The Forest-Based Bioeconomy Startup Competition 2026 has begun
Registration is now open for startup companies wishing to participate in the Pulp & Beyond 2026 start-up competition. The competition highlights new and significant solutions from the forest industry, and the winner will be awarded the €5,000 Pulp & Beyond Award, funded by the Finnish Fair Foundation. The international forest industry event Pulp & Beyond 2026 will take place on 14–17 April 2026 at Messukeskus Helsinki.
The start-up competition seeks the most promising and potential growth companies in the forest industry. The Pulp & Beyond Award will be granted to a Finnish company that has developed an innovation that enhances the public image of the forest industry or a related sector, and that has the potential to become a significant international product or service. Ideally, the solution will also introduce new perspectives to the forest industry.
The competition is organised by the Pulp & Beyond event in cooperation with the Finnish Forest Products Engineers’ Association (Puunjalostusinsinöörit ry).
Instructions for participation can be found at: https://pulpandbeyond.messukeskus.com/startup-competition/. Proposals can be submitted until 31 March 2026. The competition jury will review the applications and select the best ideas and solutions, of which the top three will advance to the pitching competition held during the event. The jury will make its final decision based on the pitch presentations. In selecting the winner, the jury will assess the innovativeness and originality of the business idea, the market potential of the product, the credibility of the business plan and its implementation, as well as the pitch itself. The winner will be chosen on the afternoon of 15 April 2026 immediately after the pitches.
This is the fifth time the start-up competition will be organised. The previous competition in 2024 was won by Aisti Corporation, which has developed a patented, ultra-low-density and flame-retardant foam material suitable for manufacturing various panel-type products. These applications include acoustic panels, thermal insulation products, wind barrier panels and protective packaging materials.
The jury, composed of representatives from leading companies in the field, is chaired by Atte Virtanen, Vice President of the Biomaterial Processing and Products business area at VTT.
Pulp & Beyond 2026 at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, Finland consists of three parts: the international scientific Pulp & Beyond Conference 2026, held on Tuesday 14 April 2026; the free-of-charge Pulp & Beyond 2026 expo and event on 15–16 April 2026; and an excursion day on 17 April 2026, offering visits to Kemira’s Innovation Center and the SAPPI Kirkniemi paper mill, or to the Finnish headquarters of Stora Enso and ABB.
At the same time, on 15–16 April, Messukeskus will also host ChemBio Finland 2026, Helsinki Chemicals Forum 2026, and on 15–17 April the new electrical industry trade event Sähkö–Electricity 2026.
The event is organised in cooperation by the Finnish Forest Products Engineers’ Association (PI) and Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
#pulpandbeyond | www.pulpandbeyond.com
Additional information:
Brand Marketing & Communications Specialist
Aleksi Kasari, +358 40 158 2138, aleksi.kasari@messukeskus.com, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
Business Manager
Anssi Rajala, +358 40 843 3936, anssi.rajala@messukeskus.com, Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
Managing Director
Antti Lindqvist, +358 40 725 2543, antti.lindqvist@puunjalostusinsinoorit.fi, Puunjalostusinsinöörit ry PI
