Founder Sprint is a program for the most driven founders-to-be at Aalto. Designed to boost startup skills and fast-track students’ entrepreneurial journey, the intensive program combines deep-dive modules, personalized coaching, and real-world venture-building experience.
Whether or not students end up founding a company, they will walk away with the mindset, tools, and network to do so.
Each Sprint is built around a small cohort. Together with experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors from the Founder School network, students co-create the content based on their needs and ambitions, and the current best practices of the startup world.
Aalto Founder Sprint (Fall 2026) applications are open. This is a highly selective, highly rated 3-month sandbox where Aalto students learn to build like true founders - trusted by students, founders, and VCs.
We support students at the earliest stages of their journey, no matter their starting point or previous experience in the startup world.
We enhance entrepreneurial knowledge and skills, empowering students with the tools and mindset needed to succeed.
We offer access to a vibrant, high-trust peer group and connect students with a network of top founders and industry leaders.
After completing the Founder Sprint, our participants will leave with a strong sense of startup agency, confidence to launch something big, and a valuable network for future endeavors.
Founder Sprint is a talent-first entrepreneurship program for the most driven students across all Aalto schools. Anyone can apply, and no team or idea is needed.
The program is a great fit for people with high ambition but no outlet.
Over 13 intense weeks you’ll “learn to sprint” at Silicon-Valley pace — researching emerging trends, prototyping real products and learning to think like a founder — while surrounded by a tight, high-trust peer group and a network of top-profile founders.
We’re looking for exceptional students who make things happen: people with strong agency, unique spikes of talent, clear thinking and commitment to results. Academic records are useful but not what Sprint is about.
If you’re ready to become the kind of founder who can start anything, this is for you.
Anyone enrolled at Aalto University (bachelors, masters, doctorate) is eligible.
Not at all. What matters is your drive to learn, work in a team, take initiative, and build — not your past business experience.
Yes. You don’t need a startup idea. You just need ambition, drive, curiosity and a teamworking spirit.
Applications are individual, and a team is not required. If two strong candidates from the same team apply, both may be accepted—but selection is based on individual merit. The whole cohort will work together as a team on challenges throughout the program.
Option 1: Ask our SprintGPT ( Please note that the bot can make mistakes)
Option 2: Read our full FAQ document here
Option 3: Prefer a human? reach out to tai.tran@aalto.fi
Erik Gelcich
SCI, Human-Computer Interaction & Design
Lauri Torvinen
ENG, Civil Engineering
Vedant Maheshwari
SCI, Data Science
Sreekrishna Praveen
SCI, Quantum Technology
Katerina Tchilinguirov
ARTS, International Design Business Management, Master of Science (IDBM)
Tiia Mäkinen
SCI, Human-Computer Interaction & Design
Vu Trang
BIZ, Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Daniel Gregorio Cardil
ARTS, Collaborative & Industrial Design
Anssi Lampinen
SCI, Data Science
Ilmari Tuominen
BIZ, Accounting & Finance
Milla Virokannas
BIZ, Accounting & Marketing
Pietu Ruska
ARTS, Architecture
Chief mentors:
Mårten Mickos
CEO in The Service of Startup CEOs | ex-MySQL, HackerOne, Eucalyptus, Nokia
Kasper Suomalainen
Founder School Manager | ex-founder, VC
Mentors:
Niko Eiden |Founder & CEO, IXI.
Peter Sarlin | Founder & CDEO at Silo AI
Ilkka Paananen | Founder & CEO at Supercell
Youssef Zad | Chief Economist at Finnish Startup Community
Soleimani Marzieh | PhD Researcher of International Business
Son Chu | Founder & CEO at Upnova
Claes Mikko Nilsen | Investor at NordicNinja
Ville Kyrki | Head of the Intelligent Robotics Research Group at Aalto University
Lauri Kokkila | Partner at Inventure
Margarita Khartonovich | CCMO, Co-founder at Sensible4
Matti Rönkkö | Managing Director at Kiilto Ventures
Avesta Omar | Ex-Nextdoor & AWS, Amazon
Kiuas
Walid O. El Cheikh | Venture Partner at BSV ventures | CEO at Pitching for Life
Noora Saksa | CEO at Slush
Marianne Vikkula | CEO at Wolt
Jussi Kallasvuo | General Partner at Antler
Maki.VC
Otto Hilska | Founder & CEO at Swarmia
Monika Liikamaa | Co-founder at Enfuce
Niko Downie | Head of Startup Advisory at Aalto Startup Center, Ex-Shopify, Google & RBC Ventures
Cameron Murphy | Business Advisor at Aalto Founder Center
Olli Kangas | Co-Founder & CEO at Intergrid
Final Juries
Lifeline Ventures | Wave Ventures | ByFounders
As part of the Founder Sprint S26, the cohort will travel abroad to Munich, Germany to benchmark leading startup ecosystem, learn from founders, investors, and operators, and understand international market differences early.
