Young innovators competing for Spring’s victory tackle climate crisis, mental health issues, and equality challenges
Out of 133 ideas submitted to the Spring idea competition, 12 of the most promising ones were selected for the next stage. These teams aim to make the world a more hopeful place by improving young people’s mental health, equality, and well-being, as well as developing solutions to climate and environmental challenges.
The Spring idea competition encouraged 15–19-year-olds to develop ideas at school and in their free time that would make the world more hopeful. To participate, young people had to form a team of 3–5 members and submit their idea by the end of January. From the hundreds of ideas developed in various workshops and youth meetings, 133 teams entered the competition. From these, Spring selected 12 of the most promising ideas and their teams for the next stage in the competition.
The Spring semifinalists 2025 are:
BioLöBö
Theme: Climate & environment. Idea: Domestically produced biogas for Finland’s road transport needs, designing the production process and converting gasoline engines to run on biogas.
Nicklas, Elias, Eetu, Markus
Janakkala
Carbon Conscious
Theme: Climate & environment. Idea: A browser extension that shows consumers the carbon footprint and offers more ecologically friendly options to online purchases.
Kasper, Yassin, Yusanda, Batuhan, Sergey
Turku – Raisio
Cyano-plastic Destruction System
Theme: Climate & environment. Idea: Disintegrate plastic with a set concentration of sulfuric acid, then hydrogen peroxide, redirect the CO2 produced to cyanobacteria and use the heat generated for heating houses or other buildings.
Shania, Sabrina, Kerttu
Helsinki
ECOLSTERS
Theme: Climate & environment. Idea: A café that employs young people, promotes their well-being, and encourages them towards a more sustainable future by teaching them about eco-friendly living.
Katja, Irene, Suheyla, Marja, Bintu
Helsinki – Tuusula – Nurmijärvi
Into The New World
Theme: Equality. Idea: A multifunctional mobile app for immigrants, offering the opportunity to explore all socially important structures in Finland.
Sofia, Mirana, Leila
Helsinki
Kalaheijastimet
Theme: Climate & environment. Idea: Eco-friendly reflectors made from fish skin and scales.
Léna, Teea, Klaara, Hilda, Karo
Helsinki – Espoo
SoulLink
Theme: Mental health. Idea: An AI-powered mental health companion that grows with students, offering personalized emotional support, anonymous peer connections, and continuous guidance from school years and beyond.
Ralph, Aman, Jonatan
Espoo
STAGE
Theme: Impact. Idea: A platform that brings young people together and organizes cultural events, providing a space for minority youth to make their voices heard.
Mobina, Kawsar, Sadaf, Wiida
Helsinki
StudyCore
Theme: Learning. Idea: An interactive mobile app that inspires high school students in their mathematical studies and supports active learning.
Maire, Aava, Valeri
Helsinki
ThriftySwipe
Theme: Consumption. Idea: A fashion app with pre-loved clothing which you can swipe to find clothing of your taste.
Serra, Mikaela, Venice
Tampere
Talousakatemia
Theme: Learning. Idea: A financial education app that helps young people from diverse backgrounds manage their finances.
Tuomas, Vilivaltteri, Elian, Ville
Tampere
Ungdom Utan Penningspel
Theme: Wellbeing. Idea: A campaign aimed at preventing excessive gaming among young people and helping those who already suffer from gambling addiction.
Andreas, Veli, Carl, Magnus
Helsinki
High quality of applications and tough competition for spots in the next stage
Out of the 133 ideas submitted to Spring, the 12 teams that advanced were selected by the Spring team, which has diverse expertise in idea development and supporting young people’s innovations.
In the selection process, Spring focused on the teams’ ability to identify problems, the purposefulness and insightfulness of their ideas, the broader applicability of the ideas, as well as the composition and motivation of the teams.
Young people will have a say in choosing the Spring winners
The 12 selected teams will advance their ideas during an idea weekend in April, with support from Finland’s top mentors and Spring coaches. The event will be held at VALO Hotel & Work. After this, a jury will select six teams to advance to the final.
Young people under the age of 20 across Finland will have the chance to vote for their favorite idea between April 23 and May 5, 2025, based on the teams’ presentation videos. The three teams with the most votes will win the Spring idea competition.
All members of the three winning teams will be rewarded with a summer job and a study trip to Lisbon, during which they will have the opportunity to bring their ideas to life.
The Spring Idea Competition is produced by the Children and Youth Foundation in Finland. Spring is supported financially by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Saastamoinen Foundation, and Yksityisyrittäjäin säätiö.
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