Maria 01

🎙️Episode 3 of the M01 Rocketeers Podcast just dropped on Spotify and YouTube! In the latest episode, titled AI Agents & Shopping, we explore the future of personal AI agents revolutionizing shopping and advertising. 🤖 Imagine AI-optimized websites enabling machines to sift through vast product data, finding your perfect match and even completing purchases for you. Trustworthy, automated reviews will guide decisions, while the shopping experience might transform into hyper-personalized VR journeys. Tune in to envision this exciting evolution! Some of the key questions explored: 🔹Could AI assistants revolutionize shopping by identifying what we truly need based on past purchases, usage data and given goals—or even negotiate prices and terms for us? 🔹How will we assess products and services in the future? Will influencer marketing dominate, or will automated reviews provide a more reliable alternative? 🔹To what extent can the shopping experience be automated? 🌟Our guests for this episode are: Julianna Alanne, Director of Global Partnerships at Smartly Timo Valtonen, CEO & Co-Founder at Flow Computing 👇Find the links to listen on Spotify and YouTube in the comments below. Join us as we delve into the possible, plausible, and preferable futures! ✨ #Maria01 #podcast #AI #AIAgents #FutureTales #FuturesConsciousness #FuturesDialogue #StrategicForesight #StartupCommunity #Scenario

What an inspiring column by Soili Semkina in Kauppalehti today! She highlighted the transformative role of Slush, also in boosting the confidence of Finland’s startup and student communities. 🚀✨ It’s incredible to reflect on how far the Finnish startup ecosystem has come. Just maybe a decade ago, it was built from the ground up—driven by vision, determination, and a belief in the power of innovation. Semkina rightly pointed out that as the ecosystem has matured and become more professional, we may have started to take its achievements for granted. But let’s not forget: startups have always been, and still are, the bold changemakers and future builders shaping our world. The vision that fueled their early days is as vital today as it was then. Startups play a key role in building Finland's future. #Slush #StartupCommunity #Maria01 #Startup #News

🤖 Would You Trust AI to Help You Achieve Your Life Goals and Lead a Happier Life? Imagine using a wealth of your personal data to prevent illnesses, plan your career, and even reach your life goals. Would you trust AI to guide you on this journey? Could we regain ownership of our data - and control over how it's utilized? Picture a world where AI assistants integrate data from fitness trackers, medical records, sleep patterns, and dietary habits to paint a holistic picture of your health. These tools could offer personalized health plans, prevent illnesses, and even predict life-altering events. And the same goes for many other aspects of our lives. The data economy is rapidly reshaping our world. In a thought-provoking Maria 01 podcast, Riku Seppälä and Nikita Zatsepin, together with our CEO Sarita Runeberg, unpacked how AI and big data could revolutionize our lives—if we could reimagine the rules of private data. 💡 Key questions explored: 🔹How can we balance innovation with regulation—and could regulation even drive innovation? 🔹Is it possible to combine privacy with effective targeting? 🔹How disruptive will the intersection of AI and big data be in the coming years? 🗨️ “When you book a hotel with your passport, you don’t expect them to sell your data to a stranger, who then comes knocking on your door, selling you new shoes. Yet in the digital world, this became the norm because regulation couldn’t keep pace with technology.” - Riku Seppälä The future of work, business, and society relies on thoughtful conversations about data ownership, trust, and the ethical boundaries of technology. Let’s shape a system where technology empowers humanity while safeguarding our values.✨ 👉 Dive into our new blog to uncover more insights. Link in the comments! #AI #Foresight #Maria01 #FuturesConsciousness #Innovation #Startups #DataEconomy #EthicalAI #BigData #Megatrends

✨ That’s a wrap on Slush Week 2024! ✨ What an incredible week it’s been for the Maria 01 team! The week flew by, packed with dozens of pre-arranged meetings and countless spontaneous encounters at our booth. It was a privilege to meet such a diverse group of people—investors, potential partners, startups, and enthusiasts eager to learn about the Finnish startup ecosystem and to meet some of our startup members who joined our booth this year. For two full days, our booth was full of energy and curiosity. We loved connecting with everyone, from those already familiar with Maria 01 to newcomers discovering how we support startups in thriving. Your enthusiasm keeps us inspired! Meanwhile, back on our campus, we welcomed international investors, media, and foreign delegations, offering them a glimpse of our vibrant community. From exploring our premises to co-working alongside our members, the campus was alive with activity and collaboration—a true testament to the spirit of innovation that defines Maria 01. Another highlight of the week was Global Ecosystem Mixer—our annual side event bringing together startup ecosystem builders, accelerators, investors, and other key players. Through facilitated networking rounds, attendees sparked conversations and made new connections. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us during the busiest week of the year—we’re thrilled to have been part of your Slush experience. Finally, thank you to Slush for creating such a phenomenal platform year after year, and to everyone who showed interest in joining our thriving community. Here’s to building a brighter future for startups, together! 💡 Thanks to Samuli Pentti and Wasim Al-Nasser for the amazing photos! #Slush2024 #Maria01 #StartupEcosystem #FinnishStartups

Huge congratulations to our member Taito.ai who just raised a $2.7M seed round, led by Accel and with participation from Illusian Founder Office! ✨ We’re thrilled to watch your journey unfold and can’t wait to see the incredible milestones you achieve in the future! #Maria01 #MemberNews #SeedRound #StartupCommunity

