Tech

How Slush has become the Web Summit for start-ups

The annual ‘founder-focused’ Helsinki tech conference has become a must-visit for new businesses looking for investors and partners

There were at least 60 Irish attendees at this year’s Slush, including Des Traynor and Bobby Healy, VC representatives and start-ups. Picture: Riikka Vaahtera

Helsinki isn’t the most obvious place to travel to in December unless you’re searching for Santa.

The temperature typically doesn’t rise above freezing, there are tons of snow to trudge through, and it feels like there are barely a few hours of daylight.

But that’s where I found myself last week alongside many of Ireland’s biggest and brightest tech entrepreneurs for Slush, an annual event that has become a must-visit for start-ups looking for funding ...