Aalto University is a merger of three leading Finnish higher education institutes focused on art and design, science and technology, and economics. It has over 4,300 faculty and staff including 300 professors and educates 20,000 students according to its vision of being internationally recognized for the impact of its science, art, and learning. The Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE) works towards this mission by promoting entrepreneurship education, research, innovation services, and growth venturing/start-up services through a public-private partnership. ACE focuses on scalable entrepreneurship and helping startups through programs like Silicon Valley partnerships, the Aalto Entrepreneurship Society, summer startup programs,

1. Overview of ACE
Aalto Center for
Entrepreneurship
Will Cardwell, Director

2. Aalto University
A merger of three leading Finnish higher education institutes
Art & Design Science & Economics,
founded 1871 Technology, founded founded 1911
1849 •

3. Aalto University
A unique community:
• 4,300 faculty and staff, including 300 professors
• 20,000 students
• 75,000 alumni
Total annual budget 400 million € (2011)
Vision 2020
The best connect and succeed at Aalto University, an
institution internationally recognized for the impact of its
science, art and learning.
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4. Mission
Aalto University works
towards a better world by:
• promoting top-quality and
interdisciplinary research,
• pioneering education,
• surpassing traditional
boundaries, and
• embracing renewal.
Aalto University educates
responsible, broad-minded experts
with a comprehensive understanding
by Hanna Maunuksela,
of complex subjects to act as Graduate of Aalto School of Art and Design
society’s visionaries and agents of
change.
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5. Schools
Six Schools (from January 2011)
• School of Art and Design
• School of Chemical Technology
• School of Economics
• School of Electrical Engineering
• School of Engineering
• School of Science

6. Research
“We are dedicated to long-term, high-quality research of
high scientific value and impact on society”.
• Computation • Global • Service
Core
Growing
Emerging
and economic Economy
Modelling business
processes • Digitization
• Materials
• Process and • Energy
• Design Systems
Competance
• Human-
• ICT orientated
• Architecture living
• Media environments
• Art

7. The Four Cornerstones of ACE
Building successful companies
that create jobs and prosperity.
Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship
Education Research
Innovation Services Growth
and Technology Venturing and
Transfer Start-Up Services
Public Private Partnership between Aalto University and TEKES

8. Types Of Entrepreneurship
• Lifestyle Entrepreneurship
• Small Business Entrepreneurship
• Scalable Entrepreneurship
• Big Company Entrepreneurship
• Social Entrepreneurship
• One size does NOT fit all!
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9. 90%
of new jobs and
radical innovations
are born in
new technology
companies,
startups

10. Creating ”Startup DNA”
1. Focus where competitive advantage is
2. Enable and reward extreme work
3. Agility to thrive amid unpredictable market shifts
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11. Silicon Valley Partnership
Partnership with Stanford – Go learn from
and with the Best.

12. Aalto Entrepreneurship Society
Student-run. +3000 members strong.

13. Summer of startups
10 weeks. 35 students. Global.

14. Startup Saunas
200 applicants, 10 startups.
Coached by real entrepreneurs with $200M VC raised and 20
exits among them
Venture Garage Video

15. 15

16. 16

17. 17

18. 18

19. 1 Powerkiss
Powerkiss technology
provides a simple,
user-friendly and
efficient way of keeping
all your dear devices
charged on top of any
surface.

20. 2
AudioDraft
AudioDraft offers
companies a new and
innovative way to order
custom made audio
from the artist and audio
designer community by
creating audio
competitions.

21. THANKS!
Will.cardwell@aalto.fi