Experience Tampere Attracts Startups
The application deadline for Experience Tampere 2024 is almost here (28.04.2024), and International Tampere thought it would be fun to hear from a previous participant. Last year’s startup founder, Başar Kaya, was happy to provide some insight about what it is like to “Experience Tampere” and what he thought of the city.
Başar, who is the Startup founder of MentalUP, participated in Experience Tampere 2023 and this year he will relocate his company to Tampere and become a resident of Tampere, Finland.
According to Başar, it was his first-time visiting Tampere, despite having visited other Finnish cities previously. When he was selected for the Experience Tampere program, he had very little knowledge about the city, and wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
“For me, it was a very educational and enjoyable program,” Başar said. “I also had valuable insights in business. I had the chance to discuss and initiate various collaboration opportunities with other startups participating in the program. During the Experience Tampere program, I learned in detail how to collaborate with institutions such as Platform6, Business Finland, and Tampere University.”
“The presence of experienced entrepreneurs in various fields, including the arts community, universities and research institutions, and startups founded by engineers who left Nokia, makes Tampere an excellent environment for expats,” said Başar. “In addition, the city’s hosting of numerous lakes and parks, the presence of theater and art-focused centers, and restaurants representing different cultures make it easy for an expat to adapt to the city.”
Başar also had many opportunities to see different parts of the city (parks, theaters, shopping malls, etc…). In his opinion, Tampere is one of the few cities in Europe with substantial opportunity and a high quality of life. When it came time to decide to relocate, “it made my decision-making process quite easy,” said Başar.
On the last day of his Experience Tampere adventure, when Başar was boarding the bus to Helsinki, he thought, “My next trip to Tampere will probably be for settling in this city.”
The connections Başar made through Experience Tampere in September 2023 enabled him to implement the relocation of MentalUP’s operations to Finland in July 2024.
International Tampere welcomes Başar and MentalUP to Finland.
Applicants for Experience Tampere 2024 have until April 28th to apply for the opportunity of a lifetime, learning how to grow a business and career in Finland’s most attractive city.
