Investments in growth companies in the Joensuu region
Start-up Fund Joensuu
Are you an innovative start-up aiming for fast growth? Is your business scalable, innovative and accessible to international growth markets? Our fund can enable your company to invest capital in the development of early-stage business and to employ and grow towards the international market. The StartUp fund obtains its capital from the City of Joensuu and private investors.
Growth funding, experience, competence and networks
With our growth funding, start-ups in North Karelia can strengthen their team, develop their business model and growth strategy, and open up new markets both in the home market and internationally.
Start-up Fund Joensuu invests primarily in start-up and growth companies that utilise digitalisation, new forest bioeconomy products and services, new materials and innovative technologies. However, the fund has no sector restrictions, so other sectors are also potential investment targets. The target company must be located in the Joensuu area, be willing to move to the area, or be connected to the area through its operations.
The fund's capital is EUR 2.5 million, and a typical investment is EUR 50,000–200,000. The fund works in close cooperation with Business Joensuu's Business Accelerator and internationalisation services to support the domestic and international growth of investment targets.
The role of Startup Fund Joensuu as educators of young growth companies is significant, as the fund together with Business Joensuu's Business Accelerator and other growth services offers companies not only growth capital but also its experience, expertise and business and stakeholder networks.
In addition to initial capital investments, the fund may also act as a gateway to new investment rounds. The fund cooperates with local and national investors and the North Karelia Growth Fund, which invests in newly established and young companies. Business Joensuu Oy is a community member of the Finnish business angel network, FiBAN.
Joensuun Startup Kehitys Oy
The fund is managed by Business Joensuu Oy's subsidiary Joensuun Startup Kehitys Oy (business ID 3093233-5).
The North Karelia Fund supports start-up and growth activities and strengthens business life and entrepreneurship in the North Karelia region. In particular, funding is targeted at strong growth companies that are planning for internationalisation as well as companies starting their operations in Joensuu and elsewhere in North Karelia.
The North Karelia Growth Fund invests in young growth companies, especially those active in the fields of digitalisation, forestry and bioeconomy, photonics, tourism and creative industries, and materials science. Eligibility for investment requires that the company has a domicile or other significant activities in North Karelia and that the team is able to build scalable business operations. The typical investment in the first round is between EUR 25,000 and EUR 150,000. Further investments are always up to EUR 500,000.
The fund is managed by Redstone Nordic Oy and managed by Kaj Hagros and Oskari Lehtonen.
Several growth companies in North Karelia have received growth funding from Start-up fund Joensuu, which operates through a subsidiary of Business Joensuu's, and the North Karelia Growth Fund. Investments have accelerated the growth of companies and enabled new capital investments. Read more about the investment targets below.
09/2022: An investment of EUR 200 000 for SeeTrue Technologies
Founded in Joensuu in 2018, SeeTrue Technologies develops the world’s most advanced and stable eye-tracking sensors and applications, backed by decades of research and experience in computational optics, machine vision and applied eye tracking.
The Start Up Fund Joensuu and the North Karelia Growth Fund (managed by the venture capital investment company Redstone) have both invested EUR 100,000 in SeeTrue Technologies. In total, the funding round brought SeeTrue a capital investment of EUR 460,000 as the company’s owners and employees took part with an investment of EUR 150,000. Also, Business Finland participated in the financing round with EUR 110,000 for development and research. Read more.
06/2022: An investment of EUR 100 000 for Kodia Oy
Kodia Oyis a supplier of the rental management system established in 2019. Kodia’s mission is to innovate and implement advanced housing solutions for the industry through digitalization.
In the spring of 2022, the growth company Kodia arranged a share issue. Start Up Fund Joensuu participated in the financing round with EUR 100,000. In addition to the Start Up Fund Joensuu, Kodia will be invested in by, among others, Master Group Ltd and the investment company Karvest, as well as the current investor and founding shareholders.Read more.
05/2022: An investment of EUR 112 500 for Niekka (eBike Finland Oy)
Niekka (eBike Finland Oy)will produce high-quality Finnish bicycles under the NIEKKA Bicycles brand in Outokumpu. Business Joensuu encourages the company’s growth as an investor through the Start-up Fund Joensuu.
ebike Finland organised a share issue at the end of 2021. Business Joensuu’s Start Up Fund Joensuu participated in the funding round with EUR 112,500, for which it received 22.5% of the company’s shareholding. Through the issue of shares, the company collected EUR 187,500, plus a loan that is 70% guaranteed by the European Central Bank.Read more.
