New eBook: 10 Steps to Scale Up Your Professional Services Business
Takeoff Partners has released a new ebook that distills the common success factors shared by rapidly growing professional service businesses based on our experiences.
Eficode acquires Takeoff Partners’ portfolio company Avoset
Takeoff Partners has concluded a successful exit as one of its portfolio companies, Avoset, is acquired by Eficode, a key player in Finland among the Atlassian partner businesses.
Software company Lenio successfully completed a €390k funding round, including investment from Takeoff Partners
With the new funding and a larger network of experts inspired by Lenio’s offering and its potential to create success for SMEs, the company is now well placed to continue growth serving domestic clients and further down the line, setting sights abroad.
After surpassing the milestone of 1,000 board meetings, Markko Vaarnas sits down to discuss how growth companies can get the most out of their boards
This fall, Markko Vaarnas surpassed the impressive milestone of having sat in 1,000 board meetings throughout his career. With experience from both sides of the table—as the CEO as well as a board member—he shares his thoughts on how board work has change
With an impressive growth trajectory and a new acquisition, Avoset has become a power to behold among Atlassian consultancies
Avoset, one of Takeoff Partners’ portfolio companies, has rapidly expanded its clientele in Finland. Now, it has acquired a fellow Atlassian consultancy Polar Shift to further enhance its offering, particularly in cloud migration.
We asked CollectiveCrunch Co-CEO Rolf Schmitz about startups and external advisors—you need to recognize your gaps and have the humility to seek outside insight
Takeoff Partners’ portfolio company CollectiveCrunch has jumped on an impressive growth trajectory in the recent years. Co-CEO Rolf Schmitz believes part of the success lies in the founding team’s willingness to seek external advice when needed.
Company culture carried HUONE through the pandemic—it’s a critical resilience factor investors and business leaders should pay attention to
Within the meetings and events industry, the lockdowns caused by the pandemic ended the story of many companies. At Takeoff Partners’ portfolio company HUONE, CEO Evon Blomstedt and her team steered their business through this challenging period.
How to steer a SaaS company towards scalable growth? It requires a comprehensive review of the fundamentals
Leading a SaaS business requires a broad understanding of many different and interlinked aspects of the business from management processes to product itself and from customer success and marketing to executing financial rounds successfully.
New CEO of Futures Platform: “Foresight is a success factor for every organization regardless of size”
Juha Mattsson, the new CEO of our portfolio company Futures Platform, talks about new add-on services of Futures Platform to complement the offering, and the future of retail after it was upended by the pandemic.
Kim Väisänen is out with a new book on selling: “The secrets to success are trusting the process and learning how to create trust quickly”
For his new book Huippumyyjät, Kim Väisänen from Takeoff Partners interviewed sixteen top-performing salespeople from different industries in order to learn what they all have in common.
New eBook: Ready for Takeoff – Grooming your SaaS business to the next level
Overview on the topics that should be on the agenda of every B2B SaaS business leaders. It serves as a toolkit that can help identify development needs as well as to offer insight on when an external advisor or consultant could bring in added value.
Portfolio company news: Howspace completes €12M Series A funding round
From Takeoff Partners, Markko Vaarnas and Jouko Virtanen are closely involved with Howspace. Markko is an investor and an advisor and has worked together with Howspace leadership to prepare for this funding round.
Post-pandemic eCommerce boom is accelerating Videoly’s expansion to North America
Despite the travel restrictions in place, Takeoff Partners portfolio company Videoly has taken on the task of seeking growth in North America. It is working, and now the startup is opening an office in Toronto to take things to the next level.
Expanding to North America: here’s how you do it in 2021
Jouko Virtanen from Takeoff Partners has overseen several successful expansions to North America. He says that in 2021, the same laws apply to how to make it successful as before—but you need to also turn the accelerating digitalization to your advantage.
6+1 tips for renewing growth company board
The board of a growth company can bring a great deal of insight, professionalism and opportunities to the company, but only if it is set up the right way. The same goes for changing the board. This article discusses renewing the board: when, why and how.
