Sami Lampinen

We are happy to announce Tesi's most valuable exit in its history: M-Files. Tesi has been the only Finnish institutional investor in M-Files since the company’s first financing round in 2013. During Tesi’s ownership, the company has succeeded in acquiring more growth capital several times, its turnover has increased more than tenfold, and operations have turned profitable. Tesi owns ca. 10% of the company’s equity and the exit is the largest in its history in terms of euros. “Tesi's participation with a significant investment in M-Files’ first financing round in 2013 was very important and enabled the financing round to take place. Since then, Tesi has supported the growth of M-Files through board work and has brought stability to the ownership base. From M-Files’ point of view, Tesi’s investment in the company has achieved all of its goals,” continues M-Files founder and CEO Antti Nivala. M-Files Corporation (“M-Files”), the leader in knowledge work automation, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement for a majority recapitalization investment led by Haveli Investments, an Austin, TX based technology-focused private equity firm, and Bregal Milestone, a European software private equity firm. Founder & CEO Antti Nivala continues as a significant minority shareholder together with the company’s leadership team and employees. #exit #vc #growth #investment #software #Saas #PE

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Stewicon advised Rite Ventures in their investment in Kamerastore. Rite invests in Swedish and Finnish companies within software, e-commerce ecosystem and IT-services. Rite acts as an active investor aiming to transform and position early growth companies for expansion to the midmarket.

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Recently, others and I at Tesi have actively started to chart and promote the development of defense technology in Finland to adapt to the uncertain geopolitical times. Read through my blog text about the topic here: https://lnkd.in/drhdR8Tg   Defence technology is closely linked with deep tech – especially in dual-use products – that we have identified as a strategic investment theme. Our portfolio already includes companies developing high-tech dual-use products, such as ICEYE IQM Quantum Computers Varjo Technologies and Dispelix . Additionally, we are a significant investor in Oy Sisu Auto Ab and Rauma Marine Constructions Oy, both directly involved in the defense sector. This familiar theme provides us with a strong foundation to explore sectors like AI, data, machine autonomy, and quantum technology as potential investment targets, centers of expertise, and collaboration arenas.   Key to our effort in promoting the development of the defence technology sector and ecosystem is collaboration with domestic and international co-investors and our Finnish networks such as Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) VTT Business Finland, and PIA - Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries.   #DefenceTechnology #DefenceIndustry #DualUse #kokonaisturvallisuus #comprehensivesecurity #DeepTech #AngelInvestment #VentureCapital #GrowthEquity #NATO #NIF #EIB #natoinnovationfund #vc #publicprivatecollaboration #collaboration #growth #impact #DIANA #accelerator #testcenter

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"Go big or go home!" There are other ways of building good, profitable businesses. Venture capital is not a one size fits all. Especially not in food. 🦄 🦓 🐪 Christian von Essen asked about my thoughts on Smallhold's Post Mortem for Impact Loop. (I told him to watch the "WeCrashed" series, it's hilarious and totally cringe for everyone who ever worked in VC/startups) 🤑 We need capital going towards sustainability, agrifood system change, regeneration, circularity, etc.. But what type of capital? What timing? Seems like crash is imminent if we apply the old models of building the new, in the same unsustainable way... How do we scale better, without burning out founders on the way? I'm interested to have this conversation. Who else? 🙋‍♀️

