Talent Hack Day 2026
Talent Hack Day is designed for international talents in Finland - students, recent graduates and those looking for new opportunities
A Hack Day is a fast-paced event where participants come together to brainstorm, build, and innovate on creative projects within a short timeframe. It’s all about collaboration, problem-solving, and pushing the limits of what’s possible!
Real Challenges
Work on actual tasks set by companies, providing a practical learning experience.
Apply creative problem-solving skills
Enhance your design thinking and problem-solving abilities that are valued by employers everywhere. No previous hackathon or innovation event experience required - we will help you to achieve your goals!
Networking is the key in Finland
Forge connections with local companies and professionals. You get a chance to showcase your ideas and skills, while working together on company challenges. Maybe you have a possibility to network with your future employer during the event?
Diverse teams
You can join the event as an individual, in which case we will team you up with other talent with multidisciplinary backgrounds, or you can join the event with a ready-made team.
Facilitation
We are partnering with Startup Refugees to facilitate the Talent Hack Day 2026. Startup Refugees facilitators together with mentors from our partner companies will be guiding and supporting participants throughout the day.
Venue
The Talent Hackathon will be held at Startup Runway at Aviapilot, Lentäjäntie 3, Vantaa. Lunch, snacks and coffee will be provided for all participants!
Team Formation and Match Making
Participants will collaborate in teams of 3-5 people to tackle a company challenge, with each company having three teams working on its challenge.
You can either form your own team and register together. OR you can register individually. If you sign up alone, the organizers will match you with a team based on your challenge preferences and educational background.
We’ll do our best to align teams with their interests and expertise to ensure a great experience!
Choosing the challenges
All registered applicants will receive more information about the challenges in a separate email. Participants are encouraged to review the challenges carefully and indicate their preferences, including a second and third choice in case their first option is unavailable. We will prioritize assigning participants to their first-choice challenge; however, if a challenge is oversubscribed, you may be placed in your second or third choice. This approach helps us create well-balanced teams while taking everyone’s preferences into account.
Guidance and Support
Participants will be guided and supported through out the day by mentors from Business Vantaa, by representatives of challenge owner companies and by Startup Refugees facilitators. They will also receive a short pitching training before the pitches are made.
Selection of participants, assigned teams and challenges
Once registration period closes, selected participants and teams will be notified of their selection by the end of February. At the beginning of March, you will receive details about your assigned challenge, your team, and additional information about the hack day. Stay tuned!
Check Our Previous Hackathons
We have been organizing the Talent Hackathon for four years. Our past events have featured participants from large international companies, startups, and professionals from around the world.
Feel free to check out our previous hackathons to learn more. You can also read articles and watch videos to see what our participating companies and professionals have to say about their experiences.
Contact Us for more Information
Blogs
Ekaterina - Winner of Business Vantaa’s Talent Hackathon
Ekaterina immersed herself in the Finnish startup scene after attending high school in Finland. Moving to Lahti at the age of 16 to study strengthened her belief in her own potential. Ekaterina challenges companies to hire young professionals and bring fresh ideas into the workplace.**
Business Spotlight: IKEA’s Practical Approach to Diversity and Inclusion
IKEA knows that diversity benefits both people and business. This is especially clear on the customer floor.
Business Spotlight: Fazer’s Recipe for Global Success
Fazer’s internationalization strategy and inclusive practices demonstrate how diversity fuels both workplace culture and business growth.
Bridging the Gap: My Experience with Talent Vantaa
Blen Hailu, the project coordinator of Talent Vantaa, believes that integrating international talents into the Finnish labor market would be expedited...
Hope Nwosu – My entrepreneurship journey
A Nigerian born author Hope Nwosu was couraged by SPOT Yrittäjyysvalmentamo to realize her idea of becoming an entrepreneur. SPOT created succesfully...
Omolara Odediran´s journey to entrepreneur with SPOT Yrittäjyysvalmentamo
Beginning entrepreneur Omolara Odediran was provided usefull training by SPOT Yrittäjyysvalmentamo, organized by Kalliola and City of Vantaa.
Navigating the Finnish Job Market: The Journey of Mengzhen Zhang
“Aren’t you the winner of the pitching competition? Why are you still looking for a job?” , was Mengzhen Zhang, a Ph.D. graduate from University of...