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Kuva
Riccardo Notarangelo
Specialist
University Services, Innovations and Ecosystems
firstname.lastname@uwasa.fi
Puhelin
+358294498693
Toimisto
Fabriikki F235
🚀 Welcome to Vaasa Startup Factory
Vaasa Startup Factory is the heart of entrepreneurial energy in the Vaasa region — a vibrant, open space where students, startups, researchers, and innovators come together to turn ideas into impact.
💡 What we are
We’re a collaborative hub and innovation community created by all six universities in Vaasa. Operated by Hanken School of Economics, the Vaasa Startup Factory supports entrepreneurship, experimentation, and early-stage innovation across disciplines and industries.
Whether you’re just curious about entrepreneurship, want to build your first MVP, or already have a startup idea — we’re here for you.
💡 What we are
We’re a collaborative hub and innovation community created by all six universities in Vaasa. Operated by Hanken School of Economics, the Vaasa Startup Factory supports entrepreneurship, experimentation, and early-stage innovation across disciplines and industries.
Whether you’re just curious about entrepreneurship, want to build your first MVP, or already have a startup idea — we’re here for you.
👥 Who we are for
- Students & Researchers from any of Vaasa’s six universities
- Aspiring Entrepreneurs with an idea or the passion to solve real-world problems
- Startups & Early-Stage Teams looking for community, support, and visibility
- Mentors, Coaches & Experts who want to guide the next wave of innovation
No business degree required — just curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to learn.
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🎯 What we aim to achieve
Our mission is to:
- 🔥 Spark entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines
- 🚀 Support early-stage innovation from idea to prototype
- 🤝 Foster meaningful collaborations between academia and the startup ecosystem
- 🌍 Contribute to regional vitality through new ventures, services, and ideas
We do this through events, programs, mentoring, workshops, and a welcoming space where connections happen naturally.
💜 Mood photos
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🌱 Our programs
We run initiatives like Summer Bloom, host Speaker Series with real founders and operators, and partner on hackathons, accelerators, and pilot projects. Whether you want to learn, build, connect — or all three — we’ve got something for you.
In addition to our own activities, we actively support and collaborate with others who use our space — from professors hosting innovation labs, to community groups like JCI, VES, Demola, Startia/VASEK, and more. The Vaasa Startup Factory is a living platform for entrepreneurial action, co-creation, and unexpected collisions that lead to new ideas.
📍 Visit us
We’re located at Yliopistonranta 10, 2nd Floor — right in the heart of Vaasa. Open weekdays with flexible access to workspaces, meeting rooms, and a friendly community.
Stay up to date with our events via our LinkedIn and Instagram pages.
Come say hi — your idea belongs here.
#VaasaStartupFactory #InnovationHub #StudentEntrepreneurship #StartupVaasa
🎮 Powered by Play: Vaasa University Arcade
Right next to the VSF is the University of Vaasa Arcade - a unique space of over 500 square metres with over 90 pinball machines, arcade cabinets and consoles. The arcade is more than just a place to have fun: it's a place to relax, recharge and get creative. We partner with the arcade in many different ways, bringing a playful energy to Vaasa's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Contact
Vaasa Startup Factory
Visiting address: Yliopistonranta 10, 2nd floor of the Fabriikki building
Opening hours: from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Community Builder and Mentor
Hendrik Morkel
hendrik.morkel@hanken.fi