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Tesi and the Nordic national FOFs are taking the lead on climate tech financing by showing the market facts about the Nordic climate ecosystem at a time where the climate challenge should absolutely be the priority agenda of institutions and stakeholders and every European, in particular before the upcoming 🇪🇺 European elections. 🚀 🚀 🚀 Climate investment is a source of job and wealth creation, economic growth and technology progress with deep tech breakthrough innovation! 🍀 From the study: Nordic cleantech growth companies will need EUR 15 billion in venture capital funding over the next five years to maintain previous growth rates. There’s currently approx. €6bn cleantech-dedicated dry powder aimed at the Nordics – not nearly enough to cover the demand! Huge opportunity! 💚 The pension and insurance companies as well as family offices, particularly in the Nordics, are already to a degree involved in investing in VC and growth funds in the region, and backing startups, collaborating with tax-payer funded schemes and institutions. They are showing the way to many other parts of Europe! This involvement could still significantly increase ↗ LPs are concerned about delivering both financial performance to their stakeholders as well as ⭐ positive impact ⭐. Its hard to imagine a more positively impactful investment than backing deep tech climate players today! 💚 Together with Founders Forum Group, European Women in VC is looking into the positive impact of such investments! We can't wait to share results in early June! And positive news of the day: congrats to Norrsken VC 👏 for raising the biggest Impact Fund in Europe - a real alignment of capital and purpose! Niklas Tove Agate David 👏 great work Jakob Sandell and the extended Team! cc Pia Matias Kasia Marco Carolyn Francesca Rachael Walter Lars Ingvild Lars Magnus Patrick Rannveig Ola Johan Diva Fredrik Pia https://lnkd.in/dunJaUka

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Hello Flowcore on the Faroe Islands. I want to highlight some of the companies that are being connected to the internet of investors, in part due to shipshape.vc Human capital is more evenly distributed than access to financial... and there are great investment opportunities in that asymmetry. #capitalraising #startups #fundraising #founders #venturecapital #investors #vc #vcfunding #technology #startup #tech 

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What are the lessons learned from the Nordics, a region that is seen as a successful PE and VC ecosystem in Europe? Great discussion at invest.austria event with Pekka Mäki, Lauri Isotamm and Gabriel Navarro-Rubio Poole! 💪 There is no overnight success, it is all about hard work.  🎡 Flywheel is real aka as Skype, Spotify, Bolt, Wise stories.. and hopefully soon more. 🙄 In Denmark there is no capital gain tax for VC investments (e.g. compared to investing in real estate) which has attracted more capital and talent to the region 👏 Nordic pension funds have being investing in the asset class since decades, and have learned and show that investing in several mangers is fundamental for success 🌿The Nordic ecosystem is a role model for ESG practices, LPs caring not only about returns but also about ESG factors.  👍 Mature regulation, experienced lawyers, tax accountants etc. are also an important puzzle piece for the ecosystem to function and thrive. 🚀 However, the real deal is not about the Nordics or another region in Europe. It is about Europe acting as one, supporting innovation so that we can also build a 100 B dollar/euro company here.

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Thank you to DiTV ( Dagens Industri) for the opportunity to discuss B&B's latest quarterly report this morning. It was great to share our strategies and efforts driving increased profit, profitability, and cash flow. #BergmanBeving #QuarterlyReport

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That's it, that's all—All great things come to an end at some point. For the Finnish Climate Fund, this happened last week as the Ministry informed us that the Climate Fund's operations would be wound down immediately. The following day, nearly the whole staff was laid off, including myself. From my own point of view, the Finnish Climate Fund was a unique concept—a state-owned investment company with an impact-first investment strategy while still aiming to return the invested capital. All investment decisions included a diligent evaluation and monitoring of the climate impact made by the funded companies, on top of the typical financial analysis. It was a great experience to work with and develop this concept in practice, and especially to work with all the brilliant climate tech companies and entrepreneurs across different industries. The main investment focus of the climate fund was on capex-heavy facility investments (e.g., first-of-a-kind commercial scale plants) where there is a known gap in financing—I just hope the void in financing left by the Climate Fund will be filled by others. My brilliant colleagues and I are now on the lookout for new opportunities. If your organization needs a PhD physicist-turned-management consultant-turned-impact investor who has a broad understanding of climate technologies and the energy transition, along with how to finance them, don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I'd love to continue working on solutions tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, be it as an investor, advisor, researcher, or in a corporation or even a start-up. 