06/2021: An investment of EUR 312 500 for Redkik Oy
Redkikis a global Insurtech start-up with the mission to transform and improve the insurance industry for all parties within logistics and transportation.
Start-up Fund Joensuu invested 75,000 euros in the company. The total investment of the financing round was 312,500 euros, while at the same time the North Karelia Growth Fund managed by venture capital investment company Redstone and business angel Ilari Schouwvlieger invested a total of 237,500 euros.Read more.
03/2021: An investment of EUR 100 000 for Kelluu Oy
Kelluu Ltd, which manufactures miniature autopilot airship concept to perform many kind of airborne data transfer duties, has received a significant funding of 100,000 euros from the Start-up Fund Joensuu. The airship has an extremely long flight time thanks to low-emission hydrogen-powered technology. Kelluu Oy has an airship factory in Reijola, Joensuu.
At the end of 2019, Kelluu Oy received significant funding from Business Finland. In addition to Start-up Fund Joensuu, also Kim Väisänen, Suomen Vaikuttavussijoitus Oy, and Joen Infra Oy also invested in the company's operations. Read more.
11/2020: An investment of EUR 100 000 for Vaki Oy
Vaki Ltd., which is known by its brand name Vaki Games, is a gaming company established in 2016. The company currently employs 9 part-time and full-time employees. The company’s game by the name of Kingshunt (kingshunt.com) is an online multi-player game that will feature action and strategy. The game will be published in spring 2021.
Start-up Fund Joensuu has invested EUR 100,000 in the company, of which EUR 50,000 is conditional and linked to the performance indicators agreed on for the game’s launch.Read more.
09/2020: An investment of EUR 100 000 for Fiuge Oy
Fiuge Oyis a crowdsourced and community-based delivery service that operates in the Helsinki region, Kirkkonummi, Turku, Pori, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Savonlinna, Kajaani and Porvoo. The service functions as a mobile application and on the website, and its clients include B2C and B2B companies. The purpose of the service is to make deliveries as flexible, affordable and ecological as possible.
Start-up Fund Joensuu will be investing EUR 100,000 in Fiuge. The company has also received funding from Gorilla Capital Ky and the Joensuu-based company Timonen Auto Oy. The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment has provided funding of approximately EUR 750,000 for service development and launching operations.Read more.
06/2020: An investment of EUR 100 000 for Hypermemo Oy
Established in Joensuu in 2009,Hypermemois a company developing a unique carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser) solution. At the moment, the company employs five people in its new production and development facilities in Joensuu. The company is based on a technology developed by Russian-born Vadim Kiyko. Its development started at the Russian Academy of Science and continued in Joensuu.
Hypermemo Ltd has received an investment of EUR 100,000 from the Startup Development Joensuu – Investment Fund which operates via a subsidiary of Business Joensuu. The investment will accelerate the company’s growth and enable new capital investments.Read more.
12/2022: An investment of EUR 120 000 for Aris4Autism Oy
Aris4Autism is developing an automated digital system that can be used to map the development level of an autistic child and possible problem behaviors and prepare a rehabilitation program for the child that meets his needs. Aris4Autism offers parents all the tools to implement rehabilitation. Parents have the opportunity to carry out rehabilitation alone or together with experts in different fields, such as a speech, activity or play therapist in an online environment.
Start Up fund Joensuu invested EUR 120,000 in Aris4Autism and North Karelia Growth Fund EUR 150,000. The EUR 270,000 loan granted by Business Finland will bring the total capital of the financing round to EUR 540,000.
Investments made by Start-up Fund Joensuu and the North Karelia Growth Fund
Fund news
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The expansion of business outside the domestic market and goal-oriented international growth require a careful internationalisation plan and time, financial and competence resources.
Join our community of globally growing companies in North Karelia which helps you focus on building or expanding your export activities by developing your company's internal skills and capabilities for new markets. We also help you find and recruit international employees for your company and support their smooth relocation to the Joensuu region.
