Maritime Venture Program:
From Pilot to Investment
Get market- and investment-ready in 48 hours. Pressure-test your strategy, scope a credible pilot, and get feedback from potential buyers and investors.
Apply for the program
Maritime Venture Program:
From Pilot to Investment
Maritime Venture Program:
From Pilot to Investment
Where startups, scaleups, corporates, and investors meet to accelerate maritime innovation.
Applications closed
Pressure-test your startup with industry operators and venture partners
Pressure-test your startup with industry operators and venture partners
Pressure-test your startup with industry operators and venture partners
Meet the experts
Meet the experts
Terhi Vapola
Partner at Innovestor
Terhi is Founder & Managing Partner at Greencode Ventures, Greencode Ventures, a VC firm investing in early-phase, digital-first startups driving the green transition across Europe. She has over 40 investments and 18 board positions, and previously founded & led Helen Ventures. With deep expertise in greentech, digitalization, and international growth, Terhi helps founders sharpen their impact, business model, and navigate scaling.
Tuomo Veivo
VC, Redstone
Tuomo is a member of the Investment Team Nordics at Redstone VC, working with the emerging Redstone Blue fund that targets early-stage startups in the Blue Economy. He works closely with startup founders to support them in scaling in the market.
Piia Maaranen
Partner at Innovestor
Piia combines founder and investor perspectives, having led startups to successful exits and advised accelerators across industries. At Innovestor, she leverages deep tech and venture experience to support early-stage founders. She focuses on impact-driven innovation and helps startups sharpen their fundraising approach — insights directly applicable to scaling maritime ventures.
Tuomas Riski
Entrepreneur, ex-CEO of Norsepower
Tuomas is a serial entrepreneur and former CEO/co-founder of Norsepower, where he led development and commercialization of rotor sail technology that dramatically lowers emissions for large vessels. His deep experience scaling maritime cleantech, – from proof of concept to industrial deployment, – gives him a unique perspective on navigating tech, operations, and markets in the ocean space.
Pontus Stråhlman
Partner, Voima Ventures
A serial entrepreneur and Partner at Voima Ventures, a Nordic deep-tech VC investing in science-driven innovations from AI to biotech and robotics. Pontus brings two decades of entrepreneurial and angel investing experience, supporting founders in turning research into scalable companies.
Alina Sippolainen
Blue Economy & Ecosystem Advisor, A'Pelago
Alina is a Blue Economy and Ecosystem Advisor at the Accelerator Team at A'Pelago, the Baltic Sea region’s leading blue economy ecosystem. She works with the global blue economy ecosystem to connect early-stage startups with investors and collaborates closely with founders and investors to support their market scaling.
Matti Ristimäki
Founder & CEO, Krosswise
Matti is Founder & CEO of Krosswise, a group building specialized tech teams that help founders in demanding industrial sectors digitalize their core operations. With Krosswise’s model of combining domain expertise and senior technical insight, Matti supports founders hands-on in structuring technical efforts, scaling teams, and making complex systems work reliably in the field.
Tuomas Pahlman
Founder, Hopohopo.io
Tuomas has built two deeptech companies and invested in more than 40 startups, giving him perspective from both sides of the table. Today, he builds Hopohopo.io, a platform that helps founders manage their fundraising pipeline and investor relations. At the bootcamp, he shares practical methods to structure your fundraising funnel and keep momentum with investors.
Terhi Vapola
Partner at Innovestor
Terhi is Founder & Managing Partner at Greencode Ventures, Greencode Ventures, a VC firm investing in early-phase, digital-first startups driving the green transition across Europe. She has over 40 investments and 18 board positions, and previously founded & led Helen Ventures. With deep expertise in greentech, digitalization, and international growth, Terhi helps founders sharpen their impact, business model, and navigate scaling.
Tuomo Veivo
VC, Redstone
Tuomo is a member of the Investment Team Nordics at Redstone VC, working with the emerging Redstone Blue fund that targets early-stage startups in the Blue Economy. He works closely with startup founders to support them in scaling in the market.