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At the Slush 2024 startup event in Helsinki, tech entrepreneurs and investors expressed optimism about the potential easing of funding challenges in 2025, particularly driven by AI growth. Despite three years of slowed funding, the global tech landscape is seeing renewed energy, with AI attracting nearly $40 billion in investment in 2023, showcasing confidence in its transformative potential. Venture capital firms like Index Ventures and Atomico highlighted positive momentum in European tech, and the reopening of opportunities for IPOs is bringing hope. While some remain cautious due to broader economic factors, many attendees are hopeful for a strong rebound in funding next year. Read More: https://lnkd.in/ej2spiph Reuters Branded Hospitality Ventures Hospitality Headline Newsletter #VentureCapitilism #Technology #AI #Growth Aino Bergius Mathilda Strom Francesco Ricciuti Anastasija Plotnikova Niklas Zennström Neil Rimer

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Exciting news for Swedish startups! 77 VC firms are ready to invest in innovative Swedish companies, showcasing the vibrant startup ecosystem in Sweden. If you're a startup seeking funding, this could be the ideal opportunity to engage with potential investors. Stay informed with the latest updates from Breakit. #Startup #VentureCapital #Investment #Sweden #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Funding

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ICYMI: Finnish venture capital and private equity funds generate good returns, compared to both listed market and European counterparts. This is now the second comparison of returns from Finnish VC&PE funds to those from the listed market, and the results still look good: the returns from 75% of the funds of 2009–2020 vintage exceed the returns generated by the listed market. The top quartile of the funds generated returns 2.5 times higher than the listed market. Venture capital funds investing in startups have excelled: Finnish funds raised after the financial crisis (2009–2015) achieved annual percentage returns of 20%. In terms of their returns, over one-half of these funds are positioned in the top quartile compared to their European peers. “An interesting feature is that newer buyout and growth funds boosted their annual percentage returns by two percentage points compared to the previous year. Given the prevailing economic challenges, that’s very positive news,” comments Arttu Suominen, Tesi's Investment Associate who compiled the survey. Read more:

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These are the hottest startups to follow in the Nordics 🔥 curated by Sifted and Mimi Billing - picked by top VC funds, generalists and deep tech VCs in the area. Please note, that these are companies we have not invested, but think are worth to follow or with high potential. https://lnkd.in/d3pit3FT ——— Our fund was asked to list in particular university and science spin-off companies. My picks from Voima Ventures: - IntuiCell, Photoncycle and Vitroscope Sophia Bendz, partner at Cherry Ventures - Leya, Lovable and Terra Labs Sabina Wizander, partner at Creandum - Normain, Dendrite.ai Agent, Soolv Linus Dahg, CEO of Inventure - IONLACE - We're hiring!, spektr,Ambio Kremena Tosheva, investor at SNÖ Ventures - ReOrbit, Carbon Crusher, Keystrike #nordics #startups #tech #innovation #ai #venturecapital

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Excited to announce that our portfolio company Joyweek is expanding its product offering and strengthening its position in Sweden by acquiring three add-ons to the group, creating a new division focusing on facility management for real estate as well.

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What makes the Nordics an exemplary hub for startups and innovation? ✅ A Thriving Ecosystem ✅ Innovation at the Forefront ✅ Collaboration Over Competition ✅ Global Impact ✅ Resilience and Adaptation Read more in the Nordics Startup Report 2024, crafted by our team in the region. https://lnkd.in/d-TD8Jse #PNPTC #NordicInnovation #StartupTrends2024 #TechInvestmentOpportunities

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Kicki Andersson Invest Limited has been involved in several notable projects. Here are a few examples: Private Equity Round: On September 11, 2022, Kicki's firm raised money in a private equity round. This funding was aimed at expanding their business operations and investing in new ventures. Technology Startup: Kicki's firm provided strategic consulting to a struggling technology startup, helping them develop a robust marketing plan. This resulted in a 30% increase in market share within six months. Retail Expansion: They worked with a retail chain to expand its operations into new regions. The project included a comprehensive market analysis, strategic entry planning, and ongoing support during the expansion, leading to a 20% increase in revenue within the first year. Financial Restructuring: A technology company facing financial difficulties received consulting services from Kicki's firm, which helped streamline expenses and improve cash flow management. This led to a significant reduction in debt and a return to profitability within 18 months. These projects highlight Kicki Andersson's firm's ability to deliver impactful results across various industries.

