Extreme situations require unique solutions, such as with the current COVID-19 outbreak that has a big part of the globe on standby and working remotely. Furthermore, many of us are still trying to get the hang of what it means to carry out our daily life (social interactions, work, meals, etc.) from the comfort of our home.
Remote work has been the de facto way of working for many startups and tech teams that have been building complex systems and products without ever seeing each other’s face to face. At Maria 01, we took action and sent our team home to work remotely as much as possible to flatten the curve.
However, amid the current COVID-19 outbreak, finding out suitable solutions for long-term remote workdays can be somewhat tricky. For that reason, and to highlight many startups in Finland whose products and services are just what we need right now, we decided to put together this list.
Business Tools 💻
- Brella
Brella is an event matchmaking-platform that makes attendee discovery easier. Some of the world’s leading events have used Brella to help attendees find relevant peers. Due to the outbreak, Brella launched a virtual event platform to support event organizers in finding a suitable alternative to host their events. You can find out more info about their virtual events platform here.
- Zapflow
Due to the outbreak, many investor teams are looking for ways to get more done with less effort, even when live interaction is not possible. Zapflow is a cloud-based productivity tool for professional investing teams in the private equity and corporate investing space. You can enjoy their free trial here.
- GetJenny
Having your FAQs is nice, but it won’t cut it. As a business, you need to provide support to your customers when they need it. GetJenny is a customer service chatbots provider that will help you improve customer experience by automating manual work in customer service, lead generation, HR, and internal communications. Check them out here.
- Smarp
Employees and other stakeholders should always be up to date with everything that is happening in their organization. That’s why Smarp exists. Through Smarp, businesses can create, aggregate, and automatically deliver personalized content to every employee while empowering them to amplify select messages externally. Learn more about them here.
- Badrap
Now that we have time to spare, hackers are also luring around the web to attack! Baprap provides a platform where users can receive easy and understandable warnings related to their digital assets. In their platform, you can check if your email and network were reported in data leaks. Additionally, they help companies with an innovative approach to cybersecurity awareness training. You can start now and check your digital assets here.
- Viima
Innovation is in the DNA of all startups, and during a pandemic, organizations need to continue innovating; thus, having the right tools is critical. Viima is an all-in-one innovation platform that helps you go from ideas to innovations every step of the way. They have made their platform free for an unlimited amount of users here.
Team Engagement
- Topaasia
Remote meetings should also be fun and engaging. Topaasia offers a gamified and easy way to have remote workshops. You can use Topaasia for various discussion topics: Team development and work community, projects, leadership & change, or sales and marketing, among others. One session takes about 60 minutes and is optimal for 3-12 people. Learn more about them here.
- Innoduel
If employee engagement is already tricky, imagine doing it remotely 24/7. Innoduel, however, has developed a solution that works both f2f and remotely. Innoduel is a participation tool that boosts employee engagement and will speed up decision making. If you need to reach consensus fast in your team, learn more about them here.
- Howspace
While working remotely, it is still important to encourage your employees to engage in different learning opportunities. However, having the right tool to allow these opportunities is crucial. Howspace is a web-based engagement and collaboration platform. It helps you to quickly and efficiently tailor processes and content to individual clients and engage large organizations through seamless one-click participation on any device. Learn more about them here.
Entertainment 🎤
- Singa
Singing is one of the best medicines for a bored soul! Don’t worry if you can’t party or head to the bars for a while – with Singa, you can sing your heart out at home. Singa is an online karaoke platform that allows you to choose from a catalog of over 80 000 hit songs and classics. Check them out here.
- Yousician
If you find yourself being extremely efficient with work and perhaps having too much free time, learning an instrument at home could be an excellent choice. Yousician provides a simple, fun, and affordable way to learn an instrument. You can try their premium subscription for free here.
PS: For even more fun, you should check out Finnish gaming studios that have their mobile games out there such as Lightheart Entertainment, Quicksave Games & 10th Muse.
Health 👩🏽⚕️
- Oyama
Peer support is a critical way to get the help we need when we are feeling down. Oyama is building a community of individuals that want to have a positive social impact. By joining Oyama, you enter an anonymous community, where you can relate to other users’ stories. You can give helpful advice and positively encourage one another. Check out the app here.
- Meru Health
During these remote working days, it is still necessary to get the care we need. Thankfully, companies such as Meru Health have developed their solution digitally to make it easier and faster for everyone to get the coaching they need. Meru Health is a digital clinic that offers an app-based treatment program for depression, burnout, and anxiety. Learn more about them here.
- Nyxo
It’s no secret that while many of us work remotely, our sleeping schedules might suffer. However, if you support technology to remind you of the importance of sleep, you are more likely to prioritize good sleeping habits while working remotely. Nyxo is the best aid for improving your sleep quality. They combine leading sleep research techniques with your sleep tracker’s data to provide you with personalized and actionable coaching to improve your sleep. Learn more about them here.
