“Any company in Finland working with a subscription-based business model has an opportunity to convert potential partner companies into SaaS businesses," says Lyyti's CEO Petri Hollmén. "What I see is that companies who haven’t yet adopted a subscription model are all thinking: ‘How the hell can we get there?’ So, if you know how to do that, the world is wide open.”
“In the end, sustainable thought leadership, which I consider to be key to getting recognition in the marketplace, is not just about marketing messages and being smart with content. It is about the way you do what you do in all your encounters.”
As far as countries go, Finland and the Netherlands have been relatively active in their pursuit of a transition towards a more circular economy. I talked with Venla Virkamäki, Policy Officer for Trade and Innovation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Helsinki, about the circular economy, WCEF2019, and the opportunity for Finnish-Dutch cooperation.
Balcony glazer Lumon is one of those Finnish companies that do well abroad because their early innovation was born out of necessity at home. In addition to having a great product, Export Manager Pete Lattunen emphasizes that, for Finns, self-confidence is key: “We need to step up a bit.”
When you run a commercial operation with a hundred thousand items, someone needs to make a judgment about the right inventory levels. ERP systems don’t help you make that call, so that’s when a supply chain management solution like Expak comes in, CEO Tommi Hyyrynen explains.
“When we have that beachhead conversation with our clients, Holland is often identified as an achievable target. And if you succeed in the Netherlands, with the brand equity you build and everything you learn on the way, it will be much easier to engage with the next market.”
Especially in western societies, laws and regulations, advances in technology and a more innovative culture in general are driving city and municipal planners to involve citizens more closely in their projects. Mapita Oy has an app for that.
Spun out of Attido on January 1st, Aico Group aims at a minimum of 60 to 70 percent year-on-year growth during the next five years. The new company markets its cloud-based financial close automation platform out of its Finnish home market and into the Nordic area, the Benelux and Poland.
When it comes to startups aspiring to go abroad, 25 years of international business development, including 20 years of working with software companies, have taught Petri Rinne the importance of quickly gettings your hands dirty by shifting into sales mode - after some initial desktop research.
Founded by three Finnish water engineers with a knack for modern software development, Fluidit Oy simulates the flow, pressure and velocity of water within a distribution network - or the sewerage -, enabling utilities to save serious money on pipes, pumps and energy, and to better predict the impact of potential accidents or renovation work.