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Are you the next creative industry founder? Aalto Creatives pre-incubator programme helps creative industry startups flourish from idea stage to a company. 
 
Aalto Creatives is a 12-week pre-incubator programme tailored for early-stage creative industry startups. Applications are accepted from individuals or teams, and you can apply without a registered company. 
 
The pre-incubator is the perfect place to refine your business plan, gain a clear vision of your goals, get help with setting up your company, and learn to deliver a compelling pitch. 
 
Each pre-incubator round ends in a public Demo Day event, where participants take the stage to introduce their companies.
 
To apply you can be a student, researcher or practitioner with a relevant creative industry background. The selection criteria focus on the business idea’s potential for further development, the solution it provides, and how it shapes a sustainable future. 
 
Your business idea can be in one of the following fields (but not limited to):

• Architecture
• AR/VR
• Arts
• Design
• Fashion
• Film and television
• Gaming
• Media
• Music

The programme is free of charge and doesn’t take any equity. Aalto Creatives is part of City of Helsinki’s Campus Incubators programme. The programme is run by Aalto Startup Center and Aalto Studios.
 
Application period is currently open until 8.9.2025, the next pre-incubator starts on 29.9.2025. 

Please note, applicants must be residents of the Helsinki capital region. The programme is not available in remote or hybrid mode and applicants are required to participate in weekly workshops taking place on Aalto University campus in Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland.