Deadline Date: February 09, 2026
The Aalto Creatives pre-incubator programme offers a compelling opportunity for individuals and teams working in the creative industries to turn their ideas into viable business ventures.
Designed for creative‑industry students, researchers, and practitioners, the programme welcomes applicants with no prior business experience, as long as their concept shows promise, relevance, and potential for sustainable impact.
Participants in the programme get access to expertise and guidance from the Aalto Startup Center and Aalto Studios, which together support creative talents across sectors like design, media, gaming, arts, architecture, fashion, film and more. Over a 12‑week journey, individuals or teams work through structured modules covering asset development, solution design, and business development. Through workshops, lectures, coaching sessions, and peer collaboration, they refine their ideas, build business plans and prepare for real‑world launch.
The pre-incubator emphasizes practical skills such as identifying target customers, planning market entry strategies, and polishing pitching skills — preparing participants to pitch their ventures confidently to investors or collaborators. At the end of each round, participants showcase their progress at a Demo Day, offering a public platform to present their projects and potentially secure further support or partnerships.
Importantly, the programme is situated at Aalto University’s campus in Otaniemi, Espoo — giving participants direct access to resources, creative‑industry infrastructure, networking opportunities, and a community of like‑minded innovators. This in‑person engagement helps to foster collaboration, mentorship, and hands‑on support, which are often crucial for early-stage creative startups.
For anyone in the Helsinki region with a creative idea and ambition to build it into a business, the Aalto Creatives pre-incubator offers a structured, supportive pathway. It combines creative vision with entrepreneurial training, opening the door from concept to launch — making it a strong stepping-stone for the next generation of creative startups.
For more information, visit Aalto University.
