EriCa Reactor is an accelerator program that takes green innovations from lab to market in partnership with world-class industry leaders.
The sustainability crisis is too complex for anyone to solve alone. EriCa Green Chemistry Park is a hub and home to an ecosystem, where talent, startups, and industry collaborate to accelerate a resource-efficient and sustainable future.
The EriCa ecosystem is open to those working to ideate, innovate, and collaborate for growth together with like-minded peers. The approach is a people-first, high-trust community.
“What makes EriCa special is how it brings together world-class partners at one hub, with shared R&D labs easily available even for early-stage startups in proximity with industry partners. We’re in the epicenter of one of Europe’s leading deep tech ecosystems that we have here in Finland,” says Toni Pienonen from Crazy Town, the operator of EriCa Green Chemistry Park. At the heart of EriCa is the social capital.
“Most importantly, we’re building a community of experts. Innovation grows when people build trust, share knowledge, and open doors for each other. This community-driven approach defines the ecosystem and builds on 20 years of experience in nurturing entrepreneurial communities.”
To accelerate impact, EriCa runs innovation activities with global industry partners. Its flagship program EriCa Reactor helps to bring innovations and technologies from lab to market, around themes such as:
– Ensuring clean water
– Enabling circularity and material recovery
– Replacing fossil-based raw materials
– Accelerating decarbonization
– Advancing industry digitalization
The first EriCa Reactor cohort will focus on ensuring clean water, with Kemira as the lead partner
The first program cohort will run from March to August 2026. Kemira, a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water-intensive industries, has its global innovation center onsite at EriCa Green Chemistry Park and is the lead industry partner for EriCa Reactor and its launch.
Today, over two billion people lack safe water, while climate change, population growth, and contaminants like microplastics increase pressure on water resources. Kemira seeks to explore innovations that address these challenges. Startups, scaleups, and spinoffs developing clean water solutions are invited to apply. Examples include new technologies and chemical solutions in water treatment and purification, or digital tools such as AI and IoT for sustainable water management. The program welcomes a wide range of approaches from around the world.
“Kemira’s innovation strategy focuses on bringing together chemistry expertise and advanced digital solutions to address some of the defining issues of our time: water resilience, climate change and circularity,” says Kemira’s Sampo Lahtinen, EVP, Research & Innovation. “We believe in succeeding together with our strategic partners and customers, and we’re excited to join forces with startups through EriCa Reactor. Together, we can explore breakthrough solutions and help promising companies scale globally, leveraging Kemira’s long experience and deep expertise in water-intensive processes.”
Selected companies benefit from:
– Hands-on mentoring and insights from industry experts, investors, and business developers
– Opportunities to work alongside leading industry R&D teams
– Customer understanding and insights
– Understanding of what scaling to global markets requires
– Peer-learning with fellow participants and matchmaking
– Full EriCa Green Chemistry Park membership, including 24/7 access to coworking and lab facilities in Espoo, Finland
Eligible participants should have a novel, scalable technology and business model, initial funding or support, and an ambition to expand globally. Startups bring agility, Kemira brings scale.
Teams selected for the program will receive dedicated growth support within Espoo’s globally recognized deep tech hotspot, a hub of innovation at the forefront of sustainability, water, and green chemistry.
Applications now open – apply by December 31, 2025 for the first cohort
EriCa Reactor runs twice per year in a hybrid format. The first cohort starts in March 2026 with a kickoff event in Espoo, Finland.
Startups, scaleups, and spinoffs are invited to apply. EriCa is also open for ecosystem partners globally to co-create a better future.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://ericagcp.fi/reactor
CONTACT DETAILS
Crazy Town Oy
Toni Pienonen, Partner
toni.pienonen@crazytown.fi
+358 400 737 238
Kemira Oyj
Jenni Vuorela, Communications Manager
jenni.vuorela@kemira.com
+358 40 186 4094
EriCa Green Chemistry Park, located in Espoo, Finland, a pioneering hub in green chemistry and sustainable development. It offers state-of-the-art facilities for research and development in the chemical industry and brings together leading players, startups, and research institutes in the field. https://ericagcp.fi/
Crazy Town is the operator of EriCa ecosystem and EriCa Reactor. It is one of Europe’s oldest innovation community-builders. www.crazytown.fi
Kemira is a global leader in sustainable chemical solutions for water-intensive industries. We deliver tailored products and services to improve the product quality, processes, and resource efficiency of our diverse range of customers. Kemira is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki. www.kemira.com