A total of eight UEF-affiliated startup companies from various fields participated in the Tahko Ski Lift Pitch, an event aimed at startup companies.
In the seventh edition of the Tahko Ski Lift Pitch, startup companies and investors converged on the slopes of the ski resort. The two-day event began with all 35 startups pitching their ideas in front of the judging panel. The 20 startup teams that advanced to the next stage pitched their business concepts to investors while riding the ski lift. Among the five startup companies selected for the final competition, the victory went to Precision Phage, a company based in Jyväskylä. Precision Phage is developing an alternative to antibiotics.
Six out of the eight participants with a foundation in research and expertise from the University of Eastern Finland made it to the top ten. These include: CorFlux, who analyze the risk of aortic rupture, Leinonen Retina Laboratory, who develops mutation-independent drug treatments for hereditary retinal degenerative diseases, EduZolve Oy, which creates a preparation app for high school students in West Africa, Vesinova, which concentrates on advancing water-circulating recycling systems for aquaculture, iNPH Monitoring Tool, who seeks to enhanche post-surgery monitoring for iNPH patients and SURGERIX, who develops real-time video processing for the future of microsurgery.
Tutkija Wim Cuypers hissipitcauksen jälkeen Tahkon huipulla
Additionally, four startup companies from the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) alliance, participated in the pitch competition: AI Methods, InvasiCell, LeapSEQ, and Project Unbounded. LeapSEQ, hailing from the University of Antwerp, secured a spot among the top five in the competition. Their startup is based on the possibilities of nanopore sequencing technology for pathogen surveillance. Researcher Wim Cuypers described the Tahko Ski Lift Pitch as a memorable experience:
“It was exciting to pitch the idea in the ski lift without any notes. Although I was nervous, the beautiful Finnish nature and the sunny, snowy forest visible from the ski lift calmed me. The judges asked good questions, which gave me ideas to further develop my concept.”
The Tahko Ski Lift Pitch event brought together approximately 400 startup entrepreneurs, business decision-makers, investors, and students at Tahkovuori.
Main picture: Kuopion alueen kauppakamari. Photographer Reino Hartikainen.