Finland’s commitment to cutting‑edge technology and research has made it a global contender in innovation, from pioneering the world’s first 6G test networks to hosting world-class supercomputers.
In Helsinki specifically, that spirit is alive and thriving. The city is home to more than 2,200 startups and scaleups, which had a heavy hand in Finland’s record pull of $1.5 billion in startup investment in 2024. And with three unicorns to about a million residents, it boasts one of the highest unicorn counts per capita — second only to Silicon Valley. From the makers of the iconic Nokia brick phone to the creators of the slingshotting-fowl mobile hit Angry Birds, here are some of the top Helsinki-native companies carrying on that tradition.
Top Companies in Helsinki to Know
- Smartly
- Nokia
- Wolt
- Supercell
- RELEX Solutions
Top Companies in Helsinki
Smartly is a Helsinki-born advertising technology company that builds AI-powered tools for managing large-scale campaigns across platforms like Facebook, Google, TikTok and Pinterest. Founded in 2013 amid the early days of Facebook advertising, the company’s platform uses machine-learning-based optimization to generate creative variations, run controlled tests and automatically shift budgets toward higher-performing campaigns. As one of Finland’s earliest adtech unicorns, it supports more than 700 global brands and helps manage nearly $5 billion in annual ad spending.
Global telecommunications company Nokia started out as a paper mill before it brought us the game “Snake” on its iconic, indestructible brick cell phones in the 1990s. In its 160 years as a company, it has built wireless infrastructure, 5G networks and enterprise connectivity systems in more than 100 countries, while its labs have turned out breakthroughs worthy of 10 Nobel Prizes and five Turing Awards. Today, Nokia’s Helsinki-Espoo campus serves as its central innovation hub, where it develops AI-driven radio systems, cloud-native networking and autonomous industrial networks, pushing the next wave of 5G, 6G and enterprise connectivity.
Wolt is a logistics and delivery platform that connects customers with local merchants, restaurants and grocery stores. Its routing and dispatch algorithms manage deliveries for more than 70,000 merchants and 150,000 couriers across 25 countries. Founded in 2014 and acquired by DoorDash for $8.1 billion in 2022, Wolt continues to operate independently in Europe and Asia, making it one of Finland’s most globally recognized tech companies.
Supercell is the mobile game developer behind hit titles like Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars and Hay Day. Structured around small, autonomous teams called “cells,” the company is known for its highly decentralized culture and its focus on long-term player engagement rather than rapid release cycles. Since its founding in 2010, Supercell has produced multiple billion-dollar franchises and expanded beyond Helsinki, with offices in San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai and London.
RELEX Solutions creates software that helps retailers, grocers and consumer goods companies run smarter, more efficient supply chains. Using AI and advanced forecasting, its platform is able to more accurately predict demand and automate restocks in order to cut food waste across widespread distribution networks. Founded in 2005 by three Finnish supply chain scientists who were fed up with the sheer amount of wasted goods, RELEX has grown into a global brand in 21 countries that works with household names like Kroger, CVS and M&S Food.
Capalo AI is a consultancy that helps renewable energy providers maximize the efficiency and profitability of their battery storage systems. Its platform, Capalo Zeus VPP, uses AI-driven forecasts to optimize when batteries charge and discharge, automate energy trading and manage assets across wholesale and ancillary markets. Since its launch in 2022, Capalo AI has helped clients manage multi-megawatt battery assets and execute multi-million dollars-worth energy trades.
Aiven is a cloud data platform startup that provides fully managed, open-source database and streaming tools based on PostgreSQL, Kafka, OpenSearch and Redis to name a few. By integrating these technologies with cloud infrastructure, the platform is able to automate scaling, security and maintenance, which allows engineering teams to deploy production-ready data systems quickly and reliably. Headquartered in Helsinki, the company has expanded to offices in Berlin, Boston, Toronto, Singapore and Sydney, assisting thousands of organizations in more than 60 countries.
ICEYE is an aerospace company that builds and operates synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites, which provide persistent, high-resolution Earth imagery in near real-time — day or night — and in all weather conditions. Founded in 2014 as a spin-off from an Aalto University course project, ICEYE operates the world’s largest commercial SAR satellite constellation, supporting disaster response, climate monitoring, maritime surveillance and intelligence operations with actionable, data-driven insights. With over 700 employees across nine countries, the company has launched more than 60 satellites since its debut, and plans to launch 20 new units every year here on out.
