Maria 01 NOW 2026

Powered by Business Helsinki, supported by HubSpot for Startups and Google Cloud

Welcome to the annual Maria 01 NOW — The Global Stage for Game-changing Startups.

Maria 01, one of Europe’s leading startup ecosystems, is gathering the most ambitious startups from around the world to present their ideas at the Maria 01 NOW, June 2-4, 2026.

What is Maria 01 NOW?

NOW is every startup’s moment to shine — a chance to pitch their groundbreaking solutions, gain exposure, and compete for prizes. Our renowned jury of investors, journalists, and industry experts will select the winners across multiple tracks, recognizing the startups set to shape the future.

Maria 01 NOW has grown into a flagship gathering of the Nordic startup ecosystem spread across 3 days of carefully curated programming — a place where ambitious startups can showcase their solutions, share their vision, and connect with peers, mentors, and industry experts under one roof.

During Maria 01 NOW, we are hosting free Campus tours to give you an inside look into our community. Book your time slot.

Campus tour Day 1 (02.06.)
1st tour 11:30 – 12:00
2nd tour 14:30-15:00

Campus tour Day 3 (04.06.)
1st tour 10:30-11:00
2nd tour 15:30-16:00

June 2 – Maria 01 NOW Pitching Competition

The event kicks off with the heart of NOW: the International Pitching Competition. Throughout the day, startups present their ideas to a distinguished jury of industry experts, investors, and journalists, and to an engaged audience from the international startup community.

Our panel includes investors, industry leaders, and founders who’ve actually built something. Real feedback. Real conversations.

Winners walk away with access to Helsinki’s most founder-focused events of the year – Slush 2026 and Arctic15.

Join us in Helsinki. Get inspired. Discover what’s next.

June 3 – BSV Investor Deep Tech Day

The BSV Investor Deep Tech Day focuses on deep technology and research-driven innovation.
BSV Investor Deep Tech Day is a separate, invite-only event. If you’d like to join, you can request access to this exclusive day here:

👉Deep Tech startups pitching application.
👉Audience requests for the BSV Investor Deep Tech Day on June 3.

Participation is subject to approval.

June 4 – Builders & Community Day

The final day celebrates founders and the broader ecosystem. Schedule:

Lars Sonck Venue (Building 3)

08:30 – 10:30 Builders’ Breakfast: Zero to $100M ARR in 18 Months — The Inside Story of Building Legora with Maria Sorsimo, Director | Engagement & Growth (FULL)

10:30 – 11:30 The European Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard: Finland’s Position and Potential with Sarita Runeberg (CEO at Maria 01), Marjo Ilmari (Senior Director Startups & Scaleups at Business Finland), Heidi Humala (Director for Business Environment at Business Helsinki). Fabian Landes (EU Business Manager and Partner at 4Front) will give the initial presentation on the ESS, and Kimmo Halme, Senior Advisor at 4Front will moderate the panel discussion. (FULL)

13:00 – 15:00 Co-founder Matchmaking Event with Business Helsinki (sign up here)

Event Space Venue (Building 1)

10:30-11:30 Security-Native Growth: How Startups Build Trust and Get ISO 27001 Certification-Ready, with Into Security and Vanta.

12:00-12:45 Vibe Fast, Scale Faster – Navigating Google Cloud’s Full AI Stack, with Dr. Diana Nanova, Head of Customer Engineering Startups & Scaleups EMEA North. (FULL)

Open Air:
07:30-09:00 Maria 01 Morning Run (FULL)

16:30 – 17:00 New Bridge Opening followed by Mayor Daniel Sazonov’s speech.

17:00 – 21:00 Legendary Yard Party. Expect fun, music, and surprise activities. Food and drinks will be flowing while they last—so come early!

Can’t see the form? Click here to open it directly.

Supported by our International Partners: