PRESS RELEASE 1 December 2025
The Start Me Up business idea competition, organized since 1999, has been renewed and will be held this year for the first time under the name Susicorn Startup Competition. It is one of Finland’s longest-standing and most influential business idea competitions, which for over 25 years has supported domestic innovation and helped launch numerous companies.
The new Susicorn brand gives the competition a stronger international identity and builds a bridge to global visibility for Finnish startups. The winner will be awarded €15,000 and a spot in the national FiBAN Pitch Finland business idea competition, where the startup can present its idea to investors in Finland and abroad.
Susicorn gets its name from Joensuu’s famous wolf statues susi and the word unicorn, referring to technology companies valued at over a billion dollars.
- Our goal is to find the next internationally scalable growth company – a Finnish ‘susicorn’, says Pinja Konttinen, Event Manager at Business Joensuu.
Applications open at the beginning of January, and the winner will be selected at Joensuu’s own bright and dynamic SOHJO Business Event at the end of March, where the finalists will pitch their ideas to a jury — in front of an audience.
The competition is open to startup teams, students, researchers, and companies from all industries. Applications may relate to, for example, technology, forest bioeconomy, photonics, creative industries, health solutions, or service innovations.
- The business idea competition linked to the SOHJO event is an opportunity to shine and grow. Joensuu has always been home to courage and clever ideas, but now we want to highlight them even more clearly on the international stage. The new name, Susicorn, gives the competition extra edge and connects the ‘wolf border’ startup scene to a bright future, says Pinja Konttinen.
The rapidly growing SOHJO business event will be held on 26–27 March 2026 at the Kimmel Hotel in Joensuu. This year’s theme is light and luminosity. Speakers at SOHJO 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 Schedule
Step 1:
Apply between January 1–31, 2026 using the official Susicorn Competition application form, which opens on the Susicorn page on January 1 at 00:00. Download the Susicorn Pitch Deck template from the page, complete it with the pitch for your business idea or startup, and submit it to the jury through the application form by January 31 at 23:59.
Step 2:
Finalists will be announced by February 15, 2026. Based on the competition’s evaluation criteria, the Business Joensuu jury will select six finalists.
Step 3:
Pitch Coaching for finalists on February 26, 2026. Business Joensuu’s coaches will help finalists refine their concept and pitch.
Step 4:
Susicorn Startup Competition Final – Pitch for the Brightest: live pitching to the Susicorn jury at the SOHJO Business Event on March 27, 2026 in Joensuu. One finalist will shine 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
Development Manager, Business Joensuu
pinja.konttinen@businessjoensuu.fi, +358 50 452 1597
Annika Martikainen
Communications Specialist, Business Joensuu
annika.martikainen@businessjoensuu.fi, +358 50 576 9437
Photos from the Suden Suu Pitching Competition at the SOHJO 2025 Business Event.
Photos: Harri Säynevirta
