Helsinki, FIN: Innovestor has become a unique player in the Finnish growth company ecosystem following the acquisition of Kasvun Roihu Ltd over the summer of 2019, by combining and operating three business areas as a: venture capital investor, direct co-investment service provider and now also growth program builder.
Innovestor and Kasvun Roihu became intertwined at first in the spring of 2018 when 50% of Kasvun Roihu’s shares were acquired by Innovestor. A year on, both companies identified a greater need to work closer together, hence the resulting acquisition of Kasvun Roihu entirely to become Innovestor’s daughter company; Innovestor Ignite Ltd. Innovestor Ignite’s operations and mission of building high caliber growth programs, such as Kasvu Open and Grow to Market, which connect growth companies and partners will continue, with new programs launching soon.
“As one of the founders of Kasvun Roihu, I am extremely proud of what we have achieved and built over the past 5 years, and it’s only going to get better from here. This past year of intensive partnership that we have had with Innovestor assured me of the ambitions and commitment that we all share in striving to help growth companies succeed, be it with capital, know-how or networks. That’s why this was a natural next step for us to take” stated Kasvun Roihu’s former CEO and now Innovestor Ignite’s Managing Director Matti Härkönen.
Typically, companies only focus on one of the business areas that Innovestor currently operates in. But by actively connecting investors, growth companies and partners together in one ecosystem, Innovestor is building a single platform in order to create the best home for growth. As the only venture capital investor with this type of business model in Finland and the Nordics, the closest comparative companies can be found in for example Silicon Valley and Israel.
“After realizing that Kasvun Roihu and Innovestor exist for the same purpose, going forward and growing the company under one brand and name, Innovestor, made perfect sense. Our long-term goal is to become one of the Nordic regions leading growth company ecosystems” said Tommi Äijälä, Innovestor’s founder and CEO.
For more information
Tommi Äijälä, CEO, Innovestor
Tommi.aijala(a)innovestor.fi +358 50 364 1825
Matti Härkönen, Managing Director, Innovestor Ignite
Matti.harkonen(a)innovestor.fi +358 40 578 2688
About Innovestor
Innovestor is a Nordic early-stage venture capital investor, who offers co-investment opportunities to investors and builds growth programs for founders and partners. We manage the largest private venture backed portfolio in the Nordics and have to date invested around 130M€ together with +500 co-investors. Around +1500 growth companies apply to our programs per year to whom we organize and facilitate +200 events with the support of +250 corporate partners.