The pandemic made HUONE a forerunner of corona-safe meetings and events – “If we survive this, we’ll survive anything”
After a turbulent spring and ahead of a difficult winter, HUONE CEO Evon Blomstedt remains positive. She hopes that entrepreneurs less affected by the pandemic would show support to those who are most impacted by it – by continuing to do business.
New eBook: KPI Benchmarks Every SaaS Leader Should Understand
SaaS metrics is a popular theme of which there is a lot of high-quality content available. However, as of present, one needs to do quite a lot of research to gain a proper understanding on how to interpret different SaaS KPIs.
New addition to Takeoff Partners portfolio: Avoset helps businesses become more agile with Atlassian tools
With the help of new investors, growth company Avoset seeks to become Finland’s market leader of Atlassian consultancies, with international expansion firmly in the long-term plans.
With added flexibility and new services, MeetingPackage helps the hotel industry through covid-19 shutdowns
By now, the covid-19 pandemic has impacted almost all industries in one way or another. Takeoff Partners’ portfolio company MeetingPackage has been hard at work thinking how to help hotels in keeping their events and meeting venues business afloat.
3 tips for sales leadership in a growth-seeking professional services company
The first part of our article series focused on how to set up the sales function of a professional services company in practice, especially when it comes to assigning roles and responsibilities. This second part focuses on the high level – the leadership.
3 tips for organizing sales in a growth-seeking professional services company
Very often, professional services suffer from the “feast and famine” phenomenon. Developing the company’s sales team helps to prevent this and grow the business, however several potential pitfalls also need to be considered.
Futures Platform helps organizations to understand the world after COVID-19 and the opportunities it will bring
The WHO warned about it and science was clear on it: sooner or later, a major pandemic would come. For this reason, for a long time there has been a phenomenon called “Deadly Pandemics” in Futures Platform online foresight solution.
The pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint – Howspace knows it and helps organizations to succeed digitally in the long term
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the world was subjected to an unforeseen pressure to digitalize activities, Howspace put other plans on hold and started focusing on helping organizations thrive in this new environment.
With a 70% increase in daily users, Cuckoo Workout is on a mission to keep remote workers moving
Often the ergonomics of the home office are not as good as at work, so taking breaks and moving regularly is even more important for the health when working remotely, says Veera Lehmonen, CEO of Cuckoo Workout.
What determines the success of your exit? It certainly isn’t luck
Kim Väisänen from Takeoff Partners is currently co-authoring a book about exits and everything you should consider if you want to sell your company. Everything being the key word here – the book is a comprehensive how-to guide.
Clean it up on time: how to schedule your Series A financing round for maximum results
Preparing for a startup financing round is, in some sense, like preparing for selling your apartment. You can go about it in two different ways.
Takeoff Academy – Focus on SaaS sales
Is reducing SaaS churn rate part of sales? Absolutely. Customer success should be understood as part of sales for B2B SaaS, and the teams organized and measured accordingly. This was one of the key takeaways of this month's Takeoff Academy.
8 requirements VCs expect your B2B SaaS startup to meet or Series A round will forever remain a dream
Many startups, even those run by experienced entrepreneurs, often think their company is in great shape for Series A. Too often this isn’t true. Yet, what VCs expect from a B2B SaaS startup to invest in a Series A round is in fact very consistent.
Portfolio company news: HUONE has opened its fourth unit in Copenhagen
After expanding to two new countries in just a span of two years, Evon Blomstedt, CEO of HUONE, talks about the differences between Nordic and Asian ways to do business and her thoughts on the future of work.
Takeoff Partners and Finnish Dutch Chamber of Commerce discussed collaboration and market entry to Netherlands
Finnish Dutch Chamber of Commerce (FDCC) organized one of its regular, popular business trips to Helsinki this September. As part of it, Takeoff Partners hosted an afternoon event to the delegates on Thursday, September 12 at HUONE Kamppi.
