Nestholma

Nestholma is a Helsinki-based venture builder and accelerator, distinctively focused on fostering collaboration between large corporations and innovative startups. Unlike traditional venture capital firms, Nestholma's core business model does not involve making direct equity investments from its own fund. Instead, it specializes in designing and operating tailored acceleration programs for corporate partners, enabling them to identify, engage with, and potentially invest in promising startups.

Their approach centers on creating a structured environment where established companies can leverage startup agility and disruptive innovation to address specific business challenges, explore new market opportunities, or drive digital transformation. This often culminates in proof-of-concept projects, pilot programs, and strategic partnerships that benefit both the corporate entity and the participating startups.

Nestholma boasts a substantial track record in the corporate venturing space. The firm has successfully executed over 100 corporate-startup collaboration programs since its inception. Through these intensive initiatives, they have facilitated the acceleration and development of more than 300 startups, connecting them with major industry players across various sectors.

Given their operational model, which prioritizes program facilitation and strategic matchmaking over direct capital deployment, Nestholma itself does not issue typical first cheques to startups. Any investments that materialize from these collaborations are generally made by the corporate partners participating in the programs, based on the successful outcomes and strategic alignment achieved during the acceleration phase. Therefore, Nestholma acts as a catalyst and enabler of corporate venturing, rather than a direct financial investor.