HIVE HELSINKI
An independent, non-profit foundation running a tuition-free software engineering program in Helsinki. Eighteen months, full-time, on-site. No teachers, no lectures. Students learn by building real software together.
Our mission
To make software engineering accessible to anyone with the drive to learn, regardless of background, education, or financial situation. Hive trains adaptable, impact-ready software engineers through a hands-on program that mirrors how the profession actually works.
Our vision
A Finland with a broader, stronger tech workforce, where what you can do matters more than where you studied or what degrees you hold.
The story
Hive Helsinki was founded in 2019 by Supercell as a new kind of software engineering program for Finland.
Operating as an independent non-profit foundation, Hive makes its own decisions about curriculum content, how learning happens, and where the program goes next.
Hive started out using the platform and curriculum from the 42 network. In 2025 it moved to a new platform and curriculum from Kood.
That same year, OP Pohjola also joined Supercell as a key partner. Both organisations are represented on the foundation’s board.
Together, they are committed to Hive’s long-term mission: a broader, stronger tech workforce in Finland.
Hive in numbers
appliCATIONS
2412 Selection Sprint participants
840 accepted to study
35% selection rate
HIVERS
60% career shifters
60% no prior programming experience
32 median student age
70+ nationalities represented
25% non-male
142 currently studying
ALUMNI
8 cohorts completed
400+ alumni to date
WHERE THEY GO
270+ Hivers working in tech in Finland *
200+ companies have hired Hivers *
Updated: 06/2026
* Data based on Hive’s voluntary alumni reporting
Where Hive stands on AI
AI is changing how software gets built. The fundamentals of software engineering, and the human skills around it, matter more in this environment, not less. Reading a vague specification. Deciding what to build and what to leave out. Reviewing someone else’s code, including code an AI wrote. Owning a decision under ambiguity and defending it.
These are the things junior software engineers most struggle with. They are the things Hive’s curriculum has always trained, through open-ended project briefs, peer review, and end-to-end ownership.
Hive uses AI the way working engineers do. Not as a gimmick, not as a forbidden shortcut. AI tools sit alongside the curriculum, in projects, workshops, and hackathons. Hive is not pivoting to AI. The program already trains the things that make engineers good at working with it.
Our partners
Supercell founded Hive Helsinki in 2019 as part of a long-term commitment to a stronger software engineering ecosystem in Finland. Supercell’s CEO Ilkka Paananen is a member of the foundation’s board.
OP Pohjola joined as a key partner in May 2025, committed to building a stronger international tech talent pipeline in Finland. OP is represented on the foundation’s board.
With support from
Hive’s operations are supported by partners who provide services, host events, and contribute to the program in other ways.
Two ways to get involved
Apply to Hive
Studies are free. You don’t need a degree or prior experience, just the drive to learn and build.
Collaborate with Hive
Bring real-world problems, mentor students, recruit graduates, or shape the program with us. Find out how partners work with Hive.