Portfolio company news: CollectiveCrunch’s ground-breaking AI Linda Forest is ready
“Think Google Maps for forestry,” summarizes CEO and Co-founder Rolf Schmitz, when asked to explain the essence of what Linda Forest is. “With Linda Forest, you can target the wood resources you need, plan your harvest and harvest what you targeted.”
Successful integration after acquisition – lessons learned
As an active investor and board member, Takeoff Partners’ Markko Vaarnas has seen many integrations first hand.
Portfolio company news: Cuckoo Workout® grows internationally with the help of Business Finland’s Young Innovative Company Funding
Takeoff Partner’s portfolio company Cuckoo Workout® has been getting offices moving in Finland with their break exercise app that aims to promote health at workplaces. Last year, we wrote about Cuckoo Workout’s Cuckoo School initiative that aims to get ch
Futures Platform secures EUR 1 million financing
Futures Platform, the SaaS company behind the leading foresight tool that makes it fast and easy to analyze alternative future scenarios, today announced that it has secured EUR 1M in funding.
Portfolio company news: MeetingPackage accelerates international growth with 1.5 MEUR investment
Takeoff Partner’s portfolio company MeetingPackage has announced its latest investment round of 1.5 million euros. The investment will boost the Finnish company’s growth and internationalization as MeetingPackage aims to grow its presence in Continental
Expert advice on taking Finnish SaaS Products to the North American market – The Case of Howspace
Takeoff Partner’s portfolio company Howspace has taken their digital facilitation software for change management and learning to the North American market. At the moment, approximately 25% of the Finnish company’s revenue comes from outside Finland and th
How a board of directors prepares for mergers and acquisitions - Future Board meeting
Markko Vaarnas, the Managing Partner of Takeoff Partners, was invited to speak at the Future Board & Nordea partner meeting on April 11th in the old bank hall of Nordea in Helsinki.
Takeoff Partners’ investor Kim Väisänen launches a book to help entrepreneurs become money magnets: "Learn from others' mistakes, do your homework"
Kim Väisänen, a Takeoff Partners’ investor, award-winning business influencer, public speaker and the man behind the world’s leading data erasure software company Blancco, launches a must-read book for any entrepreneur wanting to really make it in the bus
Markko Vaarnas of Takeoff Partners joins the FiBAN Board of Directors
Finnish Business Angel Network (FiBAN) has elected a new board of directors for 2019. Markko Vaarnas accompanies six other board members to lead FiBAN to another successful year of business angel investing.
Takeoff Academy – People and company culture as keys to a successful startup
Takeoff Partners was enthusiastic to host Takeoff Academy workshop in Helsinki on December 18th 2018. The event was packed with experts’ speeches and interesting topics about corporate culture, modern recruiting and how to stay healthy.
Videoly connects videos to online stores – and experiences massive international growth
Our portfolio company Videoly allows online stores to easily add relevant videos to every product page. Videoly, the brainchild of Russian search expert Sergey Andryukhin, was founded in Finland in 2014 and has already expanded internationally.
Cuckoo Workout® Successfully Brings Together Companies and Schools for Better Health: Cuckoo School App Moves 30 000 Students All Around Finland
Cuckoo Workout® has for five years been providing offices with a tool that helps promote regular physical activity and boost the feeling of togetherness during workdays.
Expertise and innovation – Pilvi™ provides SaaS providers with the tools they need to grow
Our portfolio company Pilvi Cloud Company Ltd is an active force in the SaaS field. The sales automation software Pilvi™ is doing well and has been used as a base for a new SaaS marketplace, the SaaShop. Read more about this growing platform!
Running an effective Board meeting in a growth company / start-up
To have an effective Board meeting the agenda needs to be carefully planned, and the Board members will need the supporting materials in advance in an easy-to-digest format. Markko Vaarnas shares an example about setting the agenda.
Startup Board work: 10+1 things for the Board to focus on in startup companies
Making sure that a startup company has a clear vision, a carefully crafted company culture and a business model that has been thoroughly validated by customers should be the focal points of the company’s Board work. What else is relevant?
How can growth companies find and engage board members and utilize their expertise
Looking for Board members and Advisors should be based on the company’s business plan. Who can help your growth company? What is the best way for the best experts to be involved? Markko Vaarnas shares his thoughts on this important topic.
