In May 2026, The Solutions Fund Effekt impact funding to four projects: Annie Advisor, WorkPilots, ODDfest, and Startup Refugees.
Learn about the projects in this concise three-question Q&A, where the recipients of impact funding share: 1) who they are, 2) how they are improving society, and 3) their initial reactions to the funding decision.
1) Who are you?
WorkPilots is a Finnish social innovation that builds new pathways to employment one task at a time—especially for young people and those for whom traditional models don’t work.
We believe that everyone has talents that deserve to be recognized. When work is broken down into small tasks, everyone’s skills become visible, and more and more people are able to get started and move forward, step by step, toward a job that suits them. At the same time, organizations can flexibly assign people to tasks that would otherwise go undone.
Our mobile platform handles all the necessary administrative tasks and seamlessly connects jobs with workers. Workpilots’ service is used by municipalities, organizations, and companies, and more than 8,000 young people have already gained their first work experience through the platform.
There’s a lot of talk about the situation facing young people. We offer an easy, low-threshold way to get involved. Everyone can take concrete action today: offer a task or take one on.
2) How do you improve society?
Even a single task can make a difference: self-confidence and motivation grow, skills become apparent, and participants learn which types of work are right for them. The path to entering the workforce doesn’t have to start with a full-time job—it can start with a single task.
WorkPilots is building a society where everyone who wants to can find an opportunity and their own path to enter the workforce, based on their own circumstances.
The current system, which is based on jobs and recruitment, requires skills that not everyone has yet acquired. Too many people are left behind, and the consequences affect their well-being and, at worst, lead to social exclusion and rising costs for society.
When work is broken down into smaller tasks, more people can join the workforce—and tasks that would otherwise go undone get done. More inclusion, less wasted potential.
WorkPilots benefits everyone: by lowering the barrier to entry, creators can get started, organizations gain access to talent they couldn’t reach through traditional recruitment, and potential becomes visible beyond the CV.
At the same time, data is generated about our actions and progress, which helps us understand what works and allocate resources effectively. Something else important also emerges: hope and the sense that we can do it, that our own actions matter—and the spark to keep moving forward on our own path.
3) What are your initial thoughts on the funding decision?
It’s such a great feeling—and a huge relief—to have a sponsor on board who truly understands what we’re doing and why our work is important.
We have long been caught in the middle: too commercial for public funding, too socially oriented for traditional investors. It is rarely understood that it is possible to build a profitable business while simultaneously addressing a significant social challenge.
Effekt support us not only through funding but also in our growth. That is why this decision means so much to us. It is a sign of confidence that this change is needed. It shows that business growth and social benefits can scale together: that there is a commitment to it and that it is being funded.
In practice, the funding we have received will enable us to move our operations forward more quickly. Our first goal is to work with local municipalities and businesses to provide over 10,000 young people with their first work experience.