Connecting Investors Science & Industry

Matti Hautsalo

Founding Partner, Nordic Science Investments

Matti has a deep-rooted background in venture capital, working extensively with early-stage technology companies. He has also run a private investment vehicle focussing on research based spinout co-creation in Nordics, UK and North America. Over the years, Matti has held key board roles and managed investments and early team building processes across a range of deep tech sectors, spanning from adaptive materials to quantum chemistry and cancer therapies. Matti is also a board member of Syniad Innovations, a materials technology IP investor in Canada.

Ville Heikkinen

Partner, Butterfly Ventures

Hands-on transaction and fund management specialist with 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, VC financing, M&A and technology management, L.LM and M.Sc. in Economics, Partner of Butterfly Ventures since 2014, an ex-quarterback, who nowadays satisfies need for speed and action downhill skiing, motorcycling and running. Ville is a true team player, who puts all in. His knowledge of all sorts of business related agreements is extraordinary and an enormous help to any startup. He’s social, has a great contact network and has almost magical ability to connect the right people. In addition he’s creative thinker, deep in the startup scene and truly fun to work with.

Pekka Hildén

Partner, Almaral

With 25 years in the medtech and in vitro diagnostics industry, Pekka has extensive experience in global business development, including leadership roles in Asia, the EU, and the US. Pekka successfully established and scaled a Chinese subsidiary to €25M revenue over a decade, and has been actively involved in M&A, due diligence, and strategic growth initiatives. Pekka holds an M.Sc. in Biochemistry, an MBA from Henley Business School, and board certification. Pekka now consults for Almaral. Pekka is passionate about healthcare innovations that deliver measurable value to patients, providers, investors, and founders alike.

Elizabeth Jennings

Managing Partner, Venture Atlas Labs

Working at the intersection of investment and commercialization, Elizabeth Jennings is known for bringing innovative technologies to commercial success. Focused on healthcare, life science, and social impact, she runs portfolio services firm Venture Atlas Labs, through which she and the VAL team focus on developing successful commercial and market scenarios for international trade organizations, venture capital, private equity, and corporate units. Leveraging experience launching new scientific and medical technologies in some of the most complex and challenging markets worldwide, she frequently speaks at accelerators, institutes, and global summits on fundraising and commercial strategy.

Joni Karsikas

Joni is Investment Director at Tesi where he focuses on Venture Capital investments in Health & Life Sciences companies. He has some 15 years of sector experience from VC and consulting.

Marko Kuisma

Partner, Innovestor Life Science

Marko has 15 years of start-up experience in digital health, international health tech, health care, and med tech sectors. He has experience in strategic planning and execution, leading commercial operations, and tons of hands-on experience from the front lines. He has held leadership roles in multiple companies, e.g. Mobidiag (acquired by Hologic in 2021) and, recently, as CCO of Kaiku Health (acquired by Elekta in 2020), and sits in several digital health company boards. He holds several mentor and advisor positions, e.g. in NOME, Spark Finland, Digital Therapeutics Alliance, and Health Incubator Helsinki.

Vesa Lehtinen

Angel Investor, Serial Entrepreneur, Professional Business Developer, Corenvest Ltd

Vesa has performed 20+ private investments and 10+ exits. Has made several medical device investments and has been active in R&D of innovative powertrains for the future electric mobility solutions as an investor and board professional. Startup Coach in an Incubation Center (Jyväskylä Startup Factory / Yritystehdas), a Business Development Specialist in University of Jyväskylä and a board representative for University's investment fund Unifund in their portfolio companies. Board professional, Business Development Director, CEO and a Business Owner of a real estate / travel business in Turkey. Track record as a race driver in the field of international motorsport. M.SC, Business Economics. CBM (Certified Board Member). Member of FIBAN, EBAN and Sophia Business Angels.

Audra Shallal

Vice President, Corenvest Ltd

Audra is a bilingual (English, French) American national and French Resident with an impressive educational background. She holds degrees in International Business and International Economics from the American University of Paris (AUP), an MBA from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC), and a DEA degree in Strategic Management from the Sorbonne. Currently, Audra is Vice-president of Corenvest based in Finland and France. With over twenty years of experience, she specializes in Entrepreneurship- Business Planning and Pitch Coaching-Investor Ready Programs. Audra consults for international organizations such as OECD, UNEP, UNIDO, and the European Commission.

Noora Tuikka

CEO, Nostetta Ventures

Startup enthusiast with wide experience in setting up and developing marketing of international technology startups. Passionate about innovation, business growth and wicked ideas. Specializes in result based marketing concepts, new business design, and process development.

