Finnish breakthroughs earn global spotlight in TIME’s Best Inventions 2025

From the sauna to the text message to the Linux operating system, Finland has a quiet habit of creating things the world ends up relying on. The nation’s innovation culture – equal parts practicality, precision and purpose – continues to turn local ideas into global impact.

That legacy lives on in TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025, which features a cluster of Finnish breakthroughs redefining how we heat, power, connect, and even sense the world around us.

From clean energy and digital health to gesture control and snow preservation, Finnish innovation once again proves its ability to blend engineering rigour with human-centred design.

Even the country’s most iconic export, the sauna, found its way into the list, with Harvia credited for the heating technology behind a US-market wellness system.

Here are five of the Finnish inventions that received a nod.

1. Gesture control, reimagined – how Doublepoint is reinventing the smartwatch

Touchscreens aren’t always practical, especially on the go. Doublepoint is solving that with gesture-recognition software that turns a smartwatch into a powerful, touchless controller.

The company’s WowMouse app uses motion-sensing algorithms to detect subtle finger movements, enabling users to scroll, click and swipe with a pinch or flick. The software recently became available for Apple Watch, expanding its reach to the world’s most popular smartwatch.

“This launch empowers more users to connect with and control a wide range of devices in seamless and effortless ways,” said Ohto Pentikäinen, CEO and co-founder of Doublepoint.

The app has already reached 100 000 downloads, and the company is working to open-source parts of the platform to spur further innovation. It’s a small gesture with far-reaching implications for how we interact with tech – and was recognised with a special mention from TIME.

2. Banking on snow – how Snow Secure is extending ski seasons sustainably

As winters warm, ski resorts face an increasingly unpredictable future. Snow Secure is helping mountain operators adapt by making it possible to store snow through the summer – with no energy input.

Using patented insulation mats made of white extruded polystyrene, the company enables resorts to cover snowdrifts at the end of the season, preserving up to 80 per cent of the snowpack for reuse in the autumn. This reduces the need for artificial snowmaking in marginal conditions, cutting energy use by as much as 70 per cent.

“This isn’t a concept or a stunt – it’s an operational tool that resorts are using today to open earlier and reduce risk,” said Antti Lauslahti, CEO of Snow Secure.

Already in use across Europe and North America, the technology offers a cost-effective, scalable and climate-resilient solution for an industry under pressure.

3. Smart sensing at your fingertips – how Oura is shaping the future of wearables

Sleep, recovery and resilience are becoming the new benchmarks of personal performance. Oura is meeting that shift with a wearable designed to deliver medical-grade insights from the user’s finger.

Built on research and led by a team of over 30 medical professionals and PhDs, Oura continues to add features aimed at women’s health, pregnancy and metabolic wellbeing – making personalised health more accessible and actionable.

The latest Oura Ring introduces new sensors and signal pathways for more accurate data, including blood oxygen, heart and respiratory rates, temperature and movement. A recent feature, Symptom Radar, can detect early signs of common respiratory infections.

“If you want to perform at the highest level, sleep is one of the foundational elements,” said Tom Hale, CEO of Oura.

Fresh from a 900-million-US-dollar funding round and 11-billion-US-dollar valuation, Oura has now sold over 5.5 million rings, with more than half purchased in the past year. In 2024, revenue surpassed 500 million US dollars, with the company on track to double that in 2025. 

4. Stabilising the grid – how Wärtsilä is powering the energy transition

Renewable energy is abundant, but grids still need backup to ensure stability when the wind drops or demand surges. Wärtsilä is addressing that with large-scale battery storage systems that provide both energy and stability services to national grids.

One of its flagship installations, the 200 MW Blackhillock site in Scotland, is Europe’s largest grid-connected battery system. It supports the UK’s transition to renewables by storing surplus energy and delivering short-circuit strength, synthetic inertia and frequency control to the grid.

“Blackhillock sets a new standard and plays a pivotal role in balancing the grid and supporting the UK’s path to 100 per cent renewables,” said Andrew Tang, VP of Wärtsilä Energy Storage & Optimisation.

A second, even larger site is under development, strengthening Wärtsilä’s position as a key contributor to Europe’s decarbonised energy infrastructure.

5. Turning heat into storage – how Polar Night Energy is decarbonising industry

The transition to renewable energy is accelerating, but storing clean power affordably remains a barrier. Polar Night Energy is tackling that problem by storing excess electricity as heat in a low-cost, high-efficiency material: sand.

The company’s Sand Battery stores renewable electricity as thermal energy at high temperatures, enabling carbon-free heat to be delivered on demand for industrial processes or district heating. It requires no rare materials, produces no emissions, and lasts for decades with minimal maintenance.

“This acknowledgment gives us even more energy to push forward in our mission to decarbonise energy production, minimise combustion, and enable the rapid growth of wind and solar power,” said Tommi Eronen, CEO of Polar Night Energy.

The company’s first industrial-scale installation is already running in the Finnish city of Pornainen. It demonstrates how circular-economy thinking and Finnish engineering can help solve one of clean energy’s toughest challenges.