Finland is home to nearly 100 foodtech startups, covering everything from food delivery to plant-based proteins and eco-friendly packaging. Helsinki leads the industry, with impressive growth in recent years. Between 2015 and 2022, 80 investments were made in 47 different foodtech startups, with a median investment size just shy of two million euros.

Finnish foodtech companies are known for developing solutions that tackle climate change and boost global food security. This makes sense, considering Finland’s strict food regulations—the toughest in the world—and the national food industry’s ambitious goal of reaching carbon neutrality and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2035.

Helsinki offers plenty of investment opportunities and gives startups the backing they need to turn research into reality through public-private partnerships. With government funding and collaborations between companies and universities, foodtech innovations can be tested, embraced by the public, and scaled globally to take on some of the world’s toughest challenges.

In this article, we’ll explore what’s cooking in Helsinki’s foodtech scene and share the city’s unique contributions to this growing sector.

1. Cellular agriculture

A cold climate with little to no sunlight and sparsely populated land has resulted in wit and grit when it comes to farming here. We’re a world leader in cellular agriculture—the use of cell culture techniques to produce food without fields or animal farming. As nature and global biodiversity decline globally, this technology plays a key role in solving both the food and climate crises.

The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has long championed cellular agriculture, and many Finnish foodtech companies have developed more ethical and local ways to produce food. For instance, the world’s first mycoprotein product, PEKILO® by eniferBio, was originally developed in Finland back in the 1970s. Today, Valio’s investment in eniferBio helps bring this alternative protein to market, transforming waste into a treasured ingredient. 

A standout startup in cellular agriculture is Solar Foods​, which was founded on research from two Finnish universities. This company farms single-cell organisms to produce high-protein food ingredients from thin air (literally). Its product, Solein®, is a natural, nutritious—and delicious—microbial protein that’s carbon-neutral and can be produced regardless of soil, weather, or climate conditions.

Another Helsinki-born innovation is Onego Bio’s animal-free egg white, made using precision fermentation. Onego Bio is a spin-off from VTT, which gave the company an exclusive licence for the IP and incubation at its LaunchPad.​

2. Smart packaging

Helsinki is all about circularity and eco-friendliness. There’s a growing demand for smart and clean packaging in the food industry, with 73% of consumers willing to pay more for packaging that’s kind to the planet, according to a Trivium Packaging report, 

Finland’s commitment to climate-friendly solutions is clear in its development of circular packaging and new materials. Smart packaging isn’t just biodegradable—it also extends food’s shelf life, keeping it fresher for longer. Plus, it helps cut down on food waste, carbon emissions, and biodiversity loss.With 75% of the country covered in forests, wood-based industries are deep-rooted in Finnish society. And as one of the world’s most inventive nations, Finland offers unique wood-based alternatives to plastic packaging.

Leading the charge in Helsinki’s eco-friendly packaging scene are companies like Sulapac and Paptic®. Sulapac offers a beautiful and functional alternative to plastic, with packaging that fully biodegrades without leaving behind microplastics or harmful residues. The company’s impressive array of sustainability awards reflects its commitment to a cleaner planet.

Meanwhile, Paptic, based in Espoo, offers the ideal solution for replacing plastics in dry food packaging. The company’s fibre-based material is heat-sealable, recyclable, and biodegradable.

3. 3D food printing

Used to create customised and appealing food products, 3D printing is making waves in the industry by improving the accuracy and consistency of food production.​ This technology is disrupting the alternative protein landscape, allowing companies to produce plant-based foods that taste and feel better than ever. 

VTT is leading the 3D food printing revolution, with dedicated teams working to develop customised multi-textural snack foods. Some restaurants in Helsinki are now serving up 3D printed “meat” made from vegetable proteins, which customers have been loving. As plant-based proteins continue to gain ground in Finland, they’re steadily taking market share from traditional animal-based products.