Supermetrics helps marketers and analysts move data from platforms like Google, Facebook and HubSpot into analytics and reporting tools. Founded in 2013, the company has grown from a simple Google Analytics-to-Excel script into a widely used marketing intelligence platform. Today, it hosts more than 750,000 users and handles more than 15 percent of global ad spend. It has also earned international recognition, including Finland’s President of the Republic’s Internationalization Award in 2020.
Sulapac makes biodegradable, microplastic-free materials for packaging, cosmetics and consumer goods out of wood byproducts and plant-based binders. While its materials mimic the performance and aesthetic of traditional plastics, they can be recycled or composted even though they’re still made using similar standard manufacturing processes like injection molding and 3D printing. Founded in 2016, the company partners with global brands like Chanel and aims to use 100-percent recycled content by the end of 2025.
Tietoevry is a Nordic IT services and software company that helps banks, governments, healthcare systems and industrial businesses modernize their digital infrastructure. Its Helsinki-Espoo operations focus on cloud modernization, cybersecurity, product engineering and data platforms, supported by a global team of about 15,000 people across 20 countries. Formed through the merger of Tieto and EVRY, the company has become one of the region’s largest tech employers.
Rovio Entertainment is the game studio behind the Angry Birds franchise, one of the most successful mobile game series of all time with over 5 billion downloads. In addition to producing games, the Helsinki-native company creates animation, licensing deals and interactive experiences tied to its beloved characters. Rovio has even expanded its universe into feature films, consumer products and theme-park collaborations, while operating additional studios in other major cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Montreal and Toronto.
Swarmia builds engineering intelligence software that helps teams ship code faster and improve workflow efficiency. It plugs into tools like GitHub, Jira and Slack to track cycle times, spot bottlenecks and monitor developer workloads. Founded in 2019 by former CTOs and engineering leaders in Helsinki, Swarmia is part of a growing category of tools aimed at boosting developer productivity and transparency that’s now headquartered in New York.
F-Secure is a cybersecurity company that builds consumer protection tools including antivirus software, VPNs and device security services. Its security labs track global malware trends and publish threat intelligence relied on by governments, enterprises and service providers around the world. With more than 30 million subscribers and 200 partners, F-Secure has become a defining player in European cybersecurity over the past 30 years.
Hoxhunt builds AI-driven cybersecurity training that turns employees into the first line of defense against phishing. Its gamified platform adapts to each user, tailoring simulations and difficulty levels to individual behavior. Used by multinational companies like Airbus, Nokia and DocuSign, Hoxhunt helps reduce human error — the leading cause of cybersecurity breaches — while giving security teams measurable results and actionable insights.
ZenRobotics develops AI-powered robotic sorting systems for the waste and recycling industry. Founded in 2007, its machines use computer vision and machine learning to identify materials on conveyor belts and automatically separate them for reuse across Europe, Asia and the U.S. Two years later, ZenRobotics had become one of the first companies to apply AI to a robotic waste-sorting systems, helping establish the commercial market for automated recycling.
Varjo develops high-resolution mixed-reality and virtual-reality headsets used in fields like aviation training, industrial simulation, automotive design and medical research. Its devices are known for their “human-eye-resolution” displays, which offer far clearer detail than typical consumer VR systems. Founded in 2016 by former Nokia and Microsoft engineers, Varjo works with organizations such as Boeing, Ferrari and the U.S. Department of Defense, all of which use these headsets for high-fidelity simulation and prototyping.
Futurice is a Finnish consultancy that designs digital products for clients across a wide range of fields, from automotive and energy to media and healthcare. Founded in 2000, the company integrates engineering with service design and co-creation methods to support organizations in adopting more data-driven operations as they modernize their systems. Headquartered in Helsinki, the company’s 800-person workforce is spread across seven global offices, including in major cities like Berlin, London and Stockholm. It’s also been featured in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 list for over a decade, and has been recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute for workplace excellence in Finland and Europe.
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