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Sport Finland - Slush Side Event

Kick off Slush at the sportiest side-event in the city: Sport Finland event! We bring together companies from the fields of sports, health, and wellbeing to pitch their expertise to investors interested in the industry. There are already 20+ investors registered!

The event is co-hosted by the Sport Suomi cities: Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti, and Rovaniemi and partnering with Global Sport Innovation Center GSIC and EBAN Sports. You are welcome to apply to the event to present your company's expertise to potential investors. Pitching slots are primarily reserved for companies from cities mentioned above, but applications are also open to others. The final selection will be made together with representatives of the Sport Suomi cities. The event is free of charge.

Statup companies, apply here! Submit your application by October 26th.

Other guests, register here until November 10th!

WHEN AND WHERE?

Event date: 18th November 2025

Venue: Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo, Helsinki 

Nimetön malli (9)

Agenda

16.30 Doors open

17.00 Welcoming words by the cities of Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Lahti and Rovaniemi:

Power of sport, health and wellbeing in Finland

17.15 Partner Key-note: Global Sport Innovation Center GSIC / Iris Córdoba Managing Director of GSIC & Juan Fuentes / Director of GSIC Microsoft Global Testing Center: 
GSIC's insight to startups

17.30 Pitches (5 pitching startups)

18.00 Key-note: Veikkausliiga - Professional Football League in Finland / CEO Kaarlo Kankkunen:
 "We may not be the biggest, but we can be the boldest – Finnish football as a testbed for innovation"

18.15 Pitches continue (5 pitching startups)

18.45 Closing words

Cocktails and networking including Speed dating with investors and startups

20.00 End of the event
GSIC Iris Cordoba
Speaker Introduction: Iris Córdoba Mondéjar

Iris Córdoba Mondéjar is the General Manager of the Global Sports Innovation Center GSIC powered by Microsoft. She is a recognized leader in sports tech innovation and a dedicated mentor for startups worldwide.

Iris leads the GSIC powered by Microsoft, a global initiative fostering innovation in the sports industry through collaboration between public, private, and academic sectors. With a background in law, public policy, and digital economics, she has extensive experience promoting entrepreneurship and supporting SMEs across Latin America, Europe, and APAC.

She established GSIC’s Singapore office and launched programs that have supported nearly 100 entrepreneurs in Asia and the Middle East. Recognized among the “Top 100 Women in Tech Singapore” and “Top 100 Female Leaders of Spain,” Iris is a key figure in sports tech, open innovation, and female leadership worldwide.

 

GSIC Juan Fuentes
Speaker Introduction: Juan Fuentes Fernández

Juan Fuentes Fernández is the Director of the GSIC Testing Lab in Valencia, an innovation hub powered by Microsoft and operated by the Global Sports Innovation Center. He leads the lab’s mission to test and scale technology solutions in sport, entertainment, media, and health.

With a strong background in strategic leadership and international business, Juan has worked across Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., supporting startups and advising sports organizations. Before this, he spent nearly a decade at LALIGA, driving its international growth in the MENA region and Northern Europe.

Kaarlo Kankkunen_rajattu
Speaker Introduction: Kaarlo Kankkunen

Kaarlo Kankkunen is an experienced business executive and sports leader with a broad background in both corporate management and football. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Finnish Premier League (Veikkausliiga) and has held several CFO and CEO positions across industries, from family-owned companies to international corporations.

In football, his background includes a career as a player, club leader, and trusted roles within the Football Association of Finland and UEFA. Outside of work, Kaarlo enjoys sports, travelling, and reading.

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