Introducing Innovator’s Leap: New Community for Research-Based Founders by Sebastian Hannula & Pihla Päivänsalo

For many batches over, SILTA has pushed and inspired founders towards great successes and bridged the gap between our ecosystem in Finland and the more senior ecosystem of San Francisco. There’s still a lot to do in general for the ecosystem, but lately, more and more people are getting interested in developing the research commercialization system and capabilities in Finland. Within that topic too, there is something we can learn from the lively and ambitious environment of Silicon Valley.

In Silicon Valley, many of the most successful founders have highly technical profiles. There, business, talent, and groundbreaking solutions to the problems of the world knit tightly together. For many decades, this multidisciplinary approach has resulted in the area pushing out some of the biggest companies in the world. For contrast, Finland is home to world-class research and a high number of invention disclosures yearly, yet we don’t see research-based companies making their mark globally in proportion. At Innovator’s Leap, we also share the belief that some of the world's most groundbreaking startups are born from insights found in research—and we're here to make sure that research gets its chance to shine.

Innovator’s Leap in short

Innovator’s Leap is facilitated by a small team who have been educated in the art of research commercialization both here in Finland and in Boston as part of the MIMIR Fellows batch of 2023. Teaming up with SILTA, we are creating a space where research-driven founders can get the tools, support, and the confidence they need to turn their ideas into thriving companies.

We have realized that some of the biggest strengths found in a thriving ecosystem of research commercialization are, abundant role models, a comprehensive system of support functions, and finally a cultural openness towards spinning out. Our goal is to see Finland excel in all of these and to help make it a reality. We are bringing personalized support to the research-based founders joining Innovator’s Leap. To enable you to reap the benefits from all of the aforementioned strengths immediately, we will be helping you get to experience Silicon Valley first hand, by lining up the preparation work with the next application period for the SILTA program. However, even if you’re not sure on applying, we have a lot to offer. We’ll be organizing targeted workshops and pool together the relevant resources to help make your leap to the startup ecosystem smoother.

Many brilliant researchers hesitate to make the leap into entrepreneurship because they don’t see a clear path forward. And we get it—it can feel like a huge shift from the lab to the startup world. But guess what? You’re not alone. We’re building a community that brings together researchers to share knowledge, help each other grow, and boost the commercialization of these innovative ideas.

Ready to join?

We’re here to help you bridge the gap between your research and real-world impact. Whether it’s practicing your pitch, connecting with investors, or finding your first pilot project, Innovator’s Leap gives you access to a network that can help you move forward. And the best part? It’s all free and flexible—no strings attached.

If you’re ready to explore the potential of turning your research into a business, we’d love to have you with us. Just fill out a quick form, and we’ll add you to our group chat where you’ll start getting support right away.

We’re building something exciting, and it would be even better with you on board!

For more practical information and the signup itself please refer to this form.

Sebastian Hannula & Pihla Päivänsalo