Takeoff Partners invests in Miradore, Device Lifecycle Management company
Takeoff Partners has invested in Miradore, provider of IT device management solutions. Miradore solves the challenge that companies have with managing their growing number of IT devices and the related security and regulatory demands.
Futures Platform organizes the Strategic Foresight Summit 2018 in Helsinki
Takeoff Partners' portfolio company Futures Platform brings together global experts in futures studies and future-oriented organizations in Finland on June 12-13 for the Strategic Foresight Summit 2018.
Takeoff Partners invests in UPGRD Photos, provider of design automation for photography
Takeoff Partners adds UPGRD Photos to its investment portfolio in conjunction with the company’s half-million euro seed round. URGRD Photos looks to revolutionize the traditional school, sports and daycare photography.
Mythbusting: Getting sales meetings in North America - How hard can it be?
Entering the North American market is challenging for Finnish companies, goes the saying. We adopted a mythbuster mindset and tested the impact of senior advisors’ personal networks in approaching interest groups in the US.
Markko Vaarnas interviewed in Kauppalehti on growth entrepreneurship and the Boardman2020 leadership
Avoid making hasty recruitments and less than thoroughly considered company acquisitions. These and other insights came through as the new Chairman of the Boardman2020 network Markko Vaarnas was interviewed by Kauppalehti.
B2B SaaS Pricing: Monetization and retention is key, not customer acquisition
Frequently, SaaS businesses put most of their sales focus on new customer acquisition. 'Wrong', says Patrick Campbell from ProfitWell.com. Customer retention is key to success, and companies are lazy at researching it properly.
Takeoff Academy: Best Practices in B2B SaaS Product Plans and Pricing
If customers don’t find pricing info on your SaaS product’s website, they will only fish for search phrases and continue googling. How to price your SaaS product online so that it’s easy to understand, appreciate – and buy?
Markko Vaarnas to lead growth network Boardman2020
Takeoff Partners’ Managing Partner Markko Vaarnas takes the helm of the Boardman2020 network. Boardman2020, or ‘B2020’, focuses on developing board performance and entrepreneurship in Finnish growth companies.
Stora Enso develops production processes through machine learning with CollectiveCrunch
Takeoff Partners' portfolio company CollectiveCrunch takes part in Stora Enso's startup program. Stora Enso's ambition is to save millions of euros annually through predicting the costly cracking of paper during roll-up.
Cuckoo Workout finds product-market fit in Finland and hits break-even with 70 customers on board
Cuckoo Workout has achieved break-even with the current team and customers, proving it runs a sustainable business. CEO Veera Lahmonen talks about the journey so far, and the next steps.
Futures Platform closes half million euro equity round
The equity financing round was subscribed in full in only six weeks. Futures Platform has won tens of new customers in Finland while at the same time getting prepared for international expansion.
FiBAN selects Kim Väisänen as the Business Angel of the Year 2017!
The Finnish Business Angel Network (FiBAN) annually awards the Finnish Business Angel of the Year – a person who has made valuable investments and supported the Finnish startup ecosystem. The award winner in 2017: Kim Väisänen!
Kim Väisänen becomes the first Finn to win the Internationalization Award of the President both as entrepreneur and as Chairman
The soundproof private space manufacturer and developer Framery has been awarded with the Internationalization Award of the President of the Republic of Finland. Kim Väisänen is an investor and Chairman of the Board in Framery.
So I made an exit – then what? How Kim Väisänen became a co-entrepreneur
Kim Väisänen, the former CEO and Co-Founder of Blancco, describes himself as co-entrepreneur and his everyday life as ‘a game of roulette’. The investor, advisor and father of three dreams of one day starting a company from scratch again.
Takeoff Academy: Best Practices in B2B SaaS Marketing
SaaS marketers should first understand the customer’s problem, and only then consider the variety of marketing approaches. 13 companies took part in the Takeoff Academy workshop on “Best Practices in SaaS Marketing”. We summarize the workshop discussions.
