DEFINE Accelerator companies’ Demo Day at Slush

DEFINE Batch 3 doubled down on Demo Day by kicking things off with a Closing Session at Knights of Nordics — because why have one stage when you can have two? The teams were showcased at the Hub for the first time on November 17, and their second appearance was the following day as part of the Slush pre-events.

Jarno Tanhuanpää, Managing Partner at Castrén & Snellman, set the tone off the event. General (Ret.) Timo Kivinen followed with a straight-shot breakdown of what it really takes to develop defence capabilities today. Harri Paananen from NATO’s Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) then laid out how startups can actually work with NATO — and why NCIA’s mission is all about readiness.

Next up, Kiti Karvinen from Castrén & Snellman walked everyone through the regulatory side of defence investment (the part no one loves but everyone needs). And Seppo Aaltonen, VP for Nordics & NATO at ICEYE, showed how dual-use space tech is rewriting what’s possible.

After that, it was all startups. DEFINE Accelerator Batch 3 hit the stage to pitch what they’ve been building — and the progress they’ve made showed.

DEFINE Accelerator Batch 3 companies: Alvidiotech, CG France, CONTAI, Delta Technics Oy, Eagle Ray Robotics, Kolibri Defence, Rescue Drones Finland Oy, Rhoshield, SelectAM, Sostex Finland Oy and Thistle OÜ.