Piia Maaranen
Partner at Innovestor
Piia combines founder and investor perspectives, having led startups to successful exits and advised accelerators across industries. At Innovestor, she leverages deep tech and venture experience to support early-stage founders. She focuses on impact-driven innovation and helps startups sharpen their fundraising approach — insights directly applicable to scaling maritime ventures.
Tuomas Riski
Entrepreneur, ex-CEO of Norsepower
Tuomas is a serial entrepreneur and former CEO/co-founder of Norsepower, where he led development and commercialization of rotor sail technology that dramatically lowers emissions for large vessels. His deep experience scaling maritime cleantech, – from proof of concept to industrial deployment, – gives him a unique perspective on navigating tech, operations, and markets in the ocean space.
Pontus Stråhlman
Partner, Voima Ventures
A serial entrepreneur and Partner at Voima Ventures, a Nordic deep-tech VC investing in science-driven innovations from AI to biotech and robotics. Pontus brings two decades of entrepreneurial and angel investing experience, supporting founders in turning research into scalable companies.
Alina Sippolainen
Blue Economy & Ecosystem Advisor, A'Pelago
Alina is a Blue Economy and Ecosystem Advisor at the Accelerator Team at A'Pelago, the Baltic Sea region’s leading blue economy ecosystem. She works with the global blue economy ecosystem to connect early-stage startups with investors and collaborates closely with founders and investors to support their market scaling.
Matti Ristimäki
Founder & CEO, Krosswise
Matti is Founder & CEO of Krosswise, a group building specialized tech teams that help founders in demanding industrial sectors digitalize their core operations. With Krosswise’s model of combining domain expertise and senior technical insight, Matti supports founders hands-on in structuring technical efforts, scaling teams, and making complex systems work reliably in the field.
Tuomas Pahlman
Founder, Hopohopo.io
Tuomas has built two deeptech companies and invested in more than 40 startups, giving him perspective from both sides of the table. Today, he builds Hopohopo.io, a platform that helps founders manage their fundraising pipeline and investor relations. At the bootcamp, he shares practical methods to structure your fundraising funnel and keep momentum with investors.
Terhi Vapola
Partner at Innovestor
Terhi is Founder & Managing Partner at Greencode Ventures, Greencode Ventures, a VC firm investing in early-phase, digital-first startups driving the green transition across Europe. She has over 40 investments and 18 board positions, and previously founded & led Helen Ventures. With deep expertise in greentech, digitalization, and international growth, Terhi helps founders sharpen their impact, business model, and navigate scaling.
Tuomo Veivo
VC, Redstone
Tuomo is a member of the Investment Team Nordics at Redstone VC, working with the emerging Redstone Blue fund that targets early-stage startups in the Blue Economy. He works closely with startup founders to support them in scaling in the market.
Piia Maaranen
Partner at Innovestor
Piia combines founder and investor perspectives, having led startups to successful exits and advised accelerators across industries. At Innovestor, she leverages deep tech and venture experience to support early-stage founders. She focuses on impact-driven innovation and helps startups sharpen their fundraising approach — insights directly applicable to scaling maritime ventures.
Tuomas Riski
Entrepreneur, ex-CEO of Norsepower
Tuomas is a serial entrepreneur and former CEO/co-founder of Norsepower, where he led development and commercialization of rotor sail technology that dramatically lowers emissions for large vessels. His deep experience scaling maritime cleantech, – from proof of concept to industrial deployment, – gives him a unique perspective on navigating tech, operations, and markets in the ocean space.
Pontus Stråhlman
Partner, Voima Ventures
A serial entrepreneur and Partner at Voima Ventures, a Nordic deep-tech VC investing in science-driven innovations from AI to biotech and robotics. Pontus brings two decades of entrepreneurial and angel investing experience, supporting founders in turning research into scalable companies.
