Largest global startup event offers opportunities for Brazilians to explore the international market

Brazil has more than 12.7 thousand startups in advanced stages of maturity, according to the Brazilian Association of Startups. Finland is an attractive strategic destination for internationalization and business expansion in the technology and innovation sectors. This trend is no coincidence: the Finnish ecosystem offers a highly fertile environment for global business development, combining a strong infrastructure and robust business support. 

Seeking to expand his company and take advantage of the advantages offered by the Nordic country, Gilberto Barroso opened a branch of his educational startup, From Child to Child, in Helsinki, in March of this year, and has already started the structuring of an expansion project.“Ter a branch here is a game changer for our company, which has been in Brazil since 2016, turning student-created stories into cartoons or narrated games. Finland is a world leader in education and for us, it is a business distribution hub for other European countries, such as Germany, Denmark and Ukraine”, he says. 

To facilitate this connection between business and ideas, the Slush 2024, 20 And 21 November in Helsinki is the world's leading startup event and a unique opportunity for Brazilian entrepreneurs to connect with the global market.The event expects more than 13,000 participants from 100 countries, including 5,500 startups and 3,300 investors. 

“O Slush is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs seeking international contacts to gain access to a solid foundation of technological innovation and robust markets where they can establish strategic partnerships and expand their” operations, says Annamari Soikkeli, Manager of International Startups and Permissions Development at Business Finland, the official agency of the Finnish government for trade promotion, investment, innovation finance, tourism and talent attraction. 

With over three trillion dollars in assets under management, Slush stands as the world's largest venture capital gathering and a catalyst for the next generation of great entrepreneurs. This year's speakers include Javier Olivan, COO of Meta; Ann Mettler, Vice President for Europe at Breakthrough Energy; Jeffrey Rayport, Professor of Entrepreneurial Management at Harvard Business School; and Carolina Aguilar, co-founder and CEO of INBRAIN Neuroelectronics. 

From Brazil to Finland  

Gilberto, who moved with his family to the Nordic country, points out that the ease and speed to open a business were essential factors to facilitate the internationalization of his company.“Here, we do not face the bureaucracy we know in Brazil. Everything is very affordable, practical and fast”. The Child To Child should invest about R$ 700 thousand in its structure in Finland, with the aim of increasing revenue by 30-40% and ending the year with a turnover of R$ 7 million. 

For Brazilians seeking the international market, Alessandra Leone, Talent Manager at Work in Finland, Business Finland's talent and business promotion unit notes that Brazil already has a solid number of startups ready to explore the global market.“ Finland offers a strong framework that includes startup acceleration programs, networking events for entrepreneurs and comprehensive support for international talent”, she explains. 

Support  

Secret Club founder and content designer Tassia Rebelo, 36, moved to Finland in July 2021 and transitioned from a successful UX writing career in Sao Paulo to a remote role.The combination of long Finnish winters, lack of close friends and the challenges of distance working in Finland led her to turn pain into a successful business.  

Seeking to form connections in her new country, Tassia created a social community for immigrant women, offering a space for friendship and support.“I created a support program for international spouses in Finland, and more than 50 women responded, sharing their own experiences and challenges.We met in a coffee shop, and that's how the Secret Club started”, she recalls. 

Tassia shares that she always dreamed of having her own company and managed to launch the project thanks to the various business support programs in Finland. “I started studying at an entrepreneurship academy, often using the Secret Club as a case study, which helped me turn it into a business. Before, I gathered people in a cafe; now, I am organizing more personalized events”, she explains. 

Finland is among the ten most innovative countries in the world, according to the Global Innovation Index, and home to famous brands such as Angry Birds, the popular game developed by Finnish company Rovio Entertainment; Kone, one of the leading elevator and escalator companies; and Nokia, the Finnish telecommunications multinational. 

“A Finland offers a stable business environment, ideal for startups, especially as a testing ground for new technologies.People in Finland are highly educated, and the country has the best expertise in digital technologies, which has driven the success of the startup ecosystem.The country is at the forefront of emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G networks, sustainable energy innovations and advanced biotechnologies.There are also several ̄soft-landing services’s, spouses and talents offered by Finnish cities and organizations, recalls Annamari Soikkeli, from Business Finland, to start-specific operations, to start-up founders of Finland, to change business.