Startup 101, Night 1: From Idea to Startup

Do you have a business idea but don’t know where to start? Startup 101 is a free two-evening event series by WeCode Platform for first-time founders and anyone curious about entrepreneurship. No experience needed.

On the first evening you’ll learn what a startup really is, how to test whether your idea is worth pursuing, how early-stage funding works, and what practical steps it takes to start a business in Finland.

Programme

• 16:30 Doors open, Turkish food and networking

• 17:00 Welcome by WeCode

• 17:05 Understanding startups and validating your idea — Mikko Pitkänen

• 17:50 Short break

• 18:00 Funding and investment for early-stage startups — Kustaa Valtonen

• 19:00 Starting a business in Finland: accounting, taxes and compliance basics — Dipali Jani

• 19:45 Open Q&A and closing words

Speakers

• Mikko Pitkänen, CEO of Surgerix and angel investor, who has been involved in over 400 projects and raised more than 38 million euros for startups and international R&D and innovation projects.

• Kustaa Valtonen, venture capitalist and early-stage investor. Invests through FinestLove VC, Valtonen Capital and Random Ventures, with a special interest in student-led projects.

• Dipali Jani, Chartered Accountant (ICAI) and Cost & Management Accountant (ICMAI) with over 10 years of experience in accounting, taxation and financial compliance.

When: Thursday 26 November 2026, 16:30–19:45
Where: Lippulaiva Library, Salonki multipurpose space, Espoonlahdenkatu 8, Espoo. Go up to the third floor of Lippulaiva shopping centre; Salonki is at the end of the hall inside the library.

The event is free, but registration is required and places are limited. Turkish food is served from 16:30, so come early. The presentations are in English. Register on Meetup.

Night 2, “Build, Brand & Market Your Idea”, follows on Thursday 3 December 2026. Register for it separately on its Meetup page.