Alina Sippolainen
Blue Economy & Ecosystem Advisor, A'Pelago
Alina is a Blue Economy and Ecosystem Advisor at the Accelerator Team at A'Pelago, the Baltic Sea region’s leading blue economy ecosystem. She works with the global blue economy ecosystem to connect early-stage startups with investors and collaborates closely with founders and investors to support their market scaling.
Matti Ristimäki
Founder & CEO, Krosswise
Matti is Founder & CEO of Krosswise, a group building specialized tech teams that help founders in demanding industrial sectors digitalize their core operations. With Krosswise’s model of combining domain expertise and senior technical insight, Matti supports founders hands-on in structuring technical efforts, scaling teams, and making complex systems work reliably in the field.
Tuomas Pahlman
Founder, Hopohopo.io
Tuomas has built two deeptech companies and invested in more than 40 startups, giving him perspective from both sides of the table. Today, he builds Hopohopo.io, a platform that helps founders manage their fundraising pipeline and investor relations. At the bootcamp, he shares practical methods to structure your fundraising funnel and keep momentum with investors.
Get investment- and partnership-ready in 48 hours
Get investment- and partnership-ready in 48 hours
Get investment- and partnership-ready in 48 hours
Verify your market
Test your positioning ahead of your meetings. Strengthen your pitch with hands-on workshops and real talks with potential customers and investors.
Master your fundraising and growth strategy
Learn the playbook of running your fundraising and sales with the best practices from 20,000+ fundraising rounds and market entries.
Connect with the ecosystem
Engage directly with VCs, corporates, and peers through pitches, reverse pitches, and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking.
Identify the next steps
Leave with a clear plan for fundraising, partnerships, and scaling in maritime innovation.
Verify your market
Test your positioning ahead of your meetings. Strengthen your pitch with hands-on workshops and real talks with potential customers and investors.
Master your fundraising and growth strategy
Learn the playbook of running your fundraising and sales with the best practices from 20,000+ fundraising rounds and market entries.
Connect with the ecosystem
Engage directly with VCs, corporates, and peers through pitches, reverse pitches, and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking.
Identify the next steps
Leave with a clear plan for fundraising, partnerships, and scaling in maritime innovation.
Verify your market
Test your positioning ahead of your meetings. Strengthen your pitch with hands-on workshops and real talks with potential customers and investors.
Master your fundraising and growth strategy
Learn the playbook of running your fundraising and sales with the best practices from 20,000+ fundraising rounds and market entries.
Connect with the ecosystem
Engage directly with VCs, corporates, and peers through pitches, reverse pitches, and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking.
Identify the next steps
Leave with a clear plan for fundraising, partnerships, and scaling in maritime innovation.
Apply for the program
Why join the Venture Program?
Why join the Venture Program?
Why join the Venture Program?
Innovation in maritime needs both capital and customers. This two-day bootcamp brings the ecosystem together: startups, scaleups, corporates, and investors.
Day 1 helps startups sharpen their fundraising strategy through workshops, feedback rounds, and mentor check-ins.
Day 2 connects the whole ecosystem through startup and scaleup pitches, corporate reverse pitches, and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking.
You’ll get frameworks, real-life feedback, and clear next steps to grow — packed into 2 days designed to help you secure funding, forge partnerships, and accelerate innovation in maritime.
Date & place
Date & place
October 29-30,
Turku, Finland
October 29-30,
Turku, Finland
For whom
For whom
Startups & Scaleups
Corporates & Operators
Investors
Startups & Scaleups
Corporates & Operators
Investors
Date & place
Format
In-person
Workshops, pitches, roundtables, and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking
In-person
Workshops, pitches, roundtables, and curated 1-on-1 matchmaking
Bootcamp agenda
October 29
Founder Preparation Day
(09:30 - 17:30)
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
10:00 – What Investors Actually Look For
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
10:45 – Fundability Scorecard
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
11:30 – Sharpening Your Story
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
12:30 – Lunch Break
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
13:30 – Peer Feedback Rounds
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
14:30 – Building Your Fundraising Process
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
15:15 – Coffee Break
15:30 – Messaging That Gets Replies
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
17:00 – Messaging That Gets Replies
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
October 30
Maritime Innovation Day
(09:00 - 18:30)
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
09:30 – Kick-off: Why most fundraises stall
A real-world view of what causes rounds to lose momentum.
