Bio

Mikko has been building technology businesses for almost 30 years:

  • Over 15 years as a successful "hands on" venture capitalist in the US and in Europe
  • 10 years in operations

Personally led investments and board positions in 13 businesses, which have raised over $ 300 M and are valued at $ 1 Billion, including Carbonite (CARB), Iobox (TEF), Pedestal Software (ATRS / SYMC), Sample Rate Systems (FLEX), SiGe Semiconductor (SWKS) and Tedasys (SNRA)

  • At present Senior Adviser for DFJ Esprit, the European affiliate for Menlo Park, California based Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Finnvera Venture Capital in Finland
  • Former Partner with 3i US in Boston, US and a co-founder of SFK Finance, Finland, which was acquired by 3i (a FTSE 100 company)
  • P / L responsibility as Managing Director of Qatar Capital Partners (a regulated entity) and 3D Computing (a Helsinki University of Technology spin-off) and as a Manager with Nokia Data. Served with Unisys European HQ (UK) and as a consultant with McKinsey
  • A frequent guest speaker at Fortune's Global CEO Conference, IBM, MIT, Super Return and in Finland with AmCham, Finnvera, Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology, SITRA and TEKES
  • Quoted by New York Times, Red Herring and TIME and in Finland by the Helsingin Sanomat, Kauppalehti, Suomen Kuvalehti and YLE TV news
  • Since the 90's contributed to the development of public-private partnerships between VC's, the EU and the US and Finnish governments:
    • awarded by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari
    • Contributed to the adoption of the development of a foreign direct investment strategy (FDI) to be a part of the new Finnish 2011 government program
    • Now active with the Finnish government in order to have Finland removed from the US President's "Special 301" report regarding intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement
  • MBA from the Helsinki School of Business and a BBA from Portland State University, Oregon, USA. Executive education at Harvard Business School

Professional memberships

Board member
The American Chamber of Commerce in Finland AmCham

Member
The Finnish Association of Professional Board Members