Maria 01 in Helsinki is expanding into the largest start-up campus in Europe, with foundations being laid for three new buildings, adding significant space by 2028. Home to around 240 startups, it promotes community and collaboration in tech sectors like health, AI, and cybersecurity. Notably, it has raised over 1 billion in funding, accounting for 40% of early-stage funding in Finland. The non-profit hub, funded partly by the city, offers unique perks such as a sauna and sports clubs, emphasizing a vibrant community spirit.
"The whole place is really based on community," says Maria 01's CEO Sarita Runeberg. "We bring people together so they can network and find different kinds of resources to grow their businesses."
"We wouldn't be a proper start-up hub if we didn't have our own sauna here!" laughs Ms Runeberg.
Ms Runeberg believes it will become the biggest start-up campus in Europe following the completion of three new buildings by 2028, adding a 50,000 sqm floor area.
The hub's current and former members have already collectively raised over 1bn in funding. This represents around 40% of all early stage funding raised annually by Finnish companies.
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