Paying it forward - Markko Vaarnas on growth, strategy and leadership
By the time we had offices in 10 countries, I had to learn a new leadership style.While I recognized the need to delegate stuff, I found myself involved in rather small decisions. Quoting Jim Collins, I had to move from “time telling” to “clock building”.
Key Takeaways from SaaStock 2017
"SaaStock17 in Dublin was a highly useful 3 days. I am not only impressed by the quality of the content insights shared in the stage program, but also about the overall quality of participants."
Takeoff Partners invests in CollectiveCrunch, provider of machine learning-based forecasts for industries
Takeoff Partners adds CollectiveCrunch to its investment portfolio. CollectiveCrunch is an analytics company that utilizes machine learning to combine technical, climate and geo data for the benefit of industries such as forestry.
Takeoff Partners' Kim Väisänen in the jury of the Nordic Startup Awards Finland competition
On September 7th, Nordic Startup Awards held its Finnish National Finale, honouring the best of Finland's startup ecosystem in various categories. Kim Väisänen was invited as a member of the awards jury.
MeetingPackage.com boosts growth with 1,2 MEUR seed financing, preparing A-round towards year-end
MeetingPackage.com, a Takeoff Partners portfolio company, boosts growth with a EUR 1,2 million seed financing round. MeetingPackage.com has won large customers recently, validating its value proposition to both meeting venues and business customers.
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 28.9.2017
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Sep 28, 2017 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested in participating to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by Sep 21.
Startup company – adopt ‘a German mindset’ to comply with GDPR by May 2018
The new EU privacy laws are already in force. It’s high time for startups, too to know what GDPR is, and what it requires from company processes, documentation, technology, UX, and contracts.
What SaaS Startups Need to Know about Customer Success Management (CSM)
80% of all software companies will run a subscription based business model by 2020. What will determine whose products the users will love most? We organized a workshop among 9 companies to look into the best practices of Customer Success Management.
Startups: Understand EU's new privacy laws, attend event on Jun 14
Exove and Takeoff Partners organise a morning info session tailored for start-ups and early stage companies to understand, manage, and mitigate the effects of GDPR.
Data driven management urges companies to develop their KPI management practices
Leaders these days need accurate KPI data, in real time and transparently. Yet efficient KPI management is easier said than done. We have developed a four-stage KPI management maturity model that lays out the typical development stages in KPI management.
Takeoff Partners invests in Humap Software, platform for digitalizing consulting projects
Takeoff Partners is part of the investor consortium that finances Humap Software with a 1,3 million euro growth investment.
MeetingPackage.com complements team with top recruits and puts pedal to the metal
With its tested and perfected business model, Takeoff Partners’ portfolio company MeetingPackage.com is now ready to speed up its growth and international expansion.
Key Takeaways from Finance Board 2017
Finance Board 2017 on March 9th brought together finance providers, entrepreneurs and business leaders interested in financing international growth. Read Markkos key takeaways of the event.
Entering the North American market – the typical lessons and beyond
Jouko Virtanen spent 11 years living and working in North America. Back in Finland, he’s now helping Finnish B2B startups and growth companies enter the US market. What are some of the lessons Jouko brought with him from across the pond?
Takeoff Partners invests in Nonono, consumer complaints service
Takeoff Partners has invested in Nonono.io, a service platform that makes it possible for consumers to publicly send constructive feedback to any company.
SaaS company, utilize your Board and advisors
Recently, we have announced three investments, in Futures Platform, Artist Exchange, and most recently, in PilviTM. Each one wants to actively bring in and utilize external advisory as help when reaching for their growth targets.
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 23.11.2016
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Nov 11, 2016 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested to participate to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by Nov 18.
Takeoff Partners invests in Pilvi™, online business enabler
Takeoff Partners has invested in Pilvi™, an online sales automation and management platform for cloud services. Pilvi provides plug and play online shops for SaaS companies. It also enables cloud and hosting service providers to sell th
Key takeaways from SaaStock, Dublin
We visited the SaaStock event in Dublin, Ireland in October. Here re some of the key findings from the presentations and discussions. THE key lesson? Invest in client monetization and retention more than in new client acquisition.
