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Discover Aalto Founder School

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When people think about entrepreneurship, they often imagine pitching start-up ideas, raising funding and launching companies.

But entrepreneurship at Aalto looks much broader than that.
Three speakers on stage at Aalto Founder Talks, facing a seated audience in a dimly lit hall.
Founder Talks with Samu Hallfors by Ahti Brummer

At Aalto Founder School, we believe entrepreneurship is not limited to a specific field of study, personality type, or career path. It's a way of thinking: spotting opportunities, solving meaningful problems, navigating uncertainty, and creating something new. Whether you're studying engineering, design, arts, business, science, or technology, entrepreneurial skills can help you make an impact in whatever path you choose.

Most importantly, you do not need a startup idea, a co-founder, or a team to get started.

Aalto Founder School is the university's entry point to entrepreneurial learning. It brings together students from all six schools and all degree levels who are curious about innovation, startups, and building things that matter. Some students arrive with a business idea already in mind. Others simply want to explore entrepreneurship for the first time. Founder School is designed to support both.

Founder School focuses on helping students become founders: people who think boldly, act under uncertainty, learn quickly, and create momentum over time. Along the way, students gain practical skills, meet like-minded peers, and connect with founders, investors, operators, and experts from across Finland's startup ecosystem.

Four young men pose playfully indoors, one on another’s shoulders, all in neutral jumpers and trousers.

Entrepreneurship is a team sport and Founder School is your gateway É«É«À²'s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Along the way, you'll meet curious peers, experienced founders, mentors, investors, and experts who can help you take the next step.

Three Paths to Get Involved

The three paths are connected and designed to support students at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey. 

→ You might begin by attending a Founder Talk, 

→  deepen your skills through the Founder Minor, and 

→ later apply to Founder Sprint. 

While Sprint is a selective program, Founder Talks and the Founder Minor are open to all Aalto students regardless of discipline, experience level, or whether they already have a startup idea.

A blurred image of a group of people sitting and discussing in a modern office space with glass walls.
Five people pose onstage before a large Founder Talks screen reading Monika Liikamaa at Aalto University.
Students with blurred faces sit in a lecture hall, listening, with laptops and a pink drink can visible.

Founder Talks

Founder Talks is an event series for all startup-curious students. Through fireside conversations, founders share honest stories about building companies, overcoming setbacks, and navigating the realities of entrepreneurship.

Recent guests have included Ilkka Paananen, founder and CEO of Supercell, and Maija Itkonen, co-founder and CEO of Onego Bio. The conversations go beyond success stories to explore the lessons, challenges, and decisions that shaped each founder's journey.

Want to dive deeper? You can also earn 3 ECTS through the Founder Insights course by watching a series of Founder Talks, reading a founder book, reflecting on what you've learned, and completing the course assessment.

Five people pose onstage before a large Founder Talks screen reading Monika Liikamaa at Aalto University.
Students with blurred faces sit in a lecture hall, listening, with laptops and a pink drink can visible.
A blurred image of a group of people sitting and discussing in a modern office space with glass walls.

Founder Courses and the Founder Minor

Whether you want to take a single entrepreneurship course or complete the full Founder Minor, Founder School offers practical, hands-on learning that complements any degree.

Explore topics such as product development, venture creation, go-to-market strategy, financing, founder storytelling, and product management through practice-oriented courses. New this fall are Founder Principles, which helps students develop the mindset and skills needed to build early-stage ventures, and Founder Storytelling, which explores how founders communicate ideas, attract supporters, and inspire action.

Take the courses that match your interests, or combine founder-focused courses to earn the Founder Minor. All courses are open to students from every discipline, and no prior startup experience is required.

Students with blurred faces sit in a lecture hall, listening, with laptops and a pink drink can visible.
A blurred image of a group of people sitting and discussing in a modern office space with glass walls.
Five people pose onstage before a large Founder Talks screen reading Monika Liikamaa at Aalto University.

Founder Sprint

Founder Sprint is Founder School's most intensive learning experience, designed for highly motivated students who want to accelerate their entrepreneurial growth.

With an acceptance rate of roughly 10%, the program combines venture-building, coaching, mentorship, and deep-dive learning experiences. Participants work closely with experienced founders, investors, and operators while developing the skills and mindset needed to build ambitious ventures.

Recent mentors have included leaders from organizations such as Lifeline Ventures, Supercell, Silo AI, Wolt, Antler, Inventure, Slush, and Aalto University. Sprint participants have also traveled abroad to learn directly from leading startup ecosystems, including visits to Munich and Stockholm's founders, investors, and innovation organizations.

Whether participants ultimately launch a company or not, they leave with a stronger network, practical entrepreneurial skills, and a deeper understanding of how innovation happens in the real world.

Ready to get started?

You don't need to have everything figured out before getting involved. In fact, most students don't. You simply need curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn.

Whether you want to start a company, join a startup, develop new skills, or explore what's possible, Founder School offers a place to begin.
Explore Aalto Founder School →
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