Founder School

Aalto Founder Sprint

Aalto Founder Sprint is a program for the top 10% of Aalto's most ambitious outliers to become founders by building.
Blurry black‑and‑white photo of people sitting in a circle of chairs in an office‑style room

Join the Aalto Founder Sprint S27 Waitlist

Applications open on 17 November 2026. Join the waitlist to receive an email notification when applications go live.
Join the Waitlist

We started in 2025 with a different bet on Aalto students: you don’t need an idea, a team, or a startup to start becoming a founder. You need potential, ambition, and the willingness to build.

We start there. No pitch deck required. No traction to prove. We bet on you, not your plan.

For around fifteen weeks, we give you the resources, mentors, and cohort to move fast. You build, test, fail, and figure things out alongside people who push you to aim higher.

We also take the whole cohort abroad to validate ideas, talk to customers, and meet VCs outside Finland. Finland is a great place to start building but it shouldn't be where your ambition ends. We're not here to help you win locally. We're here to help you build a company that can lead its category globally.

Throughout the programme, dedicated advisors work closely with you, helping you tackle the hard questions and learn from people who've made the mistakes themselves.

We're not here to help you build a company just for the sake of it. We're here to accelerate ambitious people who want to build something big, and give them the resources, network, and support to go after it.

From Our Alumni:

This program poured gas into the fire in me.

Vedant Maheshwari S26

Before, I was a good supporting founder, but I didn't trust myself enough. Now I know I can level up to be the founder.

Milla Virokannas S26

Aalto Founder Sprint pushed me out of my comfort zone, making me more confident in my abilities than ever before. The incredible mentors and teammates I met inspired me to dream bigger. I leave more ambitious than ever.

Erik Gelcich S26

This program changed me way beyond the founder stuff. I used to overthink everything, but now I just do it.

Lauri Torvinen S26

Getting direct access to world-class people who've actually built things, not just studied them. It's freaking amazing that they come here to listen to us.

Melany Macias F25

Aalto Founder Sprint is the place to be if you are even remotely interested in becoming a builder.

Katerina Tchilinguirov S26

Other programs ask you for a team, an idea, and traction. We believe in you before you have any of them. ‼

» No idea? We’ll give you the skills to find one.

» No co-founder? You’ll join a cohort of exceptional builders, screened and selected for their agency, velocity, builder mindset, and cohort fit. Find your people, figure out what’s worth building, and start building together.

» Not ready? As Miki Kuusi, co-founder of Wolt, puts it: “People become good at things they do a lot of, and to do a lot of something, you first need to start.”

You don’t have to figure it all out alone here

We bring the grants, world-class mentors, software tools, hardware labs, and network to help you cut through the noise and turn potential into action.

We back you and your potential before you have everything figured out. We believe in you long before the world looks at what you’ve built and says, “Of course. It was obvious all along.”
 

We bet early, fast, and support you along the way.

> The program is free, and we never take equity
> 9 ECTS toward your Aalto degree
> Coaches & mentors in the room 
> A funded trip to another European startup ecosystem
> Office space in Otaniemi during the program 
> Up to €5,000, apply through validation and prototyping grant after the program
> A lifelong network of alumni ("I believe we will be lifelong friends and support each other forever" - Daniel Gregorio S26)

Get in the room with people who’ve built, scaled, and changed industries.

Man in dark suit speaking to diners in a brick-walled room, holding papers in one hand
Mårten Mickos

Head of Aalto Founder School & Entrepreneur in Residence.

Mårten Mickos is the Finnish entrepreneur who scaled MySQL into a global powerhouse before its $1 billion acquisition. Former CEO of MySQL and HackerOne, he is now Head of Aalto Founder School, shaping the next generation of ambitious founders through Aalto Founder Sprint.