Artist Exchange and Teosto join forces to develop digital services for buying and selling live music
The Finnish Composers' Copyright Society Teosto becomes a co-owner of Takeoff Partners portfolio company Artist Exchange. Both Teosto and Artist Exchange are looking to develop new digital services that benefit both buyers and performers of live music.
Takeoff Partners invests in Futures Platform, an innovative foresight tool
Takeoff Partners participates in the 550 thousand euro financing round to support Futures Platform in its product development and internationalization. Futures Platform is a web-based tool that helps organizations build a holistic view of their own future
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 31.8.2016
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Wednesday, Aug 31, 2016 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested to participate to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by Aug 26.
Takeoff Partners invests in Artist Exchange, trading platform for live music
Takeoff Partners kicks off the Fall season with an investment in a Helsinki-based startup company Artist Exchange that aims at revolutionizing the way live music is bought and sold.
Success factors of internationalization – eBook
Taking startup global is a trending topic around the world. Yet there is very little publicly available literature on structuring the phases of taking a business overseas. This White Paper discusses – through a framework approach...
Tips for summer reading: My Top 10 business books
With summer holidays around the corner, I’m looking forward to the usual sunshine and family time, but also to occasional hideaways with a few insightful books. I know I’m not alone so I thought of listing out my own all time favorites on the business b..
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 23.5.2016
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Monday, May 23rd, 2016 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested to participate to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by May 13.
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 20.4.2016
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested to participate to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by Wednesday, April 13.
Portfolio company case: Meetingpackage.com launched in the UK
Our portfolio company Cocouz Oy Ltd. has recently finalized its 300kEUR seed financing round with a group of angel investors. The company is now taking its Meetingpackage.com meeting bookings service to the UK market.
Finance Board – The Do’s and Don’ts about financing international growth
Finance Board brought together entrepreneurs and financiers to share best practices in raising funds for internationalization. The widely thanked event featured keynote speeches, a panel discussion and a reverse pitching section with 15 major financiers.
Three things that matter when seeking finance for internationalization
What are the key things that an investor looks at when evaluating the international growth plan of a startup? We're highlighting the three success factors that in our experience will make or break a financing deal.
Cuckoo Workout – A fun way of addressing the global challenge of too much sitting at work
Takeoff Partners’ portfolio company Cuckoo Workout is winning traction in Finland and exploring markets overseas with its gamified service that encourages people to sit less and take regular breaks during the day.
Takeoff Partners teams up with Boardman2020 and Finpro to organize Finance Board with the theme of 'Raising finance for international growth'
Finance Board, the first of its kind in Finland, brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders and various providers of finance for internationalization on March 10, 2016 in Helsinki.
Takeoff Partners congratulates portfolio company Rocsole for bold internationalization plans and a sizable financing round led by Repsol
Rocsole collected a several million euro funding round led by the Spanish oil and gas company Repsol together with Finnvera and other investors. This will be the first investment in a Finnish company by an international oil company.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2016!
Let's enjoy the Holiday Season and build a Successful 2016 together! Instead of mailing out Christmas cards this year, we have supported the Startup Refugees initiative.
Winning traction: Creating customer experiences that translate into business growth
The fifth and last success factor in our Takeoff Success Factors framework, ‘Traction’, discusses the inseparable relationship between customer experience management and sales.
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 19.1.2016 - Note the altered date!
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Tuesday, Jan 19, 2016 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested to participate to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by Wednesday, Jan 13.
An afternoon with global minded entrepreneurs - Recap of the Growth Board event
What is the secret of taking a business global? Forget textbooks. There is no one magic formula or theory, only lots of homework, time spent on strategy, time spent on testing and learning – and unlearning. ‘Be smart and run fast.’
Invitation to the Takeoff Partners Investment Screening Day 1.12.2015
Takeoff Partners will organize an Investment Screening Day on Tuesday, Dec 1, 2015 at 10-14 in Helsinki. We kindly ask the entrepreneurs interested to participate to send their investor decks to info (at) takeoffpartners.com by Wednesday, Nov 25.
