Finnish startups are ready to explore new markets
Three sprints are now behind the startups participating in the Growth and Scaling Through AI (GSAI) programme, and the teams are setting their sights on new European markets.
After previous sprints in Gävle, Stockholm, and Tallinn, founders have worked intensively to refine their growth strategies, strengthen operational efficiency, and integrate AI-driven innovation into their business models. The most recent Growth Essentials sprint, held in Tallinn in October 2025, focused on practical growth levers: sales strategy, team productivity, and data-driven marketing.
Here, the startups polished their market discovery strategies, which will be their mission over the next few months — visiting potential markets before the final sprint in Salo, Finland.
Representing Finland’s vibrant startup scene, five forward-looking companies – Koll Group Oy, Paljon Oy, People Cloud Oy, Vauhtisammakko Oy (RunFrog), and Superhood Oy, are now evaluating which European markets best match their ambitions for international growth.
To support this critical step, Yrityssalo sat down with the Finnish startups to discuss their next moves, exploring factors such as market potential, competition, and, of course, the role of AI in driving growth.
🔹 Paljon Oy — expanding northward with confidence
For Paljon Oy, the next step feels both natural and strategic. The company is preparing to enter Sweden, a market that aligns closely with its customer base and operational strengths. With Swedish-speaking team members already serving clients in Finland, Paljon sees a seamless transition into a larger, yet familiar environment.
Beyond language and cultural proximity, Sweden’s shared data protection standards under the GDPR framework make it an appealing target for a company deeply committed to responsible data handling. Paljon’s strong foothold in smaller Finnish cities has also inspired its approach — aiming to replicate that success in Sweden’s regional centres, where the market potential is even greater.
While AI will not play the lead role in the first phase of expansion, it will become increasingly essential for scaling sales, onboarding, and customer retention. The GSAI programme has already encouraged Paljon’s team to adopt scalability as a mindset — moving toward automation, streamlined onboarding, and more efficient in-house processes.
🔹 Koll Group Oy — weighing opportunities between Sweden and Germany
Koll Group Oy is still in the process of finalising its market decision, evaluating two promising options — Sweden and Germany. Both represent strong growth opportunities, but for different reasons. Sweden’s openness, transparency, and geographical proximity make it a natural first step, while Germany’s vast market size and strong privacy culture align well with Koll’s secure communication solutions.
AI has become a critical enabler in Koll’s expansion planning. The team uses AI-powered tools to research regulatory frameworks, assess competitors, and identify decision-makers in potential client companies. Automation is at the heart of their approach — from prospecting to targeted outreach.
Through the GSAI programme, Koll has gained a more structured approach to scaling. The team notes that while their long-term vision remains bold, the sprints helped them break it down into achievable phases, giving their growth journey clearer direction and focus.
🔹 People Cloud Oy — taking a strategic, data-driven path
People Cloud Oy is exploring a highly competitive European market, where digital transformation is accelerating and demand for ICT talent is growing rapidly. For now, the team prefers to keep its destination confidential, focusing instead on refining its strategy and ensuring readiness to enter when the timing is right.
AI plays a central role in People Cloud’s expansion plans — from improving internal efficiency to conducting deeper market and regulatory research. With AI-driven insights, the company is able to make informed, data-based decisions to guide its internationalisation.
The GSAI programme, the team notes, has been both fruitful and inspiring. The combination of new insights, peer learning, and expert mentoring has helped refine their market entry strategy and sharpen their execution plans.
🔹 Superhood Oy — connecting communities on a European scale
Superhood Oy has its sights set on Germany, where it sees a strong potential to expand its community engagement platform. With a product that integrates AI-powered value-added features, Superhood aims to help its strategic go-to-market partners create smarter, more connected digital communities.
The company highlights that participation in the GSAI programme has accelerated the implementation of AI within both its product and its go-to-market activities. The sprints provided valuable inspiration for applying AI not only to enhance the user experience but also to strengthen partnerships and scalability in new markets.
🔹 Vauhtisammakko Oy (RunFrog) — still exploring the best fit
The Vauhtisammakko Oy team is currently weighing options between two markets in the Nordic-Baltic region, evaluating where their digital training platform can deliver the most impact. Their focus is on identifying a market with a strong sports culture and openness to data-driven coaching models — aligning with their mission to bring Finnish running expertise to new audiences.
The Final Sprint
While the startups are paying visitT to the new markets to establish contacts for growth, Yrityssalo is preparing to host the startups. The final sprint will be held in Salo, Finland in February 2026. The startups will have the opportunity to share insights from their market discovery missions and pitch to investors.
Interested to grow your startup?
The second GSAI cohort will open for applications in early 2026. Startups interested in scaling internationally with the support of AI can already join the GSAI interest list to be among the first to receive updates about the next application round.
Article published 11/2025
The GSAI (Growth and Scaling Through AI) project is co-funded by the Interreg Central Baltic program.
Partners: Yrityssalo (Finland) | Tehnopol (Estonia) | Movexum (Sweden) | AI Sweden
