JIS Automation: From subcontractor to nationwide automation company

JIS Automation is a Finnish automation company founded in 2001 that designs, implements and maintains building automation solutions across Finland. Its in-house expertise covers the entire process from design and installation to programming, commissioning and lifecycle services. Over more than two decades, a small company focused on automation installations has grown into a nationwide business employing more than 300 people, with a particular focus on demanding building automation projects.

JIS’s story began when Jouni Isokivi established a sole proprietorship and started carrying out automation installations alongside his vocational studies. Entrepreneurship had interested him from a young age, driven by a desire to work in his own way and, above all, to do things properly. Just a few years after the company was founded, the business was incorporated and a business partner joined.

For years, JIS operated largely as a subcontractor for other automation companies, but gradually expanded from installations to increasingly comprehensive projects. At the same time, the company developed its own way of working, which JIS today describes as a “rebellion against senselessness”: instead of unnecessary complexity, the aim is to do things in a sensible way and take responsibility for the bigger picture.

Keeping the whole picture in-house

JIS’s services range from building automation contracting and renovation projects to lifecycle services, smoke extraction systems, operating rooms and cleanroom solutions. One of the company’s key competitive advantages is its ability to deliver demanding automation projects largely through its own organisation and take responsibility for the project as a whole.

This operating model becomes particularly important in demanding projects where schedules are tight and plans may continue to change during implementation. At JIS, managing change and understanding the customer’s operating environment are seen as essential to successful delivery. The company has therefore focused particularly on projects where reliability, quality and the ability to integrate different systems play a major role.

Alongside growth, JIS has invested heavily in preserving its expertise and company culture. New employees are trained through the company’s own academy, among other initiatives, while experienced employees play an important role in passing on the ways of working that JIS has developed over the years.

A partner for the next stage of growth

After more than two decades of growth, JIS began to consider what the next major stage would require. Isokivi saw that continuing to grow would require new expertise as well as a partner with whom the risks associated with growth could be shared.

There was no shortage of interest in JIS. Isokivi held discussions with nearly 20 potential partners, including both private equity investors and strategic buyers. Ultimately, Korona Invest became JIS’s first private equity investor in 2023. The key was to find a partner that could help take the company forward while building on the foundations JIS had developed over the years.

“Until then, we had built everything ourselves through trial and error. Once we reached a certain size, we came to a point where it made sense to have someone alongside us who had already been through a similar journey elsewhere. We would no longer have to start everything from scratch and figure it all out ourselves,” Isokivi says.

Korona had been studying the building automation market even before the investment and saw room for a larger player focused on demanding projects.

“Building automation was an attractive market, but there were relatively few companies of sufficient size focused solely on this area. What impressed us about JIS in particular was its ability to deliver demanding projects and its company culture, which was already evident in the way people worked from our very first meetings,” says Juho Mäkiaho, Managing Partner at Korona.

More structure and experience to support growth

Korona’s involvement was not only about capital. JIS had been built over more than two decades largely by experimenting, learning and developing its own solutions. Korona brought experience of the kinds of decisions and structures that are typically required at the next stage of growth.

The collaboration has included strategic sparring, organisational development and acquisitions. Stronger management structures have been built around the rapidly growing workforce, while investment has also been made in leadership training. Korona has also been able to bring experience from similar growth stages in other companies to support decision-making.

“We have had a very good and straightforward relationship from the beginning. I can speak openly with Juho, and communication works well in everyday situations too. What was promised about the partnership when the deal was made has held true,” Isokivi says.

Acquisitions have been one concrete part of the collaboration. JIS has completed four acquisitions in total, strengthening both its expertise and service offering. In particular, the transactions carried out around the time of Korona’s investment marked an important step in JIS’s development from a subcontractor into a full-service automation company. At the same time, particular attention has been paid to preserving JIS’s company culture as new teams have joined the organisation.

The growth is also clear in the numbers. When Korona invested, JIS employed around 120 people and generated approximately €12 million in revenue. Today, the company employs more than 300 people, and its revenue target for 2026 is approximately €45–50 million.

New services and technology

JIS is building its next stage of growth through both the expansion of its existing business and the development of new services. One major focus in recent years has been lifecycle services. At the end of 2024, only a handful of employees worked in the area. Today, the team has grown to more than 60 people. The services include maintenance, repairs, modernisations and energy management for buildings.

Data centers have also become an important area for JIS. At the time of Korona’s investment, they were not yet seen as the kind of growth opportunity they represent today, but JIS was quick to respond as the market developed. The first project led to further opportunities, and the expertise JIS has built over the years in demanding environments has proven well suited to a market where reliability and quality are critical.

Technology is also being developed internally. JIS has been building its own enterprise resource planning system for around ten years, and artificial intelligence was integrated into the system in 2026. At the same time, the company hired four AI specialists to develop new tools, particularly to support project work and programming.

Towards the next stage

JIS currently operates in nine locations across Finland, but its expertise has also been taken abroad through customer projects. The company has carried out projects in Iceland, Sweden and Norway, although aggressive international expansion is not yet the objective. JIS still sees significant growth opportunities in its domestic market, both in project business and lifecycle services.

Over more than two decades, a business that began with automation installations has grown into a nationwide automation company employing more than 300 people. The next stage built together with Korona has brought additional experience, structure and pace to the company, while JIS has retained its own distinctive way of working. Looking ahead, the company is seeking further growth through larger projects, lifecycle services and technology, while opportunities are gradually opening up beyond Finland as well.

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This article is part of the Finnish Venture Capital Association’s and PwC’s Building Growth 2026 blog series, presenting the growth stories of this year’s competition finalists. You can find the competition page here. The final will take place at the Finnish Venture Capital Association’s flagship annual event, the Finnish PE-VC Summit, on 8 October 2026.