- Helsinki’s ARCTIC15 connects founders, investors, corporates, and innovation ecosystem leaders this June
- The event will feature 13,000+ matchmaking meetings designed to generate tangible business outcomes
- 600+ startups, emerging technologies, and curated innovation programmes are showcased
- This year’s edition celebrates 15 years of startup funding, partnerships, and ecosystem growth
ARCTIC15 2026 returns to Helsinki, Finland, on June 11–12th, 2026, marking the event’s 15th anniversary and reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s most respected startup-investor gatherings. Hosted at the Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory), this event brings together startups, investors, corporations, universities, accelerators, and public institutions with a singular focus: creating meaningful business connections and facilitating real deals.
Over the past fifteen years, ARCTIC15 has evolved from a founder-driven Nordic startup gathering into one of Europe’s most trusted matchmaking-focused tech events. Organizers emphasize that the event is specifically designed around generating tangible business outcomes through structured networking and curated meetings.
The 2026 edition expects to welcome more than 2,500 attendees, including over 600 startups, 400 investors, and participants from more than 60 countries. The event’s hallmark remains its highly organized meeting format, which has facilitated more than 13,000 one-on-one meetings and helped launch countless investment rounds, partnerships, and commercial collaborations.
Agenda and Speakers
ARCTIC15 2026’s programme is structured around a variety of interactive formats designed to maximize engagement and deal-making opportunities.
Participants can explore the 100 Innovations showcase, highlighting emerging technologies and breakthrough startups, as well as the Startup Village, which serves as a hub for founders, early-stage companies, and ecosystem stakeholders. The event will also feature the Experience Zone where attendees can interact directly with new products and technologies.
One of the defining features of ARCTIC15 is its emphasis on pre-arranged and facilitated meetings. Through dedicated matchmaking tools and reserved one-on-one meeting tables, attendees can schedule focused conversations with investors, partners, customers, and collaborators. This structured approach helps transform networking into measurable business outcomes.
ARCTIC15’s 15th anniversary edition will feature a diverse lineup of entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and technology leaders. Confirmed speakers include:
- Roger Björkbacka, Head of Public Policy Nordics at Bolt
- Ahti Heinla, Co-Founder and CEO at Starship Technologies
- Hannu Kauppinen, CEO and Co-Founder at QMill
- Eugene Kruglov, COO & Co-Founder at AppFollow
- Juhani Mykkänen, Co-Founder at Wolt
- Tero Ojanperä, Co-Founder at Silo AI
- Pirkka Palomäki, Founding Partner at Maki.VC
- Sakari Puisto, Minister of Economic Affairs of Finland
- Claes Radojewski, Partners & Ecosystem Nordics at NVIDIA
- Daniel Sazonov, Mayor of Helsinki
- Kadri Tammai, Regional Director at NATO DIANA
- Maria Wasastjerna, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Kvanted VC
- Theo Wethered, Principal at Nauta Capital
Their sessions will explore entrepreneurship, investment, emerging technologies, defense innovation, quantum computing, AI, and the future of Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Networking and Deal-Making
At the core of ARCTIC15 is its commitment to relationship-building. The event’s matchmaking platform, DealTank sessions, speed networking opportunities, investor gatherings, workshops, and social events are all designed to create meaningful interactions between participants.
Organizers describe ARCTIC15 as a place where conversations become partnerships and introductions become investments as the event’s mission is to generate measurable business outcomes for startups, investors, and corporate participants alike.
In a Nutshell
- When: June 11–12th, 2026
- Where: Kaapelitehdas (Cable Factory), Helsinki, Finland
- More information: on the event’s official website
- Tickets: here
- For a special offer, contact arctic15@arcticstartup.com and refer to ITKeyMedia
Kostiantyn is a freelance writer from Crimea but based in Lviv. He loves writing about IT and high tech because those topics are always upbeat and he’s an inherent optimist!
