Being the ‘newbie’ of the Korkia Venture Insights -team, I thought it would be useful to share my thoughts on why I joined Korkia, and reflect on my experiences to date!
Korkia Venture Insight has a growing portfolio of disruptive technology companies into which we invest venture funds. That’s the V in the name, Venture. But it’s so much more than just the investing, as almost more importantly we invest time, expertise and insight with the management teams to scale and accelerate growth. That’s the I, the Insight. That Insight comes not only from the Korkia Venture Insight team, but also the Korkia Consulting team and our globally stretched solid network of business partners.
“It’s so much more than just the investing, as almost more importantly we invest time, expertise and insight”
I have joined to open the Korkia Venture Insight UK office, which is a key element in the growth plans. Korkia also provides fund raising services for companies looking to access next stage funding once they have started to mature and develop their businesses. Previously this centred on Helsinki, but opening the London office will allow me to utilise my contacts in London, opening up wider fundraising opportunities. This next stage fundraising is for both Korkia portfolio companies, and other selected organisations.
I see it as a fantastic opportunity for me to build on my career to date in working with growth companies to help commercialise their plans and continuing my fundraising activities. Korkia offers me much more though, it’s more international than I’ve been used to, and although energy will be a key focus of activities, it’s wider as the underlying principle for investments is disruptive technologies and businesses which is really interesting for me.
I’m excited to join the Helsinki based Korkia Group, I enjoy the international nature of the work, taking on new and fresh approaches, cultures and attitudes. I believe it’s so important to be open to these different influences, and in the process I hope that some of my (open and inclusive!) British attitude can rub off on my new colleagues!
A quick word on my background. I’ve joined Korkia from Savills (UK) Ltd where I was a Director in the Energy team. I worked with energy start-ups from business planning to finance raising, helping them commercialise, and the start-ups plus other companies raise funds to grow their businesses. Recently I was been focused on Energy Optimisation, helping clients understand their energy use, take steps to control and reduce it, fund energy upgrades via third party funding, and purchase their energy as smartly as possible in the first place.
Prior to Savills, I was in the Energy and Environmental Infrastructure team at EY in London where I provided financial, commercial and strategic advice, and fund raising covering low carbon infrastructure to developers, utility companies, central and local government, domestically and internationally.
It’s certainly been a busy first month as I’ve been introduced to people and projects in Dubai, Oman, Helsinki (twice), and Austria. This month it will encompass trips to Chile, Helsinki and Germany, so Korkia Venture Insight is certainly keeping me busy and out of mischief!