The winners of the Jyväskylä International Venture Academy 2026 investor program are Roadial and Nuanic

Roadial, selected by the jury for first place, is an intelligent roadside service platform that connects service providers with customers through AI-powered automation and real-time tracking. The jury described Roadial’s company story and presentation as strong, the entrepreneur as eager to learn, and the company’s recent development as promising. Roadial’s pitch was delivered by the company’s CEO Heikki Rantalaiho.

Nuanic, selected for second place, transforms invisible cognitive load into measurable information. Its smart ring, mobile app and AI coach help monitor performance and prevent burnout. Nuanic was praised for its clear growth plan and readiness for international markets. Nuanic’s pitch was delivered by the company’s CEO Sanna Koskela. 

Roadial and Nuanic were awarded pitching slots at the Jyväskylä Business Rally Investor Days, held on July 30, where they will have the opportunity to pitch to a group of international investors.

Special mentions in the event were also received by INRACE, which advanced to the EBAN Sport investor event; Massai Sense, for the most improved pitch; and Braveson, which received an invitation to the Sophia Business Angels Network investor day.

The winners were selected by a jury consisting of Jaana Seppälä (Kasvu Open), Jarkko Kosonen (Midinvest Management Oy), Juha Harju (Woolman), and Kati Rauhaniemi (Yritystehdas). In addition, the selection involved IVA mentors Jean-Louis Brelet, Marcel Dridje, and Audra Shallal (European Business Angel Network, Entrepreneur Avenue), as well as Nina Rautiainen (Finnish Business Angels Network, Program Manager for the City of Jyväskylä).

This year’s companies selected for the International Venture Academy were Braveson, FUTUAI, Massai Sense Oy, Mentalrace and Roadial from Jyväskylä; Cetrium - Nordic Energy Innovation from Varkaus; Dokport from Helsinki; Nuanic from Kouvola; and INRACE from France. 

International Venture Academy is organized by the City of Jyväskylä’s business services, and the four-day bootcamp was held at Jyväskylä Yritystehdas. The program is part of Jyväskylä’s ecosystem development work aimed at accelerating the creation of new innovations, fostering growth businesses, and generating positive impacts on people’s well-being. The innovation ecosystem work is based on an agreement between the City of Jyväskylä and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, and it is funded by the Regional Council of Central Finland (ERDF).