Cooperation and investments with Finnish companies

Finnfund invests in businesses or projects in developing countries. Our investments take place in sectors where Finnish companies are often leading providers. Finnfund’s investments create a growing demand for established and new Finnish companies that can offer solutions that fit our target countries. We are always interested in projects by Finnish companies that meet our investment criteria.

Opportunities for Finnish companies

Investments in Finnish-owned companies in developing markets

Finnfund invests in companies operating in developing markets. Finnish companies or persons can be owners or co-owners of our investee companies. We have, for example, started a joint venture in Thailand with Solar Finland, a company that has manufactured solar panels in Salo, Finland, for over 40 years. These sustainable, high-quality solar panels are now being produced at Salotech Thailand with Finnish know-how at its core.

If your Finnish company is planning an investment to establish a new company or expand the operations of an existing company, and it meets our investment criteria, get in touch.

Investments in companies that purchase goods or services from Finnish companies

Finnish companies can also act as technology or service suppliers in Finnfund’s investments. We have for example invested in Maarifa Education Group in Sub-Saharan Africa. They partnered with a Finnish EdTech company Claned, and use its distance-learning platform for teachers and students, enabling the universities to offer transformative academic programs and expand access to thousands of students in Africa. In South Africa, we have invested in Fibertime Group, a company offering fast, uncapped, and time-based open-access fiber internet to townships while also providing a gateway to initiate micro-payments for accessing internet. Nokia’s technology has a crucial role in making this happen: Nokia is providing both fiber access nodes for the fiber exchange and fiber modems to create a WiFi network across the entire township.

If your Finnish company’s developing market client is planning an investment that meets our criteria, and plans to use part of the investment to buy your goods or services, get in touch.

We connect Finnish companies with our investees

Our investees in developing markets often have tech or service needs that Finnish companies have excellent solutions for. We often introduce our investees to Finnish companies to facilitate business. In case we approach your company about cooperation opportunities with one of our investees, don’t hesitate to give us a call and ask for details. Finnish companies with capacity and experience in developing market business in e.g., the financial, digital or agriculture sectors are also free to send short presentations for us to share with possible relevant investees.

Investments in Ukraine

Like other Team Finland members, Finnfund is keen to participate in the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine. We’re actively seeking investment opportunities where Finnish companies are involved in, either as co-investors, investees (Finnish-owned companies in Ukraine), or as goods or services providers. We can also consider investments in Moldova if the project positively impacts Ukraine.

Global Gateway

We also participate in the EU’s Global Gateway cooperation, which enables the implementation of European companies’ solutions in large projects in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. We can utilize EU guarantees for some of our investments, e.g. digital sector investments in sub-Saharan Africa. The guarantees can enhance our investment readiness, thus increasing the opportunities of Finnish companies to partake in Europe-wide initiatives.

Financial grants for project preparation and building investment readiness from Finnpartnership

Finnpartnership is a business partnership programme financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and managed by Finnfund. With its Business Partnership Support, Finnish companies can research the developing markets, make project and business plans or run pilots for their solutions. Finnpartnership can support companies already active in developing countries, for example, researching investment needs or finding financing partners. The best way to learn about the support available is to participate in monthly application workshops.