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The Polar Bear Pitching event, held for the tenth time, drew a significant number of international startups and media film crews to Oulu. The presentation by the Swiss company Ionic Wind was chosen as the best “ice hole pitch”—appropriately featuring modern cooling technology.
Polar Bear Pitching is a business event where the main attraction is a startup pitching competition held in a hole cut into the ice (avanto), where entrepreneurs pitch to potential investors. In honor of its anniversary year, which coincided with Oulu’s year as the European Capital of Culture, the competition was open to the local public and free of charge for the first time.
The winner of this year’s competition was the Swiss company Ionic Wind. Its CEO and founding partner, Donato Rubinetti, took home a €10,000 prize for his successful ice-hole pitch. During his time in the water, Rubinetti presented a small, silent cooling module developed by the Swiss firm.
The format suited Ionic Wind perfectly, as the company specializes in modern, energy-efficient cooling solutions designed for use in environments like large data centers. “This is exactly the right place for us; we are cool,” Rubinetti quipped before stepping into the water.
Braving the near-freezing water in nothing but shorts, shoes, and a beanie, he managed to convince the jury during his approximately two-and-a-half-minute presentation.
Rubinetti explained that the company, which originated from a research unit, has developed a small and powerful cooling module based on ion flow—a technology the industry has been desperately seeking. New functions are constantly being developed for consumer computers and smartphones, but their implementation has often been hindered by hardware overheating.
Ville Heikkinen, a partner at the venture capital firm Butterfly Ventures and a member of the jury, noted that Rubinetti’s presentation immediately sparked interest and even a desire to invest.
“I am really eager to learn more about this technology,” Heikkinen said.
Top Three Finalists:
Ionic Wind (Switzerland) – Winner
Wicharak (India)
LunSpace (Finland)
The Polar Bear Pitching event attracted more international media attention than ever before, with representatives from outlets such as the BBC, AP, ZDF, ARD, and India Today in attendance together with Nordic Startup News.
