Allied For Startups at Slush 2025 in Helsinki

Slush once again brought the ecosystem together, and this year, on November 19-20, Allied for Startups was proud to host two events connecting our community.

We began by welcoming our members, EU Inc, founders, investors, and industry leaders for a vibrant networking evening – an opportunity to reconnect, exchange ideas, and foster new collaborations.

The following day, we hosted a private lunch featuring Marc Lemaître (Director General, DG RTD, European Commission), Elena Martines (Member or Cabinet, Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva), and many of our members and key stakeholders. Discussions centered on unlocking exit opportunities for European startups, alongside other priorities for the ecosystem.

Our Startup Policy Officer, Kalle Fahlvik, also participated in the “European Scaleup Strategy Forum: Navigating Beyond Early-Stage”, hosted by Start2 Group. Together with Jan Oberhauser, Founder & CEO, n8n and Isidro Laso, Deputy Head of Unit, European Innovation Council – Innovation Ecosystems Unit TF2, they explored the next steps for EU startup and scaleup policy.

As part of the S9+ Coalition, we proudly represented Allied for Startups at the Tech Policy Lounge, hosted in collaboration with the Finnish Startup Community. The event featured two hours of candid debate on competitiveness, growth, and the reforms Europe needs to support thriving startups.

Our members – Peter Kofler (Danish Entrepreneurs), Lucien Burm (Dutch Startup Association), and Stina Lantz (SISP) – moderated panels on simplification, AI, and the Digital Fairness Act, bringing energy, insight, and expertise to the discussions. We are grateful to all speakers and participants who contributed their perspectives and passion.

To everyone who attended, shared a conversation, or exchanged ideas – thank you. Even in the cold of Helsinki, the startup ecosystem once again brought the heat.