This is where ideas turn into impact: Idearace 2026

The Idearace business idea competition, organized for the fifth time as an even larger event, ended on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the final event held at Lappeenranta City Theatre. The event featured nine highly polished business ideas, as well as a keynote speech by Ari-Pekka Salovaara of why some companies succeed while most do not.

10 000€ as a prize money and TRUST's Legal Kit up to 2 000€

This year’s competition was held in a single OPEN category. A total of €10,000 was awarded for the development of business ideas. The jury selected Phenonex as the winning team, a concept that transforms unused bio-waste into valuable materials for industries such as cosmetics and pet food. Emil Klefström’s idea originated from a course exploring ways to utilize industrial side streams. The team was awarded €5,000 and a Golden Ticket to the Dream event, which will be held in Lahti next autumn.

This year, a separate incentive award for students was also introduced. The jury selected the best student-based idea as a second winner. This award went to Aayan Asif for the Eto business idea, which provides automated tools for e-commerce sellers. In addition, TRUST Attorneys at Law offered one team a €2,000 legal package tailored for early-stage startups. This prize was awarded to Inspot, which provides a versatile photo management service for event organizers. The audience also had the opportunity to vote for their favorite, which was Ventura platform that connects startups and angel investors in a simple and efficient way.

Pitching training was one of the most significant factor

One of the most significant elements of the Idearace competition is the pitch training held during the weekend prior to the final. Teams developed tremendously over the course of the weekend under the guidance of Mikko Kiertonen (Liquido.vc) and Jyri Partanen (University of Helsinki). A final rehearsal was also held the day before the event, where practice judges provided feedback. As a result, the final featured exceptionally polished pitches, and each finalist is now ready to compete for top prizes in business idea competitions across other regions.

At the final event, partner stands were highlighted, and as a new addition, a dedicated stand area was introduced for startup teams that had progressed beyond the Idearace phase. This area featured Supercommercial.ai, Spark, and Azzda Technologies. In the coming years, we aim to give even greater visibility to previous Idearace teams. As demonstrated, Idearace serves as a significant springboard for many teams moving forward!

Thank you to the event partners, finalists, attendees, jury, host, and the entire organizing team! Idearace would not be possible without this group.