4. Data-driven food safety

As the global food supply chain becomes more complex, the food industry is increasingly turning to data-driven solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve food safety, spot contamination, and reduce foodborne illnesses.

Finland topped the 2022 Global Food Security Index and is known for having some of the strictest food safety regulations worldwide. To stay ahead of potential public health issues, the Finnish Food Authority (FFA) uses AI to speed up critical research and tackle problems in real-time. AI technology was especially useful when the FFA was working on a project to understand the factors influencing risks from the avian flu. 

5. Vertical farming

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) reduces food insecurity by producing more food year-round while minimising environmental impacts.

Two key spaces fostering future-proof food systems are the Viikki Food Design Factory at the University of Helsinki and the Metropolia Urban Farm Lab. The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) has also developed and patented a vertical farming solution that enables the production of high-wire crops in a vertical farming setup.

And then there’s fungi: Helsieni is a pioneer of urban modular mushroom farming in Finland. Embracing circular economy principles, this startup uses coffee ground waste from restaurants, offices, and cafés to grow top-quality fresh mushrooms, which they supply to chefs, restaurants, and catering services. 

Meanwhile, Finnish company iFarm powers many vertical farms globally with its fully automated hydroponic systems for growing salads and herbs. Thanks to iFarm’s advanced climate control, smart power management, and unique LED lighting, crops ripen twice as fast as they do outdoors.

6. Upcycled foods 

Whether it’s fish that nobody wanted, or byproducts from beer or harmful algae, Helsinki’s startups are turning waste into taste. Mäsli, for example, upcycles brewers’ spent grain (BSG)—the residue of beer brewing—into healthy and tasty snacks. It’s a win-win: consumers get a plant-based treat, and breweries find a new use for their byproduct. 

Nordic Umami Company has cracked the code for bringing that irresistible umami flavour to plant-based foods using fermentation-based technology. The company’s mission isn’t just to make vegan food delicious but to upcycle food that would otherwise end up in the bin. They take a range of by-products, like cereal and packaging side streams, and turn them into the savoury taste that plant-based foods often lack. 

And with Finland’s thousands of lakes, Helsinki’s sustainable seafood scene is also growing. Hailia Nordic solves a big problem in the seafood industry by finding high-value uses for underused fish materials. Even algae isn’t left behind—Origin by Ocean turns harmful algae and seaweed into everyday goods in food production and beyond.

7. Smart food and grocery delivery 

In Helsinki, getting fresh food has never been easier—or smarter. Wolt, of course, is a big name in this space: What started in Helsinki has grown into a global food delivery powerhouse, with its blue delivery bags now a familiar sight in over 500 cities worldwide.

Then there’s Huuva, a cloud kitchen startup bringing top local restaurants together under one virtual roof. They make it easy to mix and match dishes from different restaurants in just one order, no matter where you live. By setting up delivery-focused hubs in underserved areas, Huuva makes great food accessible to everyone—not just those in the city centres. 

Meanwhile, Foodello (known as Fiksuruoka in Finland) fights food waste and the traditional grocery market by selling surplus groceries with large discounts on their web store.

The Selfy Store by Stora Enso offers a glimpse into the future of food retail. Unlike ordinary vending machines, Selfly Store’s smart vending machine can handle a wide range of products, thanks to smart RFID technology from one of the world’s oldest corporations.  

Helsinki: Your go-to spot for foodtech investment and growth 

Helsinki is setting the standard in foodtech innovation, offering exciting solutions that benefit both Finland and the global food industry. With a focus on improving global food security, Helsinki fosters a collaborative environment where public, private, and community partnerships thrive. 

The Helsinki foodtech scene makes it simple for businesses to get started, with access to public funding and opportunities for R&D with top institutions. The “made in Finland” quality stamp and the country’s strong reputation help businesses easily expand globally. Plus, Finland’s people are quick to embrace new innovations and are particularly interested in personalised health and nutrition through the latest foodtech advancements.