PRESS RELEASE 1 December 2025
The Start Me Up business idea competition, organized since 1999, has been renewed and will take place under the name Susicorn Startup Competition in 2026. It is Finland’s longest-running business idea competition, which for over 25 years has supported domestic innovation and accelerated the launch and growth of numerous companies.
The new Susicorn brand gives the competition a stronger international identity and builds a bridge between Finnish startups and global visibility. The winner will be awarded a prize worth €15,000 and a spot on stage at the national FiBAN Pitch Finland 2026 event. FiBAN Pitch Finland is the leading regularly organised pitch event in the Nordics, where potential high-growth startups present their innovations to FiBAN’s angel investors. At the event, the Susicorn winner will pitch their solution to both Finnish and international investors. The prize is significant on a national scale.
Susicorn (wolfcorn in English) represents a high-growth startup unicorn emerging from the Joensuu region - symbolising innovation, courage, and ambition. The English term unicorn refers to tech companies valued at over one billion dollars.
- Our goal is to find the next internationally scalable growth company – a Finnish ‘susicorn’, says SOHJO Event Manager Pinja Konttinen from Business Joensuu.
Applications open in early January, and the winner will be chosen at Joensuu’s own luminous SOHJO Business Event at the end of March, where the finalists pitch their innovations live to the Susicorn jury.
The competition is open to startup teams, companies, researchers, and students from all industries. Competition entries may relate, for example, to renewable energy and forest bioeconomy, photonics, dual-use technologies, health and digital solutions, product and service innovations, as well as business ideas that merge creativity, technology-driven thinking, and cross-disciplinary innovation.
- Bringing together the Susicorn competition with the SOHJO Business Event offers a unique opportunity to shine and grow. Joensuu has always been a home to bold ideas and innovations, and now we want to bring them into the international spotlight. The new brand, Susicorn, adds edge to the competition and connects the ‘Wild East of Finland’ with the bright future of the startup scene, Konttinen adds.
The rapidly growing SOHJO event will be held in Joensuu on 26–27 March 2026 at Original Sokos Hotel Kimmel, with the theme light and luminous. Speakers include Slush founder and startup visionary Peter Vesterbacka, Joensuu’s own light artist Kari Kola, young serial entrepreneur Ronny Eriksson, and marketing expert Sanna Rautio.
Susicorn Startup Competition Timeline
Phase 1:
Apply between 1–31 January 2026 using the official Susicorn application form, which opens on the Susicorn webpage on 1 January at 00:00. Download the Susicorn Pitch Deck template, complete it with your business idea or startup pitch, and submit it via the application form by 31 January.
Phase 2:
Finalists will be announced by 15 February 2026. Business Joensuu’s evaluation panel will select six finalists based on the competition criteria.
Phase 3:
Pitch Coaching for finalists will take place on 26 February 2026. Business Joensuu’s expert coaches will help finalists refine their pitches.
Phase 4:
Susicorn Startup Competition Final – Pitch for the Brightest:
A live pitch to the Susicorn jury at the SOHJO Business Event on 27 March 2026 in Joensuu. One finalist will rise above the rest and be crowned the Susicorn.
What is Susicorn?
Read more about the startup competition, see the application instructions and schedule.
Susicorn Startup Competition Flyer
Additional Information
Pinja Konttinen
SOHJO Business Event Manager, Startup Services
pinja.konttinen@businessjoensuu.fi, +358 50 452 1597
Kari Pulkkinen
Susicorn Startup Competition submission inquiries, Head of Business Joensuu’s Competition Jury and Evaluation
Startup Services, Fund Manager & Growth Coach
kari.pulkkinen@businessjoensuu.fi, +358 50 406 8716
Tanja Immonen
SOHJO and Susicorn Startup Competition Marketing Specialist
tanja.immonen@businessjoensuu.fi, +358 50 545 2519
Annika Martikainen
SOHJO Communications Specialist
annika.martikainen@businessjoensuu.fi, +358 50 576 9437
Photos from the Suden Suu Pitching Competition at the SOHJO 2025 Business Event. Photos: Harri Säynevirta
