Gorilla Capital

“A start-up is a learning project — and to be able to learn, one must be humble.” That line from our Founding Partner Risto Rautakorpi sums up much of Gorilla Capital’s philosophy. In this thoughtful interview by Olga K., Risto reflects on his path from engineer and entrepreneur to investor — and how those experiences shaped Gorilla’s way of thinking. The conversation covers everything from humility and curiosity to AI’s role in venture capital and the future of the Nordic startup mindset. Read the full interview here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dh2PDJSu #GorillaCapital #CamelInvesting #Camelstartups #Founders #EarlyStageVC #BuiltToExit#Startwithexitinmind #Camelpath #Learningbeforescaling #angelinvesting #RealismNotHype 

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Milestone by milestone — building real companies. We invest pre–product–market fit in camel founders — ambitious and resilient builders who grow step by step, with capital efficiency and a customer-driven approach to solving real problems. Our funding model is milestone-based and capital-efficient, built to reduce risk and keep founders in control of their journey. Funding is always based on evidence, not optimism — ensuring that progress is real and optionality for exits remains open. 👇 Here are the newest companies joining the Gorilla family: Remos Space Systems AB: Revolutionizing satellite communications by streamlining ground systems, offering reliable and secure data links and maximizing mission efficiency for small satellite operators. Super-Site: Transforming digital marketing by making AI-driven personalization and enterprise-level strategies accessible to every business, regardless of size. Rebelvolt: Pioneering off-grid energy by providing clean, silent, and cost-effective e-Generators that empower professionals and accelerate the transition to sustainable power. Teamspective: Enhancing organizational health by providing leaders with AI-driven insights and actionable steps to systematically improve team performance and resilience. Din Psykolog: Expanding mental healthcare access by connecting people with trusted, licensed psychologists through a seamless and welcoming digital platform. Virtual Days: Empowering virtual recruitment by providing scalable event platforms that connect employers with top talent and elevate employer branding. Nordic Information Control: Automating data security and compliance by providing a platform that maps and classifies information to protect against cyber threats and meet evolving regulations. WorkNode: Powering the future of flexible work with a digital employer platform that simplifies compliance and scales teams with ease. Dashboa: Reshaping digital marketing through data, automation, and AI—empowering companies to boost online visibility, cut costs, and outperform competitors with measurable results. Learn more about the measurable impact our portfolio companies are delivering today through their LinkedIn profiles. #GorillaCapital #Startup #Investment #Camelstartup #NordicStartups #BuiltToExit #VentureCapital #Founders #AngelInvesting

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Our new website and brand are live. We didn’t reinvent Gorilla, we just made it easier to understand what we stand for. We back camels: ambitious, resilient startups using technology to solve real business problems. Our model is grounded in realism, not hype. The focus is on finding product-market fit through a customer-driven approach, alongside capital efficiency and smart, step-by-step growth. The new site reflects how we work: direct, disciplined, and founder-first. Take a look: https://gorillacapital.fi/

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Gorilla Capital Fund III has made its 39th investment in Dashboa -reshaping how companies compete for online visibility in the age of AI. Competing online today is like an amateur athlete racing against state-funded giants. As AI rapidly changes the rules, winning requires a completely new playbook — and Dashboa provides exactly that. Dashboa is a results-first digital marketing platform that helps companies increase their online visibility in a smarter and more cost-efficient way. As a data- and results-driven “Outcome as a Service” company, Dashboa combines powerful data models, automation and AI to do the heavy lifting, while human experts craft the winning strategy. The result: companies can move from the sidelines to the podium — being found by the customers who drive their growth. Already trusted by strong players like Cityvarasto and Incar, Dashboa helps customers cut traditional costs by up to 70% and outperform their competition where it matters most: discoverability. For Gorilla Capital, Dashboa fits perfectly with our camel investment model: a capital-efficient, technology-enabled company solving a clear, current problem with measurable results and early commercial traction. We’re proud to support Tuomas Laitinen and the Dashboa team continue to build — step by step — toward their full potential. Tuomas Laitinen, founder & CEO says: ‘’Partnering with Gorilla feels like the right next step on our own journey to the podium. From the very first meeting, it was clear that we shared the same fundamentals for building a company — you can’t skip straight to the Olympics, but you can get there step by step with the right strategy and support. With Gorilla on board, we can now confidently execute the next phase of our plan, including international expansion.’’ Risto Rautakorpi, partner at Gorilla adds: ‘’Dashboa is solving a problem that almost every company faces — how to stand out online when the rules of search keep changing. Their solution is simple, but not simplistic. The fully ‘done-for-you’ playbook is already delivering strong results for customers, and that’s exactly the kind of real-world proof we value. Combined with a clear customer need and capital-efficient growth model, Dashboa is a great fit with our way of investing.’’ Welcome to the Gorilla family, Dashboa! #Startups #Founders #GorillaCapital #Camelstartups #BuiltToExit 

The first time you take VC money, you lock