Founder Sprint Cohort S26 – Munich, including:
TBA
Emil Pekkinen
School of Business, Business Analytics
Oliwia Kaczmarek
School of Chemical Engineering, IDBM, CHEM
Adit Magotra
School of Science, Data Science
Melany Macias
School of Science, ICT Innovation - Data Science
Andy Duly
School of Electrical Engineering, ICT Innovation, CNI/HPC
Rasmus Uusipaikka
School of Science, Computer Science
Chief mentors:
Mårten Mickos
CEO in The Service of Startup CEOs | ex-MySQL, HackerOne, Eucalyptus, Nokia
Kasper Suomalainen
Founder School Manager | ex-founder, VC
Sprint #1 mentors:
Johannes Korpela
Investor at Wave Ventures
Mikko Mäntylä
Co-founder & CEO of Realm
Maija Renko
Professor of Entrepreneurship at Aalto University
Christian Lindholm
Co-Founder & Chairman of Vertical, Executive in Residence at Aalto University
Sami Inkinen
Co-founder of Trulia and Virta Health
Ohto Pentikäinen
Co-founder & CEO at Doublepoint
Youssef Zad
Chief Economist, Finnish Startup Community
Maki.VC
Ilkka Kivimäki
Founder & Partner Maki.vc, Entrepreneur
Myrto Chliova
Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Aalto University
Sprint #2 mentors:
Mari Luukainen
Cursor's Ambassador
Avesta Omar
Ex-Nextdoor & AWS, Amazon
Tuomas Vapaavuori
CEO at Kiuas
Urho Konttori
Co-founder & CEO of Distance Technologies
Eerika Savolainen
Co-founder, CEO of Clair, ex-CEO of Slush
Niko Eiden
Co-founder & CEO of IXI
Cameron Murphy
Business Advisor at Aalto Founder Center
Jyri Engeström & Teemu Mattila
Partners at Lifeline Ventures
Sprint #3 mentors:
Bastian Hasslinger
Partner at Index Ventures
Niko Downie
Head of Startup Advisory at Aalto Startup Center, Ex-Shopify, Google & RBC Ventures
Annu Nieminen
Founder & CEO at The Upright Project
Juha Vartiainen
Co-founder of IQM
Jussi Kallasvuo
General Partner at Antler
Kristo Ovaska
Founder & CEO of Taito.ai
Founder & Board Memebr of Smartly.io
Pauliina Martikainen
Partner at Maki.VC
Atte Hujanen
Co-founder & CEO of Singa
As part of the Founder Sprint, the cohort will travel abroad to benchmark leading startup ecosystems, learn from founders, investors, and operators, and understand international market differences early. The trip helps validate trends and emerging technologies, provides real founder case lessons, and strengthens mindset, inspiration, and motivation. It also expands each member’s global network, creating opportunities for partnerships, insights, and future growth.
Founder Sprint Cohort 1.0 – Stockholm, including:
Lovable
Synca
Teeming.ai
KTH Innovation
Stockholm School of Business
SSE Business Lab
EQT Ventures
Antler Sweden
Inventure
Vinnova
Nordic Tech Week (Nordic Founders)
Strawberry Webrowser
Founders House
Venga
Wave Ventures
Watch recap video below.
Aalto Founder Sprint (Fall 2026) applications are open. This is a highly selective, highly rated 3-month sandbox where Aalto students learn to build like true founders - trusted by students, founders, and VCs.