Slush week is here indeed! 🚀 Our CEO, Sarita Runeberg, has an exciting week ahead, with a lineup of speaking engagements at multiple events! We’re also absolutely thrilled to see the campus buzzing with energy, filled with international visitors—from investors and media to delegations from around the world! 🌍 If you're attending Slush, come and meet our team and our amazing startups at our booth! You'll find AIATELLA, eMabler, Open EV Charging Platform, Narvi Payments, Saidot, Fundis Application, Flow Computing and FlockIn Oy there! ✨ #Maria01 #SlushWeek #StartupCommunity #Startup

🚀 Exciting news: Episode 2 of the M01 Rocketeers Podcast just dropped on Spotify and YouTube! In this episode, titled My Data, we dive deep into the transformative power—and the complexities—of personal data. Imagine a world where data helps us reach our aspirations, live healthier, and maybe even extend our lives. But with these possibilities come crucial questions: should individuals reclaim ownership of their own data, and if so, what would that look like? And could we trust personal AI agents to handle this wealth of information, balancing life-enhancing potential with robust privacy safeguards? 🌟 This episode features: Riku Seppälä, Co-Founder & General Partner at Icebreaker.vc Nikita Zatsepin, an independent AdTech expert, working on a stealth startup Find the links to listen on Spotify and YouTube in the comments below. Join us as we delve into the possible, plausible, and preferable futures! ✨ Today’s actions shape tomorrow’s world. By exploring future scenarios, we expand our futures consciousness—the ability to understand, anticipate, and engage with what might come next. This mindset not only fuels innovation but also prepares us to play an active role in building the future we envision. #Maria01 #podcast #FutureTales #FuturesConsciousness #FuturesDialogue #StrategicForesight #StartupCommunity #Scenario

✨ Maria 01 members are making waves once again! 👏 Huge congratulations to Supersight for securing a spot in the Top 20 of the Slush 100 Startup Competition! An incredible achievement! 🏆 DataCrunch.io and alumni members Aatos, Awake.AI and IPRally have all been recognized in the DeloitteTechnology Fast 50 list of Finland’s fastest-growing tech companies. An outstanding testament to their innovation and impact! 🚀 Exciting news from our investor network! Maki.vc announced a new fund, with a target of €100 million, to fuel growth for Nordic deep-tech and brand-driven companies. This will be a major boost for the startup ecosystem. ♻️ And in the sustainability spotlight, untuvia. was recently featured by Yle News for their pioneering approach to recycling down feathers—an inspiring story of innovation in action. It's amazing to see our members pushing boundaries, innovating, and thriving. Here's to more milestones ahead! #Maria01 #MemberHighlight #StartupCommunity #FinnishStartups #StartupNews

Can machines make us more human? AI can enhance deeply human capabilities like empathy and collaboration - it can even support human-to-human interactions and teamwork. At first, we thought AI would do the mundane, repetitive tasks for us, leaving the creative thinking to humans. But then it took over creativity, and finally empathy and collaboration as well. Are there any capabilities AI could never replace? Will it replace humans completely? AI can support leaders in decision-making, empowering them to reflect, challenge their beliefs, identify biases, and weigh decisions against their core values. Yet, AI will never have its own desires or values. It cannot make decisions independently—or, ethically, it shouldn’t. Beyond technical capabilities, futures consciousness and the ability to adapt and innovate will set the standard for future resilience. AI’s influence extends far beyond business—it’s reshaping society. That’s why responsible innovation and open public conversations are essential. How will we address technology’s ethical boundaries and the societal values it should uphold? European companies are uniquely positioned to lead in ethical AI, human-centered design, and inclusive innovation. But with this responsibility comes a need for introspective discussions on our shared futures and priorities. These are some of the powerful topics we covered last week with Lauri Paloheimo, Chris Petrie, Jaakko Kaikuluoma and Sarita Runeberg, in the first-ever podcast by Maria 01. Inspired by the conversation, I’ve written a blog post to synthesize our discussion and the background research: ✨The Future of Work and Human-AI Collaboration: Will AI Replace or Enhance Human Potential? ✨ Let’s build a future where technology supports what makes us human, rather than replaces it. 👉 Dive into our new series of blogs and podcasts to uncover more insights. Links in the comments! #AI #Foresight #FutureOfWork #HumanAICollaboration #Maria01 #FuturesConsciousness #Innovation #Startups #Resilience

✨Maria 01 members are in the spotlight again! Two trailblazing companies, Innomost and Megical (hightrust.id) have captured recent headlines for their innovative solutions. 🚀Innomost is pioneering sustainable materials by turning birch bark, a common industrial byproduct, into eco-friendly raw ingredients for products like cosmetics, paints, and adhesives. With rising demand for green alternatives, they’re partnering with major cosmetic brands to help replace plastic and petroleum-based components. Led by seasoned CEO Tiina Bensky, Innomost is primed for growth as industries embrace sustainable solutions. 🌱 🚀On the tech front, Megical has launched hightrust.id, a bank-independent authentication tool for secure access to services like Suomi .fi, Kela, and Verohallinto. This innovative solution lets users access digital services by loading an official ID onto a smartphone, removing the need for additional devices. Approved by Liikenne- ja viestintävirasto Traficom / Transport- och kommunikationsverket Traficom, hightrust.id is also available at no cost—a fantastic alternative for secure, mobile-based authentication. Links to the news articles can be found in the comments section! 👇 #Megical #Innomost #Maria01 #innovation #Startup #StartupCommunity #Impact