

Broad incumbents

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Major global humanitarian organization that runs employment, livelihoods and economic recovery programs for refugees and displaced people. Comparable employment/integration service line, but at vastly larger global scale.
• Tent Partnership for Refugees: Larger US-headquartered nonprofit mobilizing the private sector to integrate refugees through employer commitments, mentorship and entrepreneurship support. Broader geographic and corporate-scope version of Startup Refugees' partnership model.

Regional players

• Hire Immigrants (IMD Hiring: Canadian initiative helping employers hire and retain skilled immigrants through employer tools, training and a national recognition program. Comparable employer-facing refugee/integration services but operating in Canada rather than Finland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/startuprefugees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-refugees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Startup Refugees