Paulus Carpelan

CEO and co-founder at Adamant Health Ltd, Chair of the Board, Kuopio Health

Paulus is a business and product leader with over two decades of experience in international high-tech industries, spanning telecommunications, mobile software, cloud systems, medical software devices, and cutting-edge sensor technology. Throughout his career, Paulus has held leadership roles in sales, business development, strategic planning, marketing, product management, and R&D. Known for his ability to bridge customer needs with innovative product capabilities, Paulus brings a strategic mindset grounded in deep technology and market understanding. He has built and led high-performing teams and organizations across Europe and globally, often from the ground up, using agile and lean principles to drive efficiency and impact. Currently serving as a startup co-founder and CEO, Paulus continues to focus on creating customer-driven solutions and long-term business value through innovation and collaboration.

Tuukka Eloranta

Managing Director, Medikro Ltd

As the CEO of Medikro, Tuukka leads a multidisciplinary team of 30 people with over 450 years of combined expertice in the medical device industry. Medikro develops, manufactures and markets, spirometer systems for asthma and COPD diagnostics and monitoring. Each year, over three million spirometry tests are accomplished with Medikro technology. Tuukka is a curious, outgoing and business driven leader with over 20 years of experience in the medical device industry. He has a wide range of experience in product life cycle management, platform based R&D and international industrial sales. Tuukka has a master's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto University. He is a seasoned board member and chairperson with diverse experience in companies, foundations, cooperatives and associations.

Mikko Hallanoro

Business Director, Marginum Ltd

Mikko is a seasoned business leader with a background in IT and leadership, who made the leap into the medical devices business five years ago. Holding an M.Sc. in Economics, Mikko brings over 15 years of experience in company leadership, sales, marketing, finance, strategic planning, and technology. In 2023, he joined the Finnish medtech start-up Marginum to lead the commercialisation of a pioneering innovation in cancer surgery. Passionate about bridging deep-tech with global healthcare markets, Mikko draws on his multidisciplinary background to help unlock the real-world value of Finnish medical innovation.

Jonathan Hull

Chief Operating Officer, ThingLink

Jonathan is COO at ThingLink, a global platform for creating immersive learning experiences that work on any device. He leads strategic partnerships and international growth, helping organizations across healthcare, education, and business deploy interactive and immersive training solutions at scale. ThingLink’s AI-assisted tools help modernize learning materials, transforming them into accessible, high-fidelity experiences from virtual simulations and interactive manuals to digital walk-throughs layered on real-world environments. A core focus of ThingLink’s current work is supporting healthcare and vocational institutions in adopting XR technology, including compatibility with headsets and immersive rooms. These innovations make it easier to deliver consistent, safety-critical training in both in-person and remote contexts. Prior to joining ThingLink, Jonathan built his career in startups and music tech. He most recently spent nine years at Meta in leadership roles on the Global Partnerships team, driving strategic initiatives at the intersection of media, product development, community, XR, and learning. ThingLink's awards and recognitions include the UNESCO ICT for Education Prize (2019), EdTechX Rise Award (2017), HundrED Global Innovations in Education (2017), and Tutorful Hottest EdTech Tools (2017, 2018).

Kullervo Hynynen

Professor of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto

Kullervo Hynynen is a Finnish physicist and internationally renowned pioneer in medical ultrasound research. He serves as a professor at the University of Toronto and is a senior scientist and Chair of Imaging Research at the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Canada. Since his early academic career, he has focused on the medical applications of ultrasound. He is best known for developing focused ultrasound techniques that enable non-invasive treatment of neurological disorders such as essential tremor by precisely ablating targeted brain tissue. His research team has also been instrumental in developing a method for temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier using ultrasound, offering new possibilities for delivering drugs directly to the brain. Hynynen’s groundbreaking work has significantly influenced the fields of therapeutic ultrasound and image-guided therapy, advancing both scientific knowledge and clinical applications.

Ville Kainu

Primary Care Medical Lead, FIND cluster, Pfizer Ltd

Ville Kainu is currently Medical Lead at Pfizer managing a team that covers medical affairs for vaccines, internal medicine and COVID portfolios in Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. He is a medical doctor by education and his PhD focused on lipidomics and the implications of mass spectrometry in analyzing phospholipid remodeling. The key drivers in the current work is to improve patients’ access to novel therapies, find solutions to patient support and lead with data by utilizing the vast registries in Nordic countries. Kainu is a medical doctor and his PhD focused on lipidomics and the implications of mass spectrometry in analyzing phospholipid remodeling. The key drivers in the current work is to improve patients’ access to novel therapies, find solutions to patient support and lead with data by utilizing the vast registries in Nordic countries.

