FiBAN - 10 years of Inspiring Private Investments - Book - Page 2
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Executive summary of 2010
Founders
Antti Hannula, Antti Tiitola, Ari Korhonen,
Eero Lähteenmäki, Feodor A
minoff, Heli
Nelimarkka, Juha Kurkinen, Jorma Petäjistö,
Jussi Heinilä, Marja Liisa (Mammu) Kaario,
Matti Hietala, Petri Lehmuskoski, Rainer
Frigren, Riku Asikainen, Risto Kalske, Tapio
Heikkilä, Timo Pesola, Turo Levänen
Coordinator
Claes Mikko Nilsen
Ari Korhonen & Juha Kurkinen
2016
2017
2018
Founding
members
0,96M
Total
invested
Problem
“Widely recognized lack of a
privately-owned organization
to connect angel investors
and advance private investing
in Finland.”
37
Unique target
companies
Solution
“Finnish Business Angels
Network. A non-profit
network to foster and
develop the profession of
angel investors in Finland.”
“We can not count on
the old process industry
anymore. In the future,
revenue streams will
come from several
smaller sources. Newly
established companies
need support. That’s
why we must
unify our forces.”
Early December 2010, World Trade Center, Helsinki
A group of 18 enthusiastic private investors gathers for a
meeting in WTC building at Aleksanterinkatu to start the
process to officially establish a private investor network.
The meeting results in setting up three working groups
to prepare the functions of FiBAN: Operations, Timeline
and Financials, and Angel Networks’ Best Practices.
Among the debate on rules and practices, the group of
18 decides unanimously that the new organization will
be located at Rastor’s business premises in Vallila where
it will get a part-time appointed coordinator from Rastor’s employee Claes Mikko Nilsen.
Mid-December, Helsinki Central railway station
Four busy businessmen Juha Kurkinen, Ari Korhonen,
Jussi Heinilä, and Riku Asikainen meet Claes Mikko Nilsen at the central railway station to sign the official founding papers of FiBAN. This is the easiest way to gather all
in one place quickly as Juha Kurkinen has been invited
for an interview by Talouselämä that will take place in a
week. 17.12. Talouselämä writes about the new private
investor organization and its endeavor to “activate old
business angels and welcome in new ones”:
April 2010, Istanbul Airport
Private investors Juha Kurkinen and Ari Korhonen are
stuck in the Istanbul airport waiting for their flight to
leave back home after European Business Angels Network’s yearly meeting. Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull
has recently erupted causing disruption to air travel
across all western and northern Europe.
“One doesn’t need
to have divine powers
to be a business angel.
Worldly assets are
enough.”
The two discuss an idea of a professional and organized
business angel network in Finland. The basis for the
idea origins partly from Risto Kalske who has introduced
Juha to an angel network organized by Sitra. Both,
Sitra’s and Finnvera’s work in the field create fruitful
soil on which to build a privately-owned business angel
network upon.
Talouselämä 17.12.2010
2
2020
The idea that spread
its wings
Juha Kurkinen describing the need for FiBAN
in an interview for Talouselämä, 17.12.2010
18
2019
3