Ajoma Group Oy is helping make Finnish roads safer. Based in Joensuu, this family-owned company combines extensive expertise in driver education, digital services and driving ban training to promote responsible and proactive driving across Finland.
When Mervi Kuivalainen's 30 years of experience in driver education met her son Miko Ryynänen's idea for an online business, a new business concept was born. During conversations around a campfire, they explored whether traditional driver education could be combined with digital services. The idea quickly evolved into a business, and Ajoma Group Oy was established in Joensuu in 2025.
The family business provided an opportunity to create a new kind of road safety service by combining decades of experience with the fresh perspectives and expertise of a younger generation.
One of Ajoma Group's strengths is its clear division of responsibilities. Mervi oversees driver education and licensed training services, while Miko is responsible for management, e-commerce, sales and business development. The family's two adult daughters, Minttu Ryynänen and Neea Ryynänen, contribute their expertise, particularly in social media marketing.
Working together has enabled the company to build capabilities that would be difficult for a sole entrepreneur to develop alone. Website development, marketing and digital customer journey design are all managed within the family.
- Working together is simply so much more rewarding, says Mervi.
The younger generation also plays an important role in developing the company's services. Their fresh perspectives help shape training programmes and communications in ways that resonate with younger drivers. When analysing the market, the family identified a clear gap: road safety can be communicated to young people in a language that speaks to them.
The company's most significant growth area has been driving ban training, a police-mandated programme required in connection with a driving ban. It applies to drivers whose first driving licence had been issued less than two years before the disqualification.
Originally, it was just one service among many, but demand quickly proved to be much greater than expected. Because the training can be delivered remotely, the company now serves customers from across Finland.
Ajoma Group has developed its training programmes into interactive and discussion-based learning experiences. Rather than focusing solely on rules and regulations, the courses encourage participants to explore why mistakes happen on the road and how they can be prevented in the future.
- Often, the issue is not that drivers do not know or understand the rules. More importantly, they need to stop and reflect on their own choices and how those choices affect road safety, Mervi explains.
According to Mervi, driver education is fundamentally about shaping attitudes. The goal is to foster responsibility, anticipation and a deeper understanding of how every driver contributes to road safety.
Ajoma Group has built its operations around digital solutions from the very beginning. Its online store, remote training programmes and nationwide services enable the company to serve customers across Finland without the limitations of a traditional driving school.
The aim is to make purchasing and completing training as easy and convenient as possible for customers. The company continuously develops new online services, learning materials and digital resource libraries while leveraging technology to support personalised learning.
In the long term, Ajoma Group aims to expand its services beyond its current training programmes and collaborate with organisations such as sports clubs to promote road safety.
Although the business idea was clear, building the company was not straightforward. When the entrepreneurs felt they had reached a dead end, they decided to seek support from Business Joensuu.
One of the most valuable forms of support was the Innoo - Product and Service Development Coaching programme, where many of the company's key development challenges began to find solutions. The programme provided new perspectives on business planning, service development and company growth.
Through Business Joensuu, Mervi and Miko also received practical support for developing their digital services, as well as valuable connections within the regional business community. Just as importantly, the experience strengthened their confidence in their own abilities.
- When it felt like our ideas were going around in circles, external coaching helped us see new opportunities. We received practical support for developing our business and planning our growth, along with valuable perspectives we might not have discovered on our own, says Mervi.
Ajoma Group's services are already used by customers across Finland, and demand continues to grow rapidly. Over the coming years, the company aims to strengthen its position as a nationally recognised and trusted provider of road safety training.
The company's growth continues to be guided by the same idea that started it all: combining extensive experience, the fresh perspectives of a younger generation and digital expertise to improve road safety throughout Finland.
What began as a family conversation around a campfire has grown into a company with a clear ambition: to influence the choices people make on the road every day. At Ajoma Group, they believe that safer roads are built on understanding, responsibility and the ability to anticipate.
If even one person pauses to reflect on their own driving behaviour before their next journey because of Ajoma Group's services, the company will have achieved its most important goal.
Although Ajoma Group serves customers nationwide, its home will always remain in Joensuu. Strong local networks, a supportive business environment and high-quality business services have all played an important role in the company's journey. Through local entrepreneurial networks, the company also found suitable business premises at Metropoli with ease.
Contact:
Mervi Kuivalainen, Ajoma Group Oy
info@ajoma.fi, +358 50 518 3575
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Text: Aleksi Hakulinen, Marketing Trainee, Business Joensuu
Photos: Business Joensuu