Idearace is being held for the fifth time – the application period begins on February 16
South Karelia's well-known business idea competition, Idearace, returns in spring 2026 and invites students, entrepreneurs, and creative minds to present their business ideas to the general public and a panel of judges. The finals will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the Lappeenranta City Theater, where ten top teams will be selected to compete for the grand prize.
In 2026, Idearace will be held for the fifth time. Over the past five years, Idearace has provided a platform for dozens of business ideas, many of which have progressed to further development, business operations, or become part of larger projects.
The competition promotes entrepreneurial thinking and growth
Idearace has become a significant event in South Karelia. The purpose of the competition is to highlight new business ideas and encourage their further development.
The application period for the competition is February 16–March 22, 2026, and the selected finalists will have the opportunity to practice pitching and presenting at Bootcamp on April 17–18, the weekend before the final event. Bootcamp is much more than just coaching. It is about networking, preparing together, and cheering each other on.
Final event and prizes
The final is an event where competitors present their business ideas to the jury and the audience live. The jury will select:
- the overall winner, who will receive €5,000 to develop their idea and a Golden Ticket to the Dream event in the fall
- the best student-driven idea with €5,000
- and the audience favorite.
The competition offers participants valuable networking opportunities, presentation coaching, and the chance to showcase their ideas to investors, business developers, and other interested parties.
Who is Idearace for?
The competition is open to all companies and individuals in South Karelia, as well as all university students studying in Finland.
Applying for the competition does not commit you to anything.
Schedule briefly
Applications open: February 16–March 22, 2026
Bootcamp: the weekend before the final, April 17–18
Final: April 23, 2026 — Lappeenranta City Theater
Why participate?
Participation offers:
- the opportunity to obtain funding for the development of your business idea,
- visibility and a new networks,
- performance and pitching coaching, and
- valuable feedback on the development stage of your idea
The application form and registration for the final can be found on the idearace.fi website.
Idearace is an excellent platform for both early-stage ideas and more concrete startup projects that need momentum and visibility. Idearace is a local platform for new international success stories.
Business Mill organizes Idearace in collaboration with LUTES (LUT Entrepreneurship Society ry).
