LandInChicago and Sente Bring Three Finnish Startups to 1871

1871 announced Friday the arrival of three Finland-based startups, marking the first time partner company Sente Advisory Services has welcomed companies from the Finland to Chicago as part of Sente’s ongoing international efforts on behalf of 1871 and Chicago. The purpose of the program is to invite companies from overseas to Chicago in hopes that these companies are able to gain entry into the U.S. market through the relationships, introductions and efforts of the program.

The arrival was made possible by Sente's partnership with LandInChicago, a Helsinki-based accelerator program for Finnish entrepreneurs. During their stay in Chicago, the companies will participate in a three-week cohort program at 1871, as well as participate in a Demo Day that will allow them access to mentors, investors, partners and potential customers on October 19. 1871 will serve as their home base while they are in Chicago.

"1871 is proud to host these international companies as they hit the ground running in the U.S. market," said Howard Tullman, CEO of 1871. "We believe that Chicago is the best point of entry into the U.S. market because our ecosystem offers access to customers and capital alike, as well as significant support and mentorship. This cohort represents our commitment to bringing new minds and great talent from all over the world to Chicago, and we congratulate Sente and LandInChicago on their success."

The three companies participating in this cohort include:

•   Redland: A digital agency with Finnish roots, which brings Scandinavian design principles to the fingertips of SME’s across the U.S.
•   NOOA: A SaaS application that helps overworked managers create customer-driven, high-performance teams and engages employees in the process of change.
•   Qentinel: A software company that combines the robustness of industrial quality management with the agility of the digital world. Qentinel helps customers to see and improve value and quality in digital business.

“Chicago is a fast growing startup hub with a long and remarkably strong technology innovation heritage” says Serhat Cicekoglu, founder of the international startup accelerator Sente Advisory.  “With it’s access to a very large base of customers in close proximity compared to other ecosystems, Chicago gives startups overseas a great opportunity to test their hypotheses.”

For more information or to arrange interviews with any of the members of the cohort, please contact press@1871.com. Reporters can also contact press@1871 for more information or to attend the Demo Day on October 19.

About Sente Advisory Services

Founded in 2008, Sente is an international startup and growth accelerator providing services to companies in emerging startup ecosystems. Sente facilitates entry into US markets for startups with strong opportunities for business development and fundraising.