- Emooter
It is hard to know how your employees are feeling during remote working days unless you ask them. However, initiating the discussion can be underlooked due to the everyday hassle of working remotely. Emooter is a science-based virtual guide that helps people improve and sustain their well-being at work. Emooter works as a mobile application where you and your employees get interviewed with a couple of meaningful questions each week. Learn more about Emooter here.
Shopping 👗
- IVALO
If you must shop for new clothes or accessories, you can do it through Ivalo online. Ivalo is a marketplace that allows you to discover sustainable brands that make a difference. They have even developed their sustainability framework to ensure all the brands they curate meet their sustainability standards. Meet your new long-lasting fashion love from IVALO here.
- Zadaa
Zadaa is changing the status quo of buying second hand by creating a marketplace app that helps people to buy and sell clothes that fit. On a mission to make buying and selling clothes and accessories fun, safe, and accessible. No need to buy new clothes anymore; find your next spring sneakers from Zadaa here.
Education 📚
- TinyApp
A big chunk of the world – especially teachers and students-is now adapting to a different learning way. However, thanks to TinyApp, teachers can easily plan, document, and evaluate early-childhood education learning activities. You can learn more about their teaching assistant here.
- Panda Training
Remote work is a significant change for most companies from the usual face to face business. Traditional coaching is a powerful tool that supports change. Panda’s micro-coaching solution brings it a step further by making coaching scalable and affordable and allowing everyone to be aware of what’s going on in the company through knowledge sharing and data collection. All this made possible by utilizing both human expert-led coaching via text/Teams/Slack and AI chatbot tech. Check them out here.
- Seppo
Distance learning and remote work is the current trend. Having access to digital tools is crucial as teachers need to find different ways to engage their students. Seppo is an online tool that was designed for fun and activating lessons anywhere! You can try Seppo free of charge for 30 days here.
- Sutori
The teaching tools used in the classroom have a considerable impact on how children learn – even more during distance learning times. Sutori is a collaborative instruction and presentation tool for the school that tackles all the 4C’S in learning: collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. You can have free access to Sutori Unlimited while the schools are closed here.
Food 🍣
- ResQ Club
While you’re at home, you can still enjoy delicious meals while being conscious about who and what you support. In these critical times, you must eat! ResQ Club is the perfect solution if you want to support your local and do good by avoiding food waste. The ResQ service reduces food waste by eliminating serving surpluses in restaurants and other foodservice providers. Check them here.
- Wolt
Food delivery services fit our current situation like a glove. Wolt has been delivering food in a different safe way: by providing food behind closed doors. Wolt is a technology company that makes it incredibly easy to discover and get great food delivered. An excellent way to support the local restaurants by ordering food straight to your home door, safely. Bon appetite! Order your next meal here.
- Fiksuruoka
Fiksuroka challenges the traditional grocery market by selling surplus batches of food with massive web store discounts. The products are shipped all around Finland, and the main goal is to reduce food waste that originates from mistakes in demand forecasting, changes in packages, or eat-best before dates. It is time to order larger food batches at a great price and make the world a better and more sustainable place. Order your next food batch here.
- Ambronite
Staying healthy is essential. However, sometimes we get stuck in the buzz of being too busy. Thankfully, Ambronite has been providing healthy drinkable super meals since 2013. They are now offering a remote-work survival deal to give you peace of mind by covering food needs for stress-free stay-at-home meals for yourself, family, and loved ones. You can check their special offer here.
- Epic
Epic offers the best take-away food, delivered by cars fueled with banana peels. You can order their food to your home or grab it to go from your local grocery store. Order your Epic meal here.
Support 👵🏼
- Fiksari
Providing tech assistance to older adults, even in these difficult times, is needed. In Finland, the elderly are living in quarantine conditions at their home or care centers. Fiksari provides digital assistance to the elderly to carry out tasks such as online grocery shopping and other relevant tech support. Check them out here.
- Gubbe.io
Now more than ever in times of isolation, the elderly need extra support. Gubbe is a service that provides visits to the elderly such as company, house cleaning, sports, and technology use. While the service is mainly known for elderly visits, Gubbe is also providing help remotely with anything the elderly might need. Book your Gubbe help here.
Pets
- OneMind Dogs
Your canine friends are most likely the ones that are having a pretty good time at home with their owners. Imagine 24/7 attention. However, if you have a puppy, bringing a trainer home is probably not the best idea right now. Thankfully, OneMind Dogs’ puppy training is entirely online. Furthermore, if you want to spend time teaching your dog agility, you can also enjoy their agility training lessons online. Check them out here.
- Alvar Pet
Being environmentally friendly with your dog food is possible in 2020. Alvar Pet is a startup on a mission to minimize carbon paw prints. Alvar Pet provides your dog with a personalized diet of sustainable ingredients and regularly delivers it to your doorstep. Get on board and order food for your pup here.
