JA Company of the year (upper secondary and basic education): Shroomies NYT – Etu-Töölö Upper Secondary School, Helsinki
Shroomies NYT produces air-dried mushroom jerky enriched with protein. The product is positioned as a nutritious, lightweight, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional dried products, with strong potential for both domestic and international markets.
The jury highlighted the team’s well-developed concept, strong commitment, and the product’s innovative and sustainable value proposition, noting clear scalability and growth potential.
JA Startup of the year (higher education): Vaara Coaching NYT – University of Jyväskylä
Vaara Coaching NYT provides experiential coaching services to help teams manage stress and workload. Their approach combines research-based knowledge, guided challenges and reflection, creating practical skills that can be directly applied in everyday work.
According to the jury, the team addresses a highly relevant topic with strong expertise and a concrete, competitive strategy, offering significant potential for product development and growth.
The Final at a Glance
- 55 student companies participated in the national final
- Approximately 170 young entrepreneurs took part
- Participants came from basic education, upper secondary, and higher education institutions across Finland
- The event included a public expo at Mall of Tripla in Helsinki, where teams presented their products, services, and sales pitches
- Companies were evaluated by a jury of business professionals
- In addition to the main awards, prizes were presented in nine other categories
- The Uskalla Yrittää final is Finland’s largest entrepreneurship competition for young people and is organised by Junior Achievement Finland (Nuorten yrittäjyys ja talous NYT).
