International Venture Academy 2025: 19.-22.5.
The International Venture Academy is an investor programme for start-ups and scale-ups in the fields of sustainability, utilizing carbon-neutral materials and energy, and cybersecurity-enabled healthtech and wellbeing solutions, as well as sport technologies using artificial intelligence.
If you want to improve your company’s investment readiness, are looking for an investment of EUR 200,000–1,000,000, or are planning to enter new markets, this might be just the right programme for you!
The programme targets growth ventures that desire to enhance their investment readiness and are interested in Nordic and European markets or soft landing in the Nordics. Participating growth ventures must have a ready product or service, a clear vision, and proof of concept. Around 10 companies will be selected to the programme.
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Laura Andelin, CEO
ONIT Sport, IVA Alumni 2023
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Kari Aho, CEO
Secapp, IVA Alumni 2020
Heidi Kivimaa, CEO & Co-Founder
Northern Sports Insight and Intelligence Oy, IVA Alumni 2022
International Venture Academy Webinar 2022:
What is International Venture Academy and what it can offer to your business? Watch the webinar recording to learn more and hear the success story from IVA alumni 2021 Nursie Health!
Jean-Louis Brelet
IVA Lead Mentor
Sophia Business Angels, Entrepreneur Avenue
Jean-Louis is a member of France Angels Board, lead of EuropIA Capital and emeritus president of Sophia Business Angels. He is an executive coach of innovative entrepreneurs, investors in 15 companies, and trainer at Business Schools, incubators and Business Angels Networks within France, EU and North Africa regions.
Audra Shallal,
IVA Mentor, BOSS Consulting
Audra is an expert in Women Entrepreneurship and Angel Investment in the EMEA region. She promotes Entrepreneurship and Angel Investing through programs, mentoring, business plan competitions, Business Angel Networks and Women Economic Empowerment within the EU and MENA region.
Marcel Dridje,
IVA Mentor, EBAN Board Member, Entrepreneur Avenue
After 30 years of Executive Sales & Business Development experience with EMEA, USA and APAC with High-tech Startups, Marcel is currently coaching, mentoring and training Startups, entrepreneurs and Business Angels in the EMEA region. Marcel is also an Executive Advisor to Startup Ecosystems worldwide and currently onboarding a move to the GCC region based in Doha, Qatar. Marcel leads his advisory services under his consultancy firm "Entrepreneur Avenue".
Nina Rautiainen
IVA mentor, Ecosystem Lead of City of Jyväskylä, FiBAN
Nina is promoting innovation and growth in the Jyväskylä ecosystem. Her current role as Program Manager highlights sports performance, health and wellbeing solutions, and data-driven growth. She is committed to early stage start-ups who are seeking smart money and go-to-market. She is also an active member of FiBAN. As one of the founding members of Kasvu Open growth programme in Finland she is member of Advisory Board since 2018. Nina is also a member of EU FORTHEM External Advisory Board. Nina has experience as entrepreneur, corporate Head of HR and mental coach for business leaders.
Nina Rautiainen
IVA mentor, Ecosystem Lead of City of Jyväskylä, FiBAN
Nina is promoting innovation and growth in the Jyväskylä ecosystem. Her current role as Program Manager highlights sports performance, health and wellbeing solutions, and data-driven growth. She is committed to early stage start-ups who are seeking smart money and go-to-market. She is also an active member of FiBAN. As one of the founding members of Kasvu Open growth programme in Finland she is member of Advisory Board since 2018. Nina is also a member of EU FORTHEM External Advisory Board. Nina has experience as entrepreneur, corporate Head of HR and mental coach for business leaders.
Jérôme Chifflet, IVA mentor, EuropIA Capital & Entrepreneu Avenue
Executive positions:
CEO and Co founder BCD Associates, Business development director France (EIT) ,Deputy research Director Orange, founder, Chairman and CEO of Waidan, Corporate Engineering & Services Lab Manager.
International career: EIT Digital ; Poland : Audit activities R&D Telecom Polska SA; Japan : NTT –Invited researcher;
USA: Collaborations with Nashville, Berkeley
Investment expertise
Head of Access to finance Europe (EIT Digital), Director of Screening Committee Sophia Business Angel, Board member, Investment committee PACA Investment
Education
Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Babson College (MA –USA), Entrepreneurial Scholl of France Telecom, PhD in Applied Mathematics University of Toulouse France
Michael O'Connor,
CEO of CorkBic, pre-sparring
Michael O’Connor is CEO of CorkBIC, specialising in high tech businesses involving international growth. He started in marine and arctic exploration in the UK, Spitsbergen, Nigeria and the Caribbean before moving to high-growth manufacturing and sales start-ups with Raychem Corporation in Menlo Park, California. He co-founded Intepro, a venture capital-backed Irish IT start-up. Since returning from the USA, he has advised over 500 start-ups.
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Business Development Services, City of Jyväskylä
The City of Jyväskylä's Business Development Services helps businesses in our region to develop from the early stages to business scale-up and growth. -
Entrepreneur Avenue
Entrepreneur Avenue's mission is to help talented individuals identify their potential, structure their ideas and improve their skills so they can take their business to the next level. The IVA programme is produced in partnership with Entrepreneur Avenue. -
European Business Angel NetworkThe European Business Angels Network is the European representative of the early-stage investment community, which currently has more than 100 member organisations in over 50 countries. The City of Jyväskylä is a member of EBAN and organises the IVA investor programme in cooperation with the angel investors from EBAN network. -
FiBANThe Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) is a non-profit association of private investors whose mission is to inspire private investment. The network is one of the largest and most active business angel networks in the world with over 670 approved members. The City of Jyväskylä is a member of FiBAN. -
Sophia Business AnglesSophia Business Angels (SBA) is a group of individuals who invest personal capital in innovative and commercially promising early-stage start-up companies. SBA is a French business angel network. -
The Startup Factory
The Startup Factory is an incubator where the best early-stage business ideas are turned into successful companies in partnership with educational institutions. The IVA programme is organised in partnership with the Startup Factory. -
HHub - The Nordic hub for Sports, Health and Wellbeing
HHub is a fast-growing innovation ecosystem based on scientific knowledge and expertise that holistically supports human performance and wellbeing. We provide invaluable assistance to companies in building internationally significant networks for physical activity, health, well-being and performance.
"This is how it should be done" - The application period for the International Venture Academy is now open!
Read more about the programme and applyThe International Venture Academy (IVA) is a programme for...
Finnish ONIT Sport and Spanish football league LALIGA in collaboration
LALIGA collaboration sparked during the Jyväskylä Business Rally 2023. ONIT Sport participated...
"This is how it should be done" – International Venture Academy offers startups insights into growth and funding
One of the participant companies in the IVA program is ONIT Sport, focusing on the mental skills of...
Contact details
Nina Rautiainen, Programme Manager, City of Jyväskylä nina.rautiainen@jyvaskyla.fi, +358504137028
Leena Martin, Project Planner, City of Jyväskylä, leena.martin@jyvaskyla.fi, +358407596667
The programme is part of Jyväskylä's innovation ecosytem work. The innovation ecosystem work is based on an agreement between the City of Jyväskylä and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and is funded by the Regional Council of Central Finland (ERDF). 