Smiling person with short light hair and glasses speaking on stage in a dark jacket, monochrome photo
Monika Liikamaa

Head Coach & Entrepreneur in Residence

Monika Liikamaa is the Finnish entrepreneur who co-founded Enfuce, scaling it into a leading European fintech company that has reached 29 million cardholders worldwide. She recently co-founded Lignum Medical and is now Entrepreneur in Residence and Head Coach at Aalto Founder Sprint,

Recent Mentors & Advisors

»»

Founders & Operators

  • Milda Mitkute | Co-founder, Vinted
  • Peter Sarlin | Founder & CEO, Silo AI
  • Ilkka Paananen | Founder & CEO, Supercell
  • Niko Eiden | Founder & CEO, IXI
  • Miku Kuusi | Co-founder & CEO, Wolt; CEO International, DoorDash
  • Mika Anttonen | Founder & Chairman, St1 Nordic
  • Tuomas Rasila | Founder & CEO, Sensofusion
  • Samu Hällfors | Founder & CEO, Framery
  • Maija Itkonen | Co-founder & CEO, Onego Bio
  • Marianne Vikkula | CEO, Wolt
  • Noora Saksa | CEO, Slush
  • Otto Hilska | Founder & CEO, Swarmia
  • Olli Kangas | Co-founder & CEO, Intergrid
  • Sami Inkinen | Co-founder, Trulia & Virta Health
  • Ohto Pentikäinen | Co-founder & CEO, Doublepoint
  • Mikko Mäntylä | Co-founder & CEO, Realm
  • Urho Konttori | Co-founder & CEO, Distance Technologies
  • Eerika Savolainen | Co-founder & CEO, Clair; former CEO, Slush
  • Annu Nieminen | Founder & CEO, The Upright Project
  • Juha Vartiainen | Co-founder, IQM
  • Kristo Ovaska | Founder & CEO, Taito.ai; Founder & Board Member, Smartly.io
  • Atte Hujanen | Co-founder & CEO, Singa
  • Avesta Omar | Formerly at Nextdoor and Amazon Web Services
  • Juha-Pekka Pitkänen | Co-founder, Solar Foods
  • Tatu Rouhiainen | Co-founder & CEO, DUBS

Startup Ecosystem & Research Leaders

  • Kasper Suomalainen | Founder School Manager; former founder and VC
  • Christian Lindholm | Co-founder & Chairman, Vertical; Executive in Residence, Aalto University
  • Ville Kyrki | Head of the Intelligent Robotics Research Group, Aalto University
  • Niko Downie | Head of Startup Advisory, Aalto Startup Center; formerly at Shopify, Google & RBC Ventures
  • Youssef Zad | Chief Economist, Finnish Startup Community

Investors & Venture Capital

  • Bastian Hasslinger | Partner, Index Ventures
  • Jyri Engeström & Teemu Mattila | Partners, Lifeline Ventures
  • Lauri Kokkila | Partner, Inventure
  • Claes Mikko Nilsen | Investor, NordicNinja
  • Matti Rönkkö | Managing Director, Kiilto Ventures
  • Jussi Kallasvuo | General Partner, Antler
  • Pauliina Martikainen | Partner, Maki.vc
  • Johannes Korpela | Investor, Wave Ventures

And many more.

Black and grey poster titled THE MENTORS, filled with various company logos and names in white text
LinkedIn post by Ilkka Paananen praising Aalto Founder School and encouraging new Finnish startup founders
Screenshot of a LinkedIn post about learning entrepreneurship by doing, linked to Aalto University Founder’s School.

Aalto Founder Sprint Cohorts

Large group of young adults in light shirts pose outdoors together, smiling in three rows
Aalto Founder Sprint F26
Group of friends in suits and dresses posing playfully with raised legs in front of a brick wall
Aalto Founder Sprint S26
Six people in caps pose arm in arm on a city street at night by a brick building
Aalto Founder Sprint F25

Join the Aalto Founder Sprint S27 Waitlist

Applications open on 17 November 2026. Join the waitlist to receive an email notification when applications go live.
Join the Waitlist

FAQs

Founder Sprint Team

Tai Tran

Tai Tran

Founder Sprint Specialist
tai.tran@aalto.fi

Kasper Suomalainen

Mårten Mickos

Executive in Residence
marten.mickos@aalto.fi

Monika Liikamaa

Executive in Residence
monika.liikamaa@aalto.fi
  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!