Maria 01

🤖 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

✨ Maria 01 Monthly Recap — October ✨ October was filled with exciting events and remarkable achievements for our community! Here’s a look back at some of the highlights from the past month at Maria 01: ⚡ We were thrilled to host the Maria 365 Startup Showcase and Afterparty! The event brought together startups, investors, and community members for a day of inspiring pitches, networking, and collaboration. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made it an unforgettable experience. ⚡ We also launched our podcast, "M01 Rocketeers"! You can already explore the first episode. Stay tuned for more! ⚡ We welcomed 9 new startups into our growing ecosystem, each bringing innovative ideas and fresh perspectives. ⚡ Congratulations to Swarmia for being recognized as one of The Hottest Startups in Helsinki 2024 by WIRED Their software engineering intelligence platform is making waves in the industry. ⚡ We’re proud to celebrate DataCrunch.io on raising a $13M Seed round to create Europe’s first AI cloud hyperscaler powered by renewable energy, leading the way for a sustainable tech future. ⚡ Kudos to Megical for their recent milestone, as their Hightrust ID solution joins Finland’s official electronic identification ecosystem. ⚡We had the honor of hosting delegations from Japan, Hungary, China, and Finland, strengthening our global partnerships and expanding opportunities for our community. 🎃 Finally, we wrapped up the month with a Halloween-themed Afterwork, featuring thrilling startup horror stories from our members! Want to keep up with the latest news from Maria 01? 📬 Subscribe to our newsletter for monthly updates, events, and member highlights – link in the comments!

🌟 Slush is just around the corner, and we're gearing up with some exciting plans! 🍵Next week, we’re hosting a Community Breakfast to share insider tips on how to make the most of Slush! The morning kicks off with insights from Noora Saksa, COO and CFO at Slush, sharing her top strategies for navigating the event. Joining Noora for a lively panel discussion will be William Hammersley, Co-Founder & COO at Supersight, and Kimmo Irpola, Partner at Trind Ventures. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to make impactful connections, pitch with confidence, and maximize Slush for your startup’s success! Register via the link in the comments! 🚀 Maria 01 will also be at Slush! If you're a startup, an investor seeking new opportunities, or simply curious about our work, book a meeting or drop by our booth to connect. Find more details on our Slush page—link in the comments. 📢 Joining us at the Maria 01 booth will be these innovative startups: AIATELLA, eMabler, Open EV Charging Platform, FlockIn Oy, Flow Computing, Fundis Application, Narvi Payments, and Saidot. #Slush #CommunityBreakfast #PanelDiscussion #Maria01 #StartupCommunity #Event