Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö

What Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö does

Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö (Nessling Foundation) is a Finnish non-profit foundation established in 1972 through the legacy of Maj and Tor Nessling, with the original purpose of advancing scientific and technical research to prevent pollution in air and water, develop cleansing systems for polluted waters, and improve environmental protection. By 2024 it had distributed over €100 million in cumulative funding for scientific research and related projects, making it one of the more substantial private sustainability research funders in Finland.

Its core offering is a portfolio of grant programs, administered through the Nesslink online grant management system. These include a General Grant Call covering doctoral thesis funding (~€32,000/year), postdoc research funding (~€36,000/year), and science-based action-project funding (~€50,000-€100,000), plus the thematic Murros call (focused on structural overconsumption) and a Small Funding track. Applicants must have a Finnish connection (citizenship and activity in/relating to Finland, or affiliation with a Finnish research organization). Grantees additionally receive the Nessling Impact program (training, events, sparring, science-policy interaction support).

The foundation's economic model is that of a classic endowed grant-maker: the endowment is invested predominantly in securities, and the returns on those assets constitute its distributable wealth, which is paid out as grants. It is governed by a seven-member board chaired by Ilari Sääksjärvi, with operational leadership from Science and Executive Director Iina Koskinen, and a small specialist staff in Helsinki. The current 2023-2027 strategy repositions the foundation around the broader sustainability transformation that protects natural systems, extending its original anti-pollution mission.

Name

Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö

Legal name

Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö

Website

https://nessling.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö is a Finnish non-profit foundation, established in 1972, that funds sustainability and environmental research through endowed grants administered via the Nesslink system, serving doctoral researchers, postdocs, and Finnish action-project organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research grant funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Research grants
• Sustainability funding
• Environmental research
• Doctoral fellowships
• Science-based projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation's distributable wealth consists of returns on its assets invested in securities. The majority of assets are invested in securities, meaning research grants depend on the success of companies the foundation owns shares in.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The foundation is a Finnish non-profit grant-maker established in 1972 that funds environmental and sustainability research. It awards funding for doctoral thesis research, postdoctoral research, and science-based action projects that advance sustainability transformation protecting natural systems. Grant applications are processed through the Nesslink online system, and the foundation also provides the Nessling Impact support program to help funded researchers maximize the impact of their work.

Product overview

Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö (Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation) is a Finnish non-profit foundation established in 1972 that funds environmental research and sustainability transformation. Its core offering is a portfolio of grant funding programs delivered through the Nesslink grant management system, which applicants use to apply for doctoral thesis, postdoctoral, and science-based action project funding. The foundation does not offer a commercial software product or SaaS platform; its primary activity is grant-making to advance ecologically sustainable research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doctoral Thesis Funding (Väitöskirjarahoitus) Annual research funding of approximately €32,000/year for doctoral researchers conducting sustainability and environmental research with a Finnish connection. Awarded through the foundation's general grant calls and processed via the Nesslink system.
• Postdoctoral Research Funding (Postdoc-rahoitus) Annual research funding of approximately €36,000/year for postdoctoral researchers within five years of their doctorate who are conducting sustainability research. Covers salary, travel, analysis services, and other research-related costs.
• Science-based Action Project Funding (Toimintahankerahoitus) Project funding of €50,000–100,000 for Finnish organizations (associations, foundations, companies, cooperatives) implementing action projects based on scientific knowledge that advance sustainability transformation protecting natural systems.
• Murros-call Grants Specialized grant funding for projects addressing structural overconsumption, with prior awards totaling approximately one million euros for two projects. Two-year project durations, with topics including food systems (ResPro) and construction (BLINK).
• Small Funding (Pienhaku) Small-scale grant offering from the foundation for sustainability-related work.
• Nessling Impact Support Program Companion program to funded grants that supports recipients through training, sparring, events, and a workspace at the foundation's Puistokatu 4 premises, helping researchers translate their work into societal impact.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation: Finnish foundation supporting high-quality scientific research, arts, and culture. Comparable as a Finnish private foundation providing project and researcher grants from an endowment.
• Kone Foundation: Finnish private foundation funding bold research and artistic work, including sustainability and environmental research. Highly comparable as a Finnish, endowment-driven grantmaking foundation supporting individual researchers and projects.
• Ella ja Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation: Finnish private foundation funding science, research, and education. Similar endowment-driven, Finland-focused grantmaking model supporting individual researchers and projects.
• Finnish Cultural Foundation (Suomen Kulttuurirahasto): One of Finland's largest private foundations, distributing grants across sciences, arts, and culture. Directly comparable as a major Finnish grantmaking foundation with endowment-based funding and a multi-program structure.

Broad incumbents

• European Climate Foundation: Major international philanthropic initiative supporting climate and energy policy across Europe. Comparable as a sustainability-focused grantmaking foundation with an environmental mission, but operates pan-European rather than Finland-only.
• Bezos Earth Fund: One of the world's largest climate-focused philanthropies, funding environmental and conservation work globally. Comparable environmental grantmaking mission, but vastly larger endowment and global mandate.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: Global philanthropy that aggregates grants to climate-focused programs. Comparable sustainability mission and grantmaking model, but with global scope and much larger capital base.
• Sitra (Finnish Innovation Fund): Finland's parliamentary-supervised future fund focused on sustainability, economic stability, and democratic development. Comparable mission overlap on sustainability transformation, but broader mandate and government-linked funding model.

Regional players

• Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation: Sweden's largest private research financier, funding scientific research primarily at Swedish universities. Comparable as a Nordic private, endowment-based research foundation, but operating in Sweden rather than Finland.
• Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research: Swedish foundation funding strategic research in natural sciences, engineering, and medicine. Comparable as a Nordic, endowment-driven research funder, but focused on Sweden.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/nessling.fi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nessling-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nesslinginsaatio/?hl=fi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö