Aino Bergius

I’ve launched a Substack newsletter called Perhetoimisto, which means ‘family office’ in Finnish. In it, I share my personal insights on finance and investing. Q: Why start a newsletter in Finnish? A: I want to practice writing in my mother tongue, and a few investors in Finland share their learnings. Q: I don't understand Finnish. How can I read this? A: Right-click on the web page and select "Translate to English." Q: What will happen to Elite Game Developers? A: Nothing will change. I have so many plans and things cooking up for EGD 😊 Link in the comments.

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Is Gambling the same as Gaming? I was recently updating a presentation, and I used Google to translate one of our old Finnish presentations, and noticed that the Finnish word for gaming can also be used for gambling. This was interesting, since one of the arguments against videogames is that it creates addiction. Since I'm not a neuroscientist, I set myself on a quest to ask my pal Chat GPT about it and came up with several differences between the two. In my own words, without the Chat GPT shortcut is that: Gambling is based on chance, which is linked to uncertainty, financial risk, and luck, and leads to dopamine release that can drive addictive behaviors. Gaming, on the other hand, is based on skill, that triggers dopamine primarily through achievement, mastery, and social interaction. Of course, some games mix the two aspects, which does indeed lead to addiction. By incorporating clear objectives, progression, and skills like teamwork, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence, School of Gaming is helping kids build valuable life skills while engaging in something they enjoy. This structured, goal-oriented approach also fosters healthy gaming habits and a balanced understanding of digital environments.

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Why sports matter 🤾‍♀️ At Vainu, we believe in more than just the work we do - we believe in the people behind it. That’s why we encourage our team to embrace sports and physical activities as a part of our company culture. Some of the sports we've done as a team: paddel, squash, tennis, bowling, yoga, laserdome (does this count?), beach volley, marathon runs.. to name a few. Here are, some of the common perks: 1️⃣ Teamwork & Collaboration: Just like in sports, success at work depends on how well we work together. Sports foster trust, communication, and a sense of shared goals. Filip Törner taught me to be patient and communicative in tennis, shout out to a great team player. It's also not bad to have some professional sports role models like Jaakko Alli, Carolina Long or Rico Finnäs in the team... 2️⃣ Stress Relief: In high-pressure environments, taking time for physical activity helps to clear the mind, reduce stress, and boost productivity. I think Hamza K. is my hugest inspiration for this on a daily basis.... 3️⃣ Wellness & Balance: Encouraging employees to stay active promotes overall health and wellness, which in turn supports mental clarity and energy for daily tasks. Pauliina Päivärinta made moving fun during last quarter where we got challenged to stand up and move more! We’re proud of the culture we’ve built here at Vainu - where work-life balance and wellness are just as important as our bottom line. And, sometimes, a round of pingis is all it takes to remind us why we do what we do. Let’s keep moving - together! 🏀⚽🏃‍♀️ And oh, what should we try out next? 🤔

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Last week Studisco produced the Care About IT national Hackathon and Livestream event. 63 students from Turun ammatti-instituutti and Tredu Tampereen seudun ammattiopisto participated in the hackathon and solved challenges in health tech what they pitched in the Care About IT Finland Livestream. This production is something that we developed at Studisco in co-operation with our stakeholders and volunteers in 2020 when we needed to find a solution to participate youngsters in our game production and share awareness about mental health and substance problems. After doing the event for the last 4 years in Project Kantti we were asked to participate in the Care about IT project to facilitate the Hackathon event for the project. I'm thankful for the trust that our partners have given to us! 🩷🇪🇺🇫🇮 The main value in Studisco Events is always to have students partisipating in the production and give them opportunities and platforms to shine, test, and challenge their skills to grow towards worklife. What the Care About IT project is about: https://careaboutit.eu/ "With a growing shortage of healthcare workers and a large gap between the health industry, education, and IT, the healthcare system in the EU is facing a big challenge. In the Care about IT project, we look at the opportunities and challenges in VET education within the care and IT domains in our regions. By combining our knowledge and experiences, we want to ensure future-proof education in the care sector." #hackathon #edtech #healthtech #wellness #startup #education #work #awarnes #studies

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How to work with company data - Pietari Suvanto 📊 🚀 Listen to when Pietari Suvanto - CEO & Co-founder at Vainu - joined Josef in B2B SaaS CEOs 🎙️ 💡 They talked about: - How to work with contact data - Social selling as their best lead-generator - The extreme advantage of being a data-focused company - And much more...💡 Listen to the interview by searching for" B2B SaaS CEOs" where you listen to podcasts. 🎧 #CompanyData #ContactData #Sales #B2BSaaSCEOs

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📍 This week in Mobile Gaming/ App Industry 💎 4/23 ~4/29, 2024 💎 💰 Investments💰 - Play Ventures raised at least $78M for a third gaming venture fund. Congrats Henric Suuronen - Data layer platform Carv has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Tribe Capital and IOSG Ventures - Sanlo has raised $13.5 million to date for its platform. Investors include Konvoy Ventures, Lvp, Index Ventures, GFR Fund, XYZ Venture Capital and Fin Capital. Congrats CEO Olya Caliujnaia - Investment firm GEM Capital has unveiled Mundfish CEO Robert Bargratuni, Gameram CEO Philipp Gladkov and AppMagic CEO Max Samorukov as new advisors Funding to gaming companies has seen a boost this year with $265 million invested globally in early-stage rounds in Q1, 2024.  - Tencent has increased its shareholding investment in Remedy Entertainment Plc to 14%. 💸 M&A 💸 - Paramount hires bank to sell Vidcon 🗞 Game/ Mobile/ App News - Roblox partners with Walmart to discover new ways of commerce. Buy real-world items with virtual twins exclusively in Walmart Discovered: https://lnkd.in/ezF3gbRS - According to the latest reports by Sportskeeda, Sony Interactive Entertainment(Publisher) , SHIFTUP (Developer) Stellar Blades sold more than 1 million copies within 24 hours - Embracer Group splits into three companies. The three entities - Asmodee Group, Coffee Stain & Friends, and Middle-Earth Enterprises & Friends. - Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen joins LEGO's board of directors - President Biden Signs Bill to Ban TikTok Unless Divested by ByteDance - FCC Restores Net Neutrality Rules and Implements Security measure amid TikTok Concerns - Supercell's Squad Busters to Launch Worldwide on May 29 After Successful Soft Launch - Long Tale Games is relaunching Life is Feudal: MMO on Steam - BlizzCon 2024 is canceled!  - Astrum Ent. Ent announced its new CEO, Tony Watkins! reference by Michael Vorhaus 🌟 Game/ Mobile/ Tech Events & Conference - PocketGamer.biz's Dubai Game Expo Summit 2024 - May 1-2 in Dubai World Trade Centre - The App Growth Summit Berlin, 2024 - LA Games Conference 2024 - May 6 in UCLA - Comic Con Revolution Ontario 2024 - May 18-19 in Ontario - GamesBeat Summit 2024 - May 20-21 in Los Angeles - Nordic game spring 2024 - May 21-24 in Slagthuset, Malmo, Sweden 😀 Hiring - CCP Games is hiring Development Director for a new project within the Eve Universe. - Blizzard Entertainment is hiring Directors to work on an unannounced game  - Game7 is hiring a Senior Product Designer! -  People Can Fly Studio is hiring a Lead Online Programmer in Canada. Contact Alexander Rehm - Rockstar Games San Diego is hiring a Physics Programmer. Contact Bailey Wilson 🎮 New Games  - MADFINGER Games, a.s. Gray Zone Warfare, a tactical first-person shooter game for PC, is launching tomorrow on Steam Early Access. 🔥 Follow Experts in Mobile Game Industry/ Group - Neil Long: mobilegamer.biz founder + editor #business, #gaming, #technology, #mobile

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The hidden 50% of success most founders ignore. Last week at Slush I noticed something: The most successful founders weren't the ones with the perfect slides. Or the perfect products. They were leveraging perfect relationships. Here's what I’ve learned after 100+ conversations: 1/ Networks create real opportunities. At Slush, I watched a founder close a deal at a party. Not through a presentation but through an introduction. 2/ Relationships outweigh metrics Your revenue shows your current position Your network and team determines your future. 3/ Every connection compounds One coffee chat leads to 3 introductions Those led to 9 more, multiplying opportunities My November experiment proves this: Reached out to 10 Gaming CEOs every week. Asked for quick virtual coffees before the event. Result? • 1 referral to a scaling startup • 3 partners who will choose us when they scale. The best founders understand: A great product can get you in the room. A strong network keeps you there. Do you believe your network is 50% of your success? Why? Why not?

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Investor optimism on the rise, yet exit challenges loom in Finland’s VC scene Finnish startups have maintained steady funding momentum in the first half of 2024, with €497 million raised, matching last year’s pace, according to the Finnish Venture Capital Association (FVCA - Pääomasijoittajat). A sentiment survey conducted among Finnish venture capital (VC) investors reveals a cautiously optimistic outlook, suggesting the market downturn is easing. Positively, early-stage investments remain robust, supporting a pipeline of emerging startups, while international VC investments hit a record €89 million, reflecting Finland’s growing global footprint. However, challenges persist, with exits at a historic low due to sluggish M&A and IPO markets, highlighting an area where recovery is still needed. The proposed changes to the strategy of the state-owned investment company Tesi have also raised concerns about potential hurdles in fundraising, which could ripple through the ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/dSGbiRdf #nordicmade #finland #startups #Investors #exits #venturecapital #surveys #reports #community #trending

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Check out our latest Sauna blog post! 😎 💡

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Ahoy Helsinki! I'll be at the capital area next week speaking at AI Lounge Helsinki on 11th. I'd be happy to visit also your company or meet people over coffee and discuss about collaboration or AI in overall. Free times (updated 20:00, still couple slots left): 11.6 Just before or after the AI Lounge event 12.6 12-14 or 14-16 13.6 full day (via Teams if I've traveled back to Oulu) What I could offer? 1. I can be sparring your management team or board about this big transformation we're seeing. I've lived through this hectic 1,5 year time exploring and thinking about ideas full time. 2. I can keep your developer team a short presentation (20-30min) about AI, it's impact in the software and work of developers + arrange a discussion after the session. 3. I can tell you experiences from dozen of AI projects (chatbots, agents) and come up with ideas how your company could benefit from AI. 4. If you have any needs on future AI and/or SW development, I can connect you with right people that will help you guide through this transformation. This session is free and I have no expectations for further paid sessions, doing this purely for networking purpose and to spread my knowledge. My DM's are open.

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If you need to meet anyone, they’ll be at Slush. Slush gathers easily the most relevant people in the startup ecosystem: 📌 5,500 startup founders & operators, including Aiven, Wolt, and Pigment. 📌 3,300 VCs, angel investors, & LPs, including Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and General Catalyst. 📌 300+ journalists from outlets like Sifted, Bloomberg, and WIRED. If you need some people to tell you why these numbers are so important, here are words from Robert Lacher (Visionaries Club), who said “People fly in because they think it’s the most important event they could attend.” And what about when you’re actually there at Slush? We’ve got a quote for that, too. Pär-Jörgen Pärson from Northzone said “Everywhere you walk here at Slush, you walk into someone who wants to change the world.” As you can see, Slush is absolutely packed with relevant people. In fact, Sonali De Rycker from Accel even said “Slush is a truly authentic event, I’ve been coming here from the start. Slush is the only one that I always come to.” Okay, we’ll stop with the quotes… Only if you buy a ticket to Slush 2024. Deal? Buy your ticket to Slush 2024 now: slush.org/tickets

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🌞 Summer time is operations time, so I want to reflect on our implementation of OKRs   I absolutely love the variety that my job at kopa ventures offers, but it’s easy to get lost in the multitude of tasks and topics you’re juggling simultaneously. This is why it is key to have the right tools and processes in place to stay organized 🎯 Since my time at Kyon Energy, I’ve become a big fan of the #OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework, here is why:   - Clear Focus: OKRs help you zero in on the topics that truly matter. - Alignment and Ownership: They foster a clear alignment and understanding within the team, along with well-defined responsibilities. - Progress Overview: With OKRs, you always have a continuous overview of the progress on the topics you’re working on.   However, I must admit, implementing OKRs can be challenging. It requires patience until the process is fully established and lived in the team, but the results are definitely worth it!   My learnings are:   - Align mutual understanding and expectations within the team - Get the full commitment of the management team - Get everybody involved in setting up the OKRs - Be patient and learn in iterations - Book recommendation: Measure What Matters by John Doerr - Tool recommendation: monday.com   A big thank you goes to Matthias Gruber for showing me best practices in implementing and living OKRs💡 If you also work with OKRs, I’d love to hear about your experiences and any hands-on learnings you might have to share.

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🗺 How to tackle vacation policies in a multi-cultural company? We celebrate the myriad of cultural and religious diversity within our team at Moder.app. We cherish the value that diversity brings to our team dynamics and creativity. While Finnish law provides certain holidays, we recognize the importance of accommodating the diverse needs of our employees. Recently, I came across an inspiring example from If Insurance, who addressed a similar challenge through comprehensive research and collaboration with trade unions. While we may not yet have the same level of influence, we are committed to finding meaningful solutions within our capacity. Putting our money where our mouth is, we announced a new approach to vacation policies. In addition to our standard six weeks of vacation, we encourage all employees to utilize their vacation days to observe and celebrate important cultural and religious holidays. We will prioritize these requests to ensure that every team member feels empowered to honor their traditions and beliefs without hesitation. I believe this is just the beginning of our journey toward greater inclusivity. I'd love to hear from you about how your organization promotes inclusivity in its vacation policies? #Inclusion #Diversity #EmployeeWellness

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VCLink's Weekly Investor Fundraise Report 1. Pauliina Martikainen's Helsinki-based Maki.vc has launched its €100 million ($106 million) third fund to support pre-seed and seed-stage startups across the Nordics and Northern Europe. The fund is backed by distinguished Limited Partners and will focus on deep tech and brand-driven startups, with a strong commitment to environmental and social objectives. https://lnkd.in/eMCeySsg 2. Argor Capital Management is nearing the close of a $70 million continuation fund for aquatech unicorn eFishery. The fund will increase Argor's stake in eFishery, which offers solutions to aquaculture farmers while promoting sustainability. Argor’s other investments include startups like KitaBeli, Food Market Hub, and SafeBoda. https://lnkd.in/eD6ha8tQ 3. Omri Casspi's Swish Ventures has raised $60 million for its seed-stage venture fund, focusing on cybersecurity, AI, and cloud infrastructure startups. The fund, backed by institutional investors like Sequoia Capital, will leverage ties to Israel’s thriving cybersecurity ecosystem. https://lnkd.in/edwCd38Q 4. Crypto VC Lattice is raising its third fund amidst the current surge in the crypto market. Known for its early-stage investments in projects like Immunefi and Protocol Labs, Lattice has been active since 2021 and previously raised a $60 million fund. https://lnkd.in/erKa_Vxb 5. Kumar Dandapani and Max Shapiro, CFA, CPA's Cadenza has successfully closed its $50 million Early Stage AI Venture Fund, which will focus on pre-seed and seed-stage opportunities in artificial intelligence, particularly in infrastructure and enterprise applications. The fund has received support from a world-class syndicate of investors, including VanEck Associates and Aros Capital, and has already backed startups like Nous Research, TensorWave, Jericho Security, and Axolotl. https://lnkd.in/eiqUx2vc

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Discover the latest market information in Vantaa, Finland (Industrial B) with Propstreet Real-Time Buying Yield: 7.40% Yield recorded in May 2024, based on data from 10 investors Market Representative - Elias Selin Want to get the CURRENT BUYING YIELD for your market too? Apply for membership at propstreet.com #proptech #commercialrealestate #insights #innovation

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9 Nordic soonicorns close to the $1bn valuation threshold Finnish space startup Iceye tops the Nordics’ soonicorn list The Nordic region, renowned for producing unicorns like Northvolt, Klarna, Pleo and Oura has recently seen several startups lose their unicorn status due to a challenging financial climate. However, the investment environment is improving, with Swedish scaleups Northvolt and H2 Green Steel securing the most capital in Europe for H1 2024, and Stockholm leading in funding with €10.8bn. Several Nordic startups are now nearing the $1bn valuation, indicating a positive shift in the region's investment landscape. The list include awesome brands like ICEYE, Swappie and Planhat . Check out the full list 👇 by Mimi Billing Sifted. Let's get it 🚀 #nordic #soonicorns #startups #investment https://lnkd.in/epumsXpe

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Get subsidies for your digital growth journey! Apply by May 6th for up to 100,000 DKK support from SMV: Digital. Calling all SMEs with digital projects! SMV: Digital offers up to 100,000 DKK for your ventures. 🤩 Access professional marketing consultants to boost growth and competitiveness using your company's data. Costs fully covered by SMV: Digital. SparkForce is an official partner—choose us as your marketing experts if you secure the grant. The application window opens May 6th, 9 am. Contact us for application assistance or grant utilization ideas 👋Let's turbocharge your digital growth! To read more about it, check our webpage by clicking the link in the comments. 👇 #smv #support #digital

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Curious about what Urban Tech Helsinki is all about or eager to meet some of our innovative founders? Here’s your chance! Join us at this year’s Startup Founders' Town, where we’ll have some of our incredible startups (to be announced soon) and an Urban Tech Helsinki booth ready for networking. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with the core team and discover how we're shaping the future of urban technology! 🍃 Learn more about the event below and get ready to shake some hands! 👀 --- 🚀 Founders' Town is coming up! Welcome to connect and discover Espoo’s entrepreneurial support & possibilities. Each year 80 startup companies are founded on the Aalto University campus in Espoo and 50% of Finland’s hitech patents are filed in this relatively small area. It's a large number, so why and how is this happening? What’s the secret? There are 3 reasons as to why this is taking place: 1️⃣ High density of entrepreneur-minded people from students, researchers and entrepreneurs. 2️⃣ World-class infrastructure, such as labs, accelerator/incubator programs and graduate courses. 3️⃣ …and probably the most important, SHARING & NETWORKING CULTURE through low hierarchy structures. This event is free of charge for everyone! 🔗 Check the program and registration details (general registration and for startups to book a booth): https://lnkd.in/d-28mT9g #fromideastoimpact #founderstown #startups #UrbanTechHelsinki A Grid Aalto Startup Center

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