Aalto University’s innovation and entrepreneurship activities have received a one-million-euro donation from the Finnish company Holdix.
The donation will support the university’s Inventors and Innovation Postdoc programmes. Through these programmes, deep-tech researchers at Aalto are trained to identify the societal impact of ideas arising from their research, ensuring results are taken where they are needed most. Researchers are able to develop their ideas toward concrete new businesses.
Holdix is a family-owned investment company that invests for the long term in both listed and unlisted companies. In unlisted investments, Holdix focuses particularly on technology and business models with the potential to address significant global challenges and create long-term value.
The company’s areas of interest include, among others, clean technology and the energy transition, as well as other new opportunities opened up by advances in science and technology.
“Finland produces world-class research and technological expertise. What is critical for the future is how well we can turn this expertise into practical innovations, new companies and solutions that scale globally. Aalto University has built a strong environment for this. By supporting the Inventors and Innovation Postdoc programmes, we want to help strengthen the connection between research, technology and entrepreneurship. This will foster new solutions in fields where Finland has internationally strong expertise—for example in clean energy, artificial intelligence, quantum technology and space technology,” says Louise Fromond, Chair of the Board of Holdix.
“We are extremely grateful for Holdix’s significant donation to our innovation activities. Aalto University’s strategy aims to produce sustainable innovations to solve the world’s grand challenges. In recent years, we have significantly developed the guidance and training provided to researchers in innovation-related matters. The donation will help ensure that research-driven inventions are harnessed to develop society while renewing Finland’s economy,” says Janne Laine, Vice President for Innovations at Aalto University.
By supporting the Inventors and Innovation Postdoc programmes, we want to help strengthen the connection between research, technology and entrepreneurship.
Louise Fromond, Chair of the Board of Holdix
Researchers from six fields already trained in innovation activities
Launched in 2025, Aalto Inventors is an innovation programme for researchers that has already trained participants in six different fields, including themes such as biomaterials, artificial intelligence, and microelectronics. Each cohort explores topics like identifying customer needs, intellectual property, and venture capital. In 2026, Aalto Inventors has 280 researchers registered.
Starting in autumn 2026, the Innovation Postdoc programme offers recent PhD graduates a 12–18-month position to advance their research-based ideas from both the technology and business perspectives. In this process, the researcher is supported by a broad group of Aalto’s innovation professionals and a cohort of distinguished business experts.
With its donation, Holdix supports Aalto University’s ’A! Sign of Change’ fundraising campaign, which runs until the end of 2026.
Photo: participants of the Inventors programme in the AGrid building at Aalto’s campus. Photo: Kalle Kataila / Aalto University
