The annual Impact Report by one of Europe’s leading startup hubs, Maria 01, shows that startups with international talent in their founding teams raised larger funding rounds in 2024.
In contrast, teams with female founders secured less funding than their peers—an issue Maria 01 is addressing through a new initiative designed to support visionary founders in bringing their ideas to life.
Maria 01, one of Europe’s leading startup hubs, has released its latest Impact Report, which measures the progress and impact of the hub’s startups. The 2024 report reveals that startups with at least one international founder secured nearly 60% of all funding from Maria 01 startups. Over a third (36%) of Maria 01 startups have an international co-founder, underscoring the ecosystem’s strong appeal to global entrepreneurs.
International founders tend to be bold risk-takers, willing to make bigger leaps of faith in pursuit of success. Many are highly educated, bringing expertise, fresh perspectives, and a strong drive to innovate, develop new products, and launch businesses.
This influx of talent and ideas is a tremendous asset—not only for the Finnish startup ecosystem but for the entire economic future of Europe.
says Sarita Runeberg, CEO of Maria 01.
Maria 01 team
Most international founders at Maria 01 come from Europe, Asia, and South America. The hub now represents around 40 nationalities, with its total membership growing from 1,500 to 2,000 over the past year — highlighting a strong demand for entrepreneurship and the benefits of being part of a dedicated startup hub.
With its renewed strategy, Maria 01 aims to strengthen its role in the global startup ecosystem, encouraging more international founders to establish their base in Finland. For those unable to relocate, Maria 01 introduced a digital membership option last year.
In Finland, we can offer early-stage founders many advantages that other countries cannot — an excellent education system for their families, almost free and universal healthcare, a supportive and inclusive startup ecosystem, and the world’s best work-life balance — something many founders struggle with.
Runeberg explains.
Sarita Runeberg CEO, Maria 01
The Impact Report also highlights a significant rise in startup revenues from 2022 to 2023, demonstrating resilience despite challenging market conditions. By the end of 2024, Maria 01 startups had collectively raised over €1 billion since the hub’s launch in 2016—a major milestone.
Meanwhile, the number of employees has declined, suggesting that many startups have maximised efficiency—partly due to the widespread adoption of AI across various business functions.
“We no longer track AI as a separate industry in our Impact Report because AI is now integrated into nearly every sector. It has become an essential part of daily tasks, processes, and innovations. We were also pleased to see that despite the challenges in securing funding, startups have continued to grow,” Runeberg adds.
To further support early-stage founders, Maria 01 is launching a new programme that provides free workspace for up to three months per company. Half of the available slots are reserved for female and minority founders, ensuring greater inclusivity in the startup ecosystem. The programme is open to startups from the idea stage onwards.
Maria 01 launched a renewed strategy at the beginning of 2025. In addition to our goal of being the world’s leading startup campus, we are committed to being a founder-first hub.
This initiative reflects our belief that anyone with a dream of using scalable technology to make the world a better place should have the opportunity to become a startup founder.
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