This month we didn't only close our first-time EUR 100 million fund — we're moreover thrilled to welcome Juuso Koskinen to the byFounders team! Originally from Finland, Juuso will be relocating to Copenhagen from Helsinki, where he’s been working at OpenOcean as part of their investment team for nearly three years.

Juuso has been a part of the Nordic startup world since 2012. Like many a young student in Finland, he got a first taste of the Nordic ecosystem by volunteering at Slush. After the conference he ran the Startup Sauna accelerator for two years, soon becoming one of the most active programs for early-stage startups from the Nordics and Baltics. While finishing his studies, he worked with product marketing in a Finnish startup before making the switch to the VC side of the table.

"My Startup Sauna experience was a real crash course to the Nordic startup scene. It felt like ten years packed into two. I had the most unforgettable experience of not only meeting entrepreneurs, investors and other key people from the Nordics and Baltics, but also helping in getting Helsinki on the map as a highly credible startup ecosystem."

Bringing Juuso on board will add to the byFounders’ team with rich experiences from both sides of the negotiation table and a vast network in Finland and other Nordic startup hubs.

"Joining byFounders was an opportunity that I just couldn't pass on. The team is fantastic with a great mixture of backgrounds from all sides of the industry. I already have a clear idea as to how I can contribute to our further success. After spending almost three years looking at Series A companies, I now look forward to meeting and supporting entrepreneurs at earlier stages in their quest for success. I am very excited about my role and the Nordic region in general, where not only the activity level, but the quality level of emerging startups is ever increasing. Finally, I’m excited to explore and settle in another up-and-coming Nordic startup hub, getting to know the local ecosystem even better."

Juuso gets most excited about companies that solve end-users complex problems in a seemingly simple and elegant way. Coupled with a penchant for Nordic design, he pays serious attention to the user-friendliness of any product.

"You should never underestimate your end-users, however, the best creators are always mindful of simplifying the end-user’s life."

When Juuso is not meeting with the most talented Nordic founders, he’s most likely spending his time brewing the perfect cup of coffee, playing golf or practicing the Danish soft “D” (the latter, he claims, will probably never be accomplished). His lifelong dream is to open the first three-starred Michelin restaurant in Finland.

Juuso is always up for meeting with fellow Finns and other entrepreneurs. Don’t hesitate to reach out to him at juuso@byfounders.vc.