Lauri Kuronen

CEO at VEIL.AI Denmark ApS

Lauri Kuronen is the CEO of VEIL.AI Denmark ApS and a Venture Partner at Almaral. With over 13 years of experience in early-stage Health, Life Science, and MedTech companies, Lauri has been instrumental in helping these businesses develop and grow.

Leo Kärkkäinen

Professor, University of Eastern Finland

Leo Kärkkäinen is a professor of Embedded Systems in University of Eastern Finland. Leo received his Ph.D. from University of Helsinki in Theoretical Physics. After postdoctoral positions in Germany, US, and Denmark he started at Nokia Research Center in 1996. In the following 25 years, he had various roles in Nokia, including Research Fellow, Chief Visionary 2007-2009. In 2009 -2018, as distinguished Scientist and research leader he was a member of Nokia CEO and CTO technology councils, working on technology exploration, emerging technologies, and a global head of Nokia University donations. From 2017 to 2020 Leo was Bell Labs Fellow and a co-leader of Nokia Chief AI Office, as well as a part time professor of practice on embedded systems in biomedical technologies at Aalto University, School of Electrical Engineering. His interests are on various embedded industrial applications of AI, health domain and autonomy. In addition, Leo was a member of the High-Level Expert Group on AI of the European commission. It defined trustworthy AI principles and requirements that are reflected in the current AI regulation.

Sandra Liede

Health Tech & Life Science Lawyer, Laissa Ltd

An established health tech & life science law expert with a strategic focus on artificial intelligence, health data governance, genomics, and regulated health technologies. Extensive experience advising industry, legislators, and policy makers, and translating complex compliance challenges into clear, actionable strategies. Trusted by boards, industry, startups, and public institutions alike, particularly where legal foresight, ethical oversight, and competitive regulatory positioning are critical to business success in the health sector.​

Arto Mannermaa

Professor, University of Eastern Finland, Director, Biobank of Eastern Finland

Professor Arto Mannermaa has 30 years of experience in the research field of molecular pathology of cancer and the components of breast cancer risk. He is head of the Multidisciplinary Cancer Research Community at UEF and director of the Biobank of Eastern Finland. Mannermaa has expertise in cancer genomics and methodologies to study tumor-specific circulating molecules. He has also implemented deep machine learning and Big Data analysis to reveal the interaction of features affecting cancer risk and outcome. Mannermaa has over 300 peer-reviewed publications with over 16,000 citations. While out of office, Mannermaa enjoys outdoor activities, such as sailing and trekking.

Anni Mansikkaoja

Country Manager Finland, Gosta Labs Ltd

Anni is a Finnish digital-health business leader who serves as Country Director for Finland at Gosta Labs, where she drives adoption of the company’s AI documentation assistant across hospitals and care organisations in her home market. She is an outspoken advocate for evidence-based AI that lets clinicians spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients. Before joining Gosta Labs, Anni headed marketing and communications for Kaiku Health, an oncology-focused digital therapeutics pioneer, and co-chaired the Digital Therapeutics Alliance’s public relations task group. She has also written extensively about data, AI, and technology culture for Recordly’s industry blog, reflecting a career that bridges health innovation, data governance, and go-to-market strategy.

Sami Miettinen

CEO, Abomics Ltd

Sami Miettinen is an experienced healthcare business developer and international marketing expert who serves as the CEO of Abomics Oy. He started his position in May 2024 after moving from GE HealthCare, where he served as Global Marketing Director for the Anesthesia and Respiratory Care business. Miettinen has over 25 years of experience in international healthcare roles. Abomics focuses on personalized medicine and pharmacogenetics, which enable the tailoring of drug therapy according to the patient’s genetic profile. Abomics and Multirec Oy merged in early 2025, strengthening the company’s position by offering even more comprehensive solutions to healthcare and pharmaceutical operators. Miettinen graduated with a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Lappeenranta University of Technology. He is known as a strategic leader who combines technological expertise, a deep understanding of customer needs and business acumen to develop healthcare innovations that create practical value.

Tuomas Mäkynen

Co-founder, CEO, Orla DTx Ltd

Tuomas founded his first company at the age of 19 and achieved a successful exit later in his career. With 20+ years of experience, he has built new ventures and led the development, commercialization, and delivery of healthcare solutions. His work is grounded in applying lean startup principles to healthcare innovation, always aiming to combine clinical impact with cost-effectiveness. Tuomas now focuses on digital interventions in asthma diagnosis and management, as well as INR remote monitoring. He is passionate about creating scalable healthtech innovations that improve outcomes for both patients and healthcare systems.

