Investor Profile: Voima Ventures — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Introduction

Voima Ventures is a Nordic early stage investor backing science based companies in Finland, Sweden and the wider Nordic and Baltic region. Founded in 2019 and based in Helsinki and Stockholm, it invests only in startups with a deep technology or scientific background, aiming to solve major global problems by combining science, entrepreneurship and capital.

Thesis

The thesis is that breakthrough science, properly commercialised, can build the next generation of Nordic unicorns while delivering environmental and societal impact. Its latest fund is Article 8 compliant under the European Union Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, and the firm reports that more than 70% of its portfolio companies originate from university spin offs or research ecosystems.

Sectors and stages

Voima Ventures invests from pre seed and seed into Series A. Its domains include bio and new materials, medical technologies and life sciences, imaging and optics, internet of things and electronics, robotics, software and information technology, and artificial intelligence, with a practical lean towards life sciences, energy, food, quantum and advanced artificial intelligence.

Fund size and cheque size

Voima Ventures closed its third fund, Voima Ventures Fund III, at more than €100 million, planning 25 to 30 investments with initial tickets from €200,000 to €3 million plus follow on capacity. Earlier funds were around €40 million and €70 million, and the firm has been reported as managing close to €200 million across three funds. Investors in Voima Ventures Fund III include the European Investment Fund, Tesi, VTT, Saminvest, Nordea Life and Elo.

Notable portfolio

Early investments include Solar Foods, Dispelix, MVision, Betolar and EniferBio. Recent Voima Ventures Fund III investments include Estonian biotech company ÄIO, Finnish construction technology company Aisti, Liquid Sun, which makes sustainable aviation fuel from carbon dioxide, and Avenue Biosciences, a protein optimisation platform for pharmaceutical production.

Partners and team

Voima Ventures was founded by Inka Mero, founder and managing partner, and its partners include Jussi Sainiemi, Pontus Stråhlman and Jenny Engerfelt. The firm describes a team of 12 investment and growth professionals, and has hired Stina Wallmark as life sciences investment director as it expands in Sweden.

Programs, credits and perks

Voima Ventures runs no public accelerator programme or published credits scheme. Its value is access instead: a network inside academia and industry, help bridging research and commercial success, and impact reporting, including a net impact score for Voima Ventures Fund III, that helps portfolio companies evidence sustainability to customers and later investors.

How to apply for funding from Voima Ventures

Voima Ventures publishes no single open application portal that guarantees review, so approach through the firm's official website and contact route only. Lead with the science: what is proven, what is novel, who owns the intellectual property, and the path to commercialisation, plus any pilots, letters of intent or early revenue. State clearly whether the company is a university spinout, and seek a warm introduction from a researcher, technology transfer office or portfolio founder where possible.