How founders and partners describe the experience?
How founders and partners describe the experience?
How founders and partners describe the experience?
The bootcamp gave me a practical way to think about fundraising, which can otherwise be daunting and not always very pleasant. One key insight for me was the idea that fundraising is sales. I’ve never done B2B sales before, so understanding what kind of story I’m trying to tell, who’s on the other side, and what I’m actually trying to sell to investors was very valuable.
Hanna Toivonen
CEO & Co-founder, Starstuff
We were just preparing our seed round materials, so the timing of the bootcamp was perfect. It gave us a great feedback loop: sparring with peers, getting input from VCs, and calibrating our story. One of the most valuable parts was testing if our pitch was too technical, too commercial, and how to balance that. It helped us understand how to better communicate what we do.
Ajimufti Azhari
COO, Resistomap
If you're in the middle of fundraising or just getting started, it’s good to join this bootcamp to get practical tips and kickstart the whole process. I joined the bootcamp as I wanted to get some structure to the fundraising process, and the sessions brought me a lot of new insights and tips.
Taina Mikkola
Founder & CEO, Elina Education
The bootcamp gave me a practical way to think about fundraising, which can otherwise be daunting and not always very pleasant. One key insight for me was the idea that fundraising is sales. I’ve never done B2B sales before, so understanding what kind of story I’m trying to tell, who’s on the other side, and what I’m actually trying to sell to investors was very valuable.
Hanna Toivonen
CEO & Co-founder, Starstuff
We were just preparing our seed round materials, so the timing of the bootcamp was perfect. It gave us a great feedback loop: sparring with peers, getting input from VCs, and calibrating our story. One of the most valuable parts was testing if our pitch was too technical, too commercial, and how to balance that. It helped us understand how to better communicate what we do.
Ajimufti Azhari
COO, Resistomap
If you're in the middle of fundraising or just getting started, it’s good to join this bootcamp to get practical tips and kickstart the whole process. I joined the bootcamp as I wanted to get some structure to the fundraising process, and the sessions brought me a lot of new insights and tips.
Taina Mikkola
Founder & CEO, Elina Education
The bootcamp gave me a practical way to think about fundraising, which can otherwise be daunting and not always very pleasant. One key insight for me was the idea that fundraising is sales. I’ve never done B2B sales before, so understanding what kind of story I’m trying to tell, who’s on the other side, and what I’m actually trying to sell to investors was very valuable.
Hanna Toivonen
CEO & Co-founder, Starstuff
We were just preparing our seed round materials, so the timing of the bootcamp was perfect. It gave us a great feedback loop: sparring with peers, getting input from VCs, and calibrating our story. One of the most valuable parts was testing if our pitch was too technical, too commercial, and how to balance that. It helped us understand how to better communicate what we do.
Ajimufti Azhari
COO, Resistomap
If you're in the middle of fundraising or just getting started, it’s good to join this bootcamp to get practical tips and kickstart the whole process. I joined the bootcamp as I wanted to get some structure to the fundraising process, and the sessions brought me a lot of new insights and tips.
Taina Mikkola
Founder & CEO, Elina Education
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to participate in the Venture Program?
Is the Venture Program free?
How does the application process work?
What is the structure and agenda of the Program?
Is there 1-on-1 matchmaking?
What if I can’t attend both days?
Can I attend the Venture Program online?
Can I bring my co-founder or colleague?
Who should I contact for any further details?
Who is eligible to participate in the Venture Program?
Is the Venture Program free?
How does the application process work?
What is the structure and agenda of the Program?
Is there 1-on-1 matchmaking?
What if I can’t attend both days?
Can I attend the Venture Program online?
Can I bring my co-founder or colleague?
Who should I contact for any further details?
Ready to improve your fundability and optimize your fundraising?
Ready to improve your fundability and optimize your fundraising?
Apply for the bootcamp
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