​A Curated Robotics Gathering in Tampere

​Vantage Point Tampere brings together a carefully selected group of founders, investors, industry leaders, researchers, and potential customers to explore where robotics is heading — and how innovation moves from labs and startups into real-world deployment.

​This is not a general tech conference. Attendance is curated to ensure high-quality conversations, relevant connections, and real outcomes — from partnerships and pilots to investment and collaboration.

​The afternoon program is open to attendees across the ecosystem.

The day concludes with an investor & partner reception, designed for deeper investment and partnership conversations.

​Program

​12:00–12:30 | Arrival & Registration
12:30–12:35 | Opening words by FOV Ventures and partners
12:35–13:00 | Opening Keynote: Five Patterns Shaping Applied Robotics Today
Roel Pieters, Professor, Intelligent Machines and Robotics, Tampere University

13:00–13:40 | Panel Discussion
From Pilots to Production: Where Are We Now — and Where Are We Heading?
A grounded discussion on deploying AI and robotics at scale, featuring:

• ​Teemu-Pekka Ahonen, Product Manager, Automation & Integrated Robotics, Fastems

• ​Axel Ahlström, General Partner, Kvanted

• ​Esko Mertsalmi, Co-Founder, Unikie

• ​Moderator: Roel Pieters, Professor, Intelligent Machines and Robotics, Tampere University

​13:40–14:10 | Fireside Chat
Robots That Learn on the Job
Speakers:

• ​Fayez Salka, Founder & CEO, Makiina

• ​Petri Rajahalme, Founding Partner, FOV Ventures

​14:10–15:00 | Startup Demos & Open Networking
Light food served

​Investor & Partner Reception

​15:00–15:30 | Investor Briefing
The European Robotics Landscape: Signals from the Frontier
An investor perspective on where capital, capability, and adoption are converging across Europe.
Petri Rajahalme, Founding Partner, FOV Ventures

​15:30–15:50 | Spotlight Session with Tesi
Samppa Sirviö, Investment Manager, Venture Capital at Tesi

​15:50–17:00 | Networking drinks with fellow investors, founders, and partners.

​Who Should Attend

​This event is designed for people actively building, funding, deploying, or researching robotics technologies.

• ​Early-stage and scaling robotics founders

• ​Investors (VCs, angels) with robotics / automation interest

• ​Industry representatives and enterprise buyers evaluating robotics solutions

• ​Researchers looking to connect with founders and industry

• ​Partners and ecosystem stakeholders building the future of robotics

​All attendees will be reviewed to ensure a high-value, curated audience.

​How Attendance Works

​Attendance is by application to ensure a high-quality, balanced audience. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

​Selected attendees will receive confirmation by email, including access details for the main program and (where applicable) the investor & partner reception.

​For more information, please contact [email protected].

​In Partnership With

​This event is brought together by leading investors, operators, and ecosystem builders shaping Finland’s robotics landscape — from research and startups to industrial deployment and scale.

​FOV Ventures
A specialist VC backing frontier technologies at the intersection of robotics, AI, and spatial computing across Europe.

​Fastems
A global leader in flexible automation and manufacturing systems, helping industrial companies scale intelligent production.

​Tampere University
One of Europe’s leading hubs for robotics research, AI, and applied engineering, bridging academic excellence with real-world impact.

​JTA Connection
Connecting technology-driven companies with global markets, partners, and growth opportunities.

​Suomen Robotiikkayhdistys (Finnish Robotics Society)
The national robotics community bringing together researchers, companies, and practitioners advancing robotics in Finland.

​Business Tampere
Driving regional growth by supporting companies, talent, and innovation in one of Europe’s strongest industrial and robotics clusters.