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#Finnish #defence #industry growing strongly, investors eyeing dual-use products in particular! Tesi has today released Defence - Market study on Finnish military product and dual use companies! Key findings: - The Finnish Defence industry is a mix of well-known traditional #manufacturing firms and emerging #startups – #AR / #VR and #robotics quickest growers. - There are only a handful of pure #miltech startups in Finland, and most emerging ventures are dual use firms whose applicability is mostly in #support, #logistics and #C4I 1 activities. The most prominent subcategory of startups is #Sensing, #connectivity and #cybersecurity. - Although the #Finnish #Defence #Forces are experienced in arctic warfare, #arctic #knowledge isn’t visible in most Defence firms’ offering. The clear exception is firms targeting #Naval customers, where over 60% of the identified firms possess significant arctic experience. - The five different categories used in this report have very different financial characteristics: the dual use technology category has by far the highest revenue growth rates around 30-40%, whereas Established defence, basic manufacturing and professional services are profitable but mostly lack double-digit growth rates. Miltech firms, by far the smallest category, typically display moderate growth rates and positive but weak profitability. - Dual use technology and miltech firms’ sales development has been strong, and accelerating, in recent years. With total sales around €235m in 2022, they have grown at a median CAGR of 5-8% in recent years. VC investments in these emerging firm categories have similarly grown, with a peak year in 2022 due to large investment rounds in a few notable dual use technology firms. - Most Defence firms are privately held by Finnish owners, and VC funding is notable only in Dual use technology and Miltech firms. The Finnish government is also a notable investor through its’ investment firms. - Most board members are Finnish males. The share of newly appointed foreign board members increased gradually between 2014-22, but retracted in 2023. The current share lies at 21% (with a further 2% being dual citizens). The share of female board members has also increased in recent years, with 18% of current Defence firm board members being female. - Investor syndicates are typically quite diverse in terms of investor nationalities. Deals below €2m are typically done solely with Finnish investors, but in later rounds cross-border syndicates are the norm. #defence #dualuse #newdefence #NATO #NIF #growth #funding #airforce #simulation #deeptech #innovation #drone #export #ESG #EU #EIB #comprehensivesecurity #VC #investment #space #quantum #biotechnology #Diana #autonomous

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Stockholm-based Norrsken VC has announced the closing of its second fund, Norrsken VC Fund II, at €320 million, surpassing its initial target of €250 million. This makes it the largest early-stage generalist impact fund in Europe. The fund is backed by almost 50 limited partners (LPs) that seek both impact and financial returns. These investors include institutional backers like Första AP-fonden (AP1), Folksam, Saminvest AB, KfW Capital , and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), as well as major firms like Credit Suisse, Investcorp-Tages, BMW Group, and SEB-Stiftelsen. Notable individual investors like Azeem Azhar also support the fund. 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 👉 https://lnkd.in/dPE-aBRZ Astrid Vikingsdotter Johansson Axel Lindner Denice Carbell Agate S. Freimane Cecilia Ma Will Wells Martin Schweitzer Marcus Jacobsson Tove Larsson Beata Enwall Fabian Erici Ben Morgan Friedrich A. Neuman Luke Richardson Lea Strumberger Julia Elf David Frykman Bruno Wisniewski Clara Lindh Susanna Campbell Christian zu Jeddeloh Pierre Ljubic Alexander Danielsson Anna Lundin Agnes Svensson Tyko Carling #startups #investors #venturecapital #privateequity #finance #fundingnews #businessangels #familyoffices #investmentfund

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Another interesting M&A deal in the IT services sector!

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