Antti Nurmi

General Manager, Charles River Laboratories Discovery Research Services Finland

Outgoing, science and business driven personality who has the privilege to lead cutting edge drug development for various pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Samuli Saarni

Professor of psychiatry, program director of First-Line Therapies, adj. prof. of Healthcare Ethics, Tampere University

One of the most widely experienced health care leaders in Finland, with unique experience and understanding of the field. CEO-level background from public, private and third sectors, PhD’s in medicine and social science. Psychiatrist, group psychotherapists and philosopher, adjunct professor of healthcare ethics, MD, PhD, MSocSc, EMBA etc. Deep-end mental health systems reformer; Professor of Psychiatry & Program director of the national First-line Therapies initiative.

Erkki Soini

CEO, ESiOR Ltd

Erkki Soini is an internationally awarded health economics expert, publisher, and innovator. He has extensive expertise in assessing and forecasting the efficiency, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, other health technologies, and social and healthcare processes. Soini serves as a permanent expert in the Joint Action Towards European Health Data Space project and has been involved in developing the first private, secure data collection and utilization environment, SPESiOR.

Eino Solje

MD, PhD

Eino is a neurologist by training and works as an Associate Professor of Clinical Research at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and as a Deputy Chief Physician at the Neurology Clinic of Kuopio University Hospital, responsible for neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, he leads the Brain Research Unit at the UEF. Solje has a particular focus on early-onset dementia and serves as the principal investigator for Finland in several major international research networks in the field. He has led multiple research projects funded by the EU, the Research Council of Finland and various foundations. Previously, he has also worked as a visiting researcher at the University of Brescia in Italy and has received several awards for his work.

Petteri Sveins

CEO, Wellpro Impact Solutions Ltd

Petteri has worked as an expert for the Inter American Development Bank, the United Nations and government ministries in international affairs. He has been awarded a State Award, a Healthy SoS Diploma and was named Social Worker of the Year in Finland. Petteri has decades of experience in developing new treatment methods and promoting health. During the last ten years, he has focused on managing SaaS businesses and start-ups and developing new digital tools. Petteri currently serves as the CEO of Wellpro Impact Solutions Ltd.

Hannele Toroi

Quality and Regulatory Director, Bittium Biosignals

Hannele Toroi has over 25 years of experience in medical device sector including global medical device manufacturers and start-ups. She has also been active contributor in Finnish medical device industry by volunteering to provide her insights to different audiences. Her educational background is in engineering and legal, which combination provides ability to understand medical device development technical and regulatory aspects. Currently she leads Bittium Biosignals’ quality and regulatory team having responsibility of quality system, medical device global market clearances, sustainability, and business regulatory compliance. Her passion is to make people’s life better by ensuring good quality and global regulatory compliance in medical devices.

Juha Töyräs

Professor, PhD, Director of Research and Innovation, Wellbeing Services County of North Savo / Kuopio University Hospital

Juha Töyräs is the Director of Research and Innovation, Kuopio University Hospital and Wellbeing Services County of North Savo, and Professor of Medical Physics and Engineering, University of Eastern Finland. He also holds a position of Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland. He has a PhD degree in the field of medical physics and his research is focused on medical devices and sensors, medical imaging, medical signal processing and connective tissue biomechanics. Since 2004, he has been the Vice/Co-Head of the Biophysics of Bone and Cartilage research group and Co-Head of the Sleep Technology and Analytics group since it was founded in January 2017 at the Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland.

Antti Väänänen

Senior Scientist, Health data analytics, VTT

Antti is a Senior scientist and project manager at the VTT Health data analytics team. He holds M.Sc. and PhD degrees in computer science and made his PhD thesis about utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Antti has worked in University of Eastern Finland, GE Healthcare Finland in research and development activities and in his own companies as a CEO. He has experience and interests in AI / MV based solutions, telehealth systems, smart home systems, eLearning, ICT-architecture design, medical device interface interfacing system development and location based systems. Antti has also experience project management and project coordination and in founding several start-up companies and growing various business ideas into profitable businesses.

Juha Yrjänheikki

CEO, Aurealis Therapeutics

Juha holds an MSc in biotechnology and a PhD in neurobiology. He is a serial life-science entrepreneur, seed investor, and board professional with a strong track record in building biotech companies. Currently CEO and co-founder of Aurealis Therapeutics, Board Chair of KPY Cooperative, and Board Director of Nostetta Ventures. Juha previously co-founded and led Aurealis Pharma and Cerebricon Ltd (acquired by Charles River Laboratories), and held executive roles at Charles River Discovery Services. He also co-founded Nostetta Ltd and Nostetta Ventures, a VC firm focusing on regional growth companies. Juha has served as a Professor-of-Practice at the University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Health Sciences, and has held board positions in several life-science and tech companies. His academic career includes neuroscience research at the University of Kuopio and a visiting researcher position at Stanford University Medical School.