Growing into a global thought leader: How to?
In this article we discuss thought leadership, and why we would advise an internationalizing company to aim for it. ‘Positioning’ is the fourth success factor out of five in our Takeoff Success Factors framework.
How to avoid chaos while growing?
We’ve already covered two of the five success factors in internationalizing B2B software and service businesses, ‘People’ and ‘Solution’. It’s time to introduce the third one: ‘Scalability’. How do we make sure we won’t reinvent the wheel?
5 steps to take a B2B software product or service global
We have introduced ‘People’ as the first of five key success factors in internationalizing B2B software or service businesses. Second in line is ‘Solution’. The very thing that fills a global need and is at the core of the business opportunity.
Takeoff Partners joins Booxmedia, Basemark, HappyOrNot on Boardman's Growth Board seminar - Registration is open!
Takeoff Partners will have a leading role in organizing Boardman's upcoming Growth Board seminar in Helsinki on November 23, 2015. The seminar focuses on sharing best practises in internationalizing businesses.
Success Factors in Internationalization: From entrepreneurs to an empowered global organization
We have introduced the Takeoff Success Factors framework that builds on our own experiences from growing businesses overseas. We will now dig deeper into the first of the five success factors: People.
Takeoff Partners signs up to #StartupRefugees in Finland - Challenges other accelerators and investors to join in
Takeoff Partners has signed up to the #StartupRefugees initiative launched by @RikuRantala and @TunnaMilonoff, the entrepreneurs behind Docventures, a popular Finnish tv documentary series.
Takeoff Partners launches a tool for growth entrepreneurs to plan for internationalization
The Takeoff Success Factors framework summarizes the best practices that Takeoff Partners have discovered when internationalizing B2B software and service businesses.
Jouko Virtanen appointed Chairman of the Board for Takeoff Partners – brings strong experience from North America
Jouko Virtanen has joined the Takeoff Partners team of growth advisors as Senior Partner and Chairman of the Board. Virtanen has recently relocated to Finland after 11 years of living and working in North America.
Kim Väisänen joins business growth advisor Takeoff Partners
Kim Väisänen, founder of the data erasure company Blancco, has joined Takeoff Partners, a Finnish team of experienced growth advisors and private investors.
Takeoff Partners invests in LATO Leadership Automation Tools
LATO's mobile application for the daily execution of strategy has convinced a number of customers and angel investors. The company aims at international growth.
Takeoff Partners helps Meetingpackage.com revolutionize B2B meeting reservation practices
Takeoff Partners lead the 150 kEUR seed investment round of Meetingpackage.com in spring 2015. The web service brings together B2B meeting organizers and venue providers in a transparent fashion.
Cuckoo Workout receives growth funding from Takeoff Partners
Cuckoo Workout has completed a 160 thousand euro seed funding round with a network of private investors led by Takeoff Partners. With the help of the investment, the Cuckoo Workout service will be launched on a larger scale in Finland.
Takeoff Partners invests in Enbrite.ly as part of syndicate
Enbrite.ly, the winner of Slush 2014 pitch competition, announced in May 2015 that it has closed it's investment round. Takeoff Partners was part of the investor syndicate.
Markko Vaarnas in the Arctic15 jury selecting Fourdeg as the winner of pitch competition
Takeoff Partners' Markko Vaarnas was part of the jury that selected Fourdeg as the winner of the Arctic15 pitching competition in May 2015.
Our background: The Blancco story
Blancco is the world’s leading provider of data erasure software. Founded in 1997, Blancco is headquartered in Finland and operates through 17 international offices and partners globally. Blancco is wholly owned subsidiary of Regenersis since 2014.
Our background: The GIA story
Global Intelligence Alliance Group (GIA) introduced the idea of “market intelligence as a service” to the corporate world. During 15 years and with the support of CapMan, 3i Group and private investors, the Finnish startup grew into a 15MEUR business.