Our aim is to have more fast-growing technology companies as well as a vast and competitive pool of midcap companies in Finland. We want Finland to be the best place for entrepreneurs, investors, and top talent. This is how new jobs can be created and sustainable growth built in Finland.

In the future, startups will be increasingly significant employers and trailblazers of the business field – evidenced by Wolt’s evolution from an idea into a large company in only seven years, for instance. These novel technology companies create new industries and knowledge clusters and strengthen Finland’s position as one of the leading countries in new technologies.

Growth-seeking midcap companies create jobs all around Finland. They accelerate exports and strengthen our business ecosystem. Newcomers to the Helsinki Stock Exchange often come from amongst these companies, at which stage Finnish stock investors can also become a part of the company’s growth path.

Growth should be built for all company stages and types:

More New Startups

Our goal is for Finland to be among the top European countries when measuring the number of new startups. Right now, we are at number six, so there is catching up to do. More attention needs to be paid to entrepreneurial skills, innovation, and commercialising innovation.

More Trailblazing Unicorns

The Finnish startup ecosystem has set a goal: to have a hundred startups with a turnover of more than a hundred million by 2030. At best, new innovations and great teams can grow into exceedingly successful anchor companies, creating expertise clusters around them. By the summer of 2022, eleven unicorns, i.e., startups worth more than one billion euro, have been built in Finland, and we are looking forward to seeing more of them.

Regional Growth

We want the whole of Finland to grow, develop and employ as many professionals as possible. There are many companies that represent traditional industries, which have the potential for more rapid growth. The growth of these companies must be accelerated. In addition to capital, private equity investors utilise their growth expertise to fully support their portfolio companies on their growth path.

Mittelstand Companies

Our goal is for the Finnish midlevel (or mittelstand) company ecosystem to grow and strengthen. This requires pro-entrepreneur decision-making and experienced capital management.

Achieving economic growth and hindering climate change are not mutually exclusive. In fact, promoting sustainable growth works as a competitive edge for companies. Growing and innovative companies are an integral part of the green transition.

Private equity and venture capital investors advance the green transition in multiple ways:

Sustainable growth is advanced in the investors’ portfolio companies in many ways, for example by cutting down the carbon footprint of operations. Company competitiveness is measured not only through economic growth rates but also through ESG-specific growth rates.

The investors fund novel technology companies that aim to solve the most pressing challenges of our time, such as sustainable food production and the replacement of non-renewable energy sources.

Growth-minded entrepreneurs, a diverse talent pool, and innovations form the building blocks for growth. When these foundations have been laid, sustainable growth can be achieved.

In the spring of 2021, two expert working groups on sustainable growth and domestic ownership published their reports, which state that economic growth can be sped up by channelling so-called smart capital – venture capital and private equity investments – to the market. In addition, the regulatory environment must be well-functioning. We also agree with these recommendations.

Well-Functioning Regulation for Companies and Investors

Company growth must be supported by the surrounding regulatory environment. It is important that politics that support growth and entrepreneurship are followed over governmental terms. Regulatory and taxation environments must be consistent and predictable. When regulation or taxation are revised, the effects that these changes will have on companies and their abilities to grow, find funding, and create employment must be carefully assessed. This helps to ensure that Finland remains an attractive and competitive country for entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors.

A More Diverse Fund Investor Base

To strengthen domestic ownership and secure the availability of funding for growth companies, our financial ecosystem must reach the international level. This means that the obstructions to the fundraising of Finnish venture capital and private equity funds must be removed, and funds must have equal opportunities of attracting investments to Finland. The Finnish venture capital and private equity industry must be constantly developed to keep up with the rest of Europe.