From Silicon Valley to Helsinki: What Finnish Founders Learned in the AI Capital

Finnish founders who've been in the thick of the San Francisco AI scene share what they saw, what they learned, and what it means for building here.

The Bay Area is where the AI hype machine runs loudest – but what's real and what's noise? Finnish founders who've spent time in the Silicon Valley ecosystem are coming back with perspectives that's hard to get from a LinkedIn feed.

AI Collective Finland is bringing together founders from Switch and Homie – companies that have been on the ground in San Francisco – for an evening of honest conversation about what the SF AI scene actually looks like up close, and what Finnish builders can take from it.

Who this is for

  • Founders, operators, executives, team leads in B2B or SaaS companies who want to understand what the current AI landscape looks like and how it can impact your business – whether you're at 10 people or 500.

  • People looking for their next role at fast-moving AI companies. Both Switch and Homie are actively hiring – this is a chance to meet the founders and teams directly.

  • Anyone in the Finnish tech scene curious about what's actually happening in San Francisco and if it's something you want to try.

How the evening works

We hear from founders sharing their experience – what they saw in the Silicon Valley AI ecosystem, how it compares to building in the Nordics, and what they're bringing back.

After that, a 30-minute panel digs into the real questions: what's overhyped, what's underrated, and what does it actually take to compete from Helsinki?

The floor opens for audience Q&A, and the night ends with networking.

From Silicon Valley to Helsinki: What Finnish Founders Learned in the AI Capital

🗓️ Monday, September 28

🕔 17:00 - 20:00

📍 Maria 01, Lapinlahdenkatu 16, Helsinki

🏠 Venue: Arcade 5 Arena, 1st floor, Arcade 5 building.

Bring your curiosity and great energy to the room. We handle the rest!

The AI Collective is a global non-profit building the human layer for the AI era. We unite 200,000+ leaders, builders, and stakeholders across 100+ forums worldwide to democratize the frontier, build trust, and coordinate how society navigates the rapid acceleration of technological progress.

All attendees and organizers at events affiliated with The AI Collective agree to our privacy policy and are subject to our code of conduct.