Last November, I spent a full day at Slush in Helsinki. It was my third time attending – and each time, the event has looked very different. The first time I attended was in the early 2000s at Kaapelitehdas, when Slush was still small and almost underground. A few years ago, I visited again at Messukeskus. And now, last year, I was back – more focused, more intentional, and honestly enjoying it more than ever.
This time I attended one day only, Thursday, and made a conscious decision: I would spend almost the entire day at the Startup Stage. No rushing between halls. No trying to see everything. Just listening, learning, and talking to people.
Preparing Made All the Difference. Before the event, I went through the program properly and marked the sessions I wanted to see. That decision paid off.
Apart from watching the Hanna Virkkunen & Miki Kuusi interview at the main stage, I stayed at the Startup Stage almost the whole day. The pace was intense, but the content was exactly where my curiosity is right now: AI, agents, infrastructure, robotics, sustainability, and real-world impact.
What Caught My Attention at the Startup Stage (Thursday)
Quantum Computing
C12 – new materials for quantum computers. A reminder that deep tech quietly builds the future beneath the hype.
AI & Agents
Jua – a digital twin of the planet.
Literal Labs – logic-based networks reducing energy and compute needs.
Gosta Labs – speeding up healthcare documentation.
Sintra – an AI team for small businesses. I will explore this further in a later post.
Anam.ai – human-like customer experience online. I’ll be testing this next week.
AI-Bob – making construction design-phase errors visible.
Robotics
Robeauté – therapeutic micro-robots for brain diagnostics and treatment.
Business Intelligence & Sustainability
Arbonics – carbon credit income models for forest owners.
Cure51 – using cancer survivor data to guide drug development.
Conversations Matter
One thing Slush does extremely well: people talk to each other.
Lunch turned into one of the best networking moments of the day, leading to honest, practical conversations.
Why I’ve Already Signed Up Again
I’m already registered for next year’s Slush. Not because it’s flashy, but because it’s dense with ideas, rich in conversations, and still surprisingly human. That’s why I keep coming back. I hope to see you there.
Pre-Register SLUSH Nov 18-19, 2026
About Nexpert
Nexpert is a Finnish consulting company working at the intersection of emerging technologies, learning, and human-centered change. Nexpert focuses on practical collaboration, adoption, and building solutions together with people.
About the Author
Tanja Karonen is the founder of Nexpert. Her work is guided by values, collaboration, and the belief that sustainable progress happens when people are actively involved in shaping what they are part of.
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