The finalists of the 2026 Building Growth competition, organised by the Finnish Venture Capital Association and PwC Finland, have been selected! The Building Growth competition searches for the most interesting and inspiring growth stories among Finnish companies backed by private equity and venture capital investors. Once again, the selection was a challenging one, with a strong and diverse group of companies taking part. This year, one theme stood out in particular: the close collaboration between the companies and their investors, with growth truly being built together. Ultimately, six companies stood out through both their growth and their stories.
The competition continues with the two-category format introduced last year. This year, the finalists compete in the VC/Growth and Buyout categories, allowing the unique characteristics of companies at different investment stages to be better recognised and evaluated on a more comparable basis.
The 2026 finalists in the VC/Growth category are EWQ Zone, Fennoa and Takomo, while the Buyout category finalists are Nordic Bites Group, Veke and JIS Automation.
Once again, the finalists demonstrate the many different ways in which growth can be built. In addition to growth and financial performance, the competition considers factors such as the investor’s role in the company’s development, internationalisation and industry transformation. This year’s finalists include internationally growing technology companies and consumer brands, as well as companies reshaping more traditional industries.
Congratulations to all the finalists!
EWQ
EWQ is a Finnish retail tech growth company developing digital solutions for the needs of retail and service environments. Its solutions bring together areas such as digital price communication, retail media and customer guidance. The nearly 30-year-old company has significantly renewed its operations in recent years and expanded its growth beyond Finland to other Nordic markets.
EWQ’s growth has been supported by private equity investor Evli Private Capital.
Fennoa
Fennoa is a Finnish financial management software company developing a cloud-based solution for accounting firms and their customers. Fennoa’s software brings together different areas of financial management and uses automation to reduce manual work. The company has grown rapidly by challenging established industry practices with a strongly product- and customer-driven approach.
Fennoa’s growth has been supported by private equity investor CapMan.
Takomo
Takomo is a Finnish golf equipment company challenging the traditional golf industry with its direct-to-consumer business model. The company designs and develops high-quality golf clubs and other golf equipment that are sold directly to consumers through its online store without traditional intermediaries. In a short period of time, Takomo has built a strong international brand, with North America in particular becoming a significant market for the company.
Takomo’s growth has been supported by private equity investor Mandatum Asset Management.
Nordic Bites Group
Nordic Bites Group is a Finnish restaurant group that has grown from a single Subway franchise restaurant into a broad Nordic operator. The company serves as Subway®’s Master Franchise partner in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, while also operating its own restaurant network in Finland, Sweden and Denmark. In recent years, Nordic Bites Group has taken a significant growth leap from a Finnish operator to a Nordic restaurant group and is simultaneously laying the foundation for a broader multi-brand business.
Nordic Bites Group’s growth has been supported by private equity investor Juuri Partners.
Veke
Veke is a Finnish furniture and interior design retail growth company originating from Ranua in Finnish Lapland. The company has been one of the pioneers of online furniture retail in Finland and has built its business strongly around digital commerce, an efficient supply chain and an omnichannel customer experience. Veke has succeeded in achieving strong growth in a challenging market and continues to strengthen its position as a Finnish alternative to international players in the industry.
Veke’s growth has been supported by private equity investor Sentica.
JIS Automation
JIS Automation is a Finnish automation company providing comprehensive building automation solutions from design to installation and field work. The company has grown strongly both organically and through acquisitions and has expanded its operations across Finland. JIS Automation combines strong automation expertise, energy efficiency and new technology with the aim of advancing and renewing the traditional automation industry.
JIS Automation’s growth has been supported by private equity investor Korona Invest.
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Over the coming weeks, we will publish a growth story on each finalist, offering a closer look at the companies’ backgrounds, development journeys and collaboration with their investors.
The winners of the Building Growth competition will be selected by an independent jury of external experts at the Finnish Venture Capital Association’s Finnish PE-VC Summit on 8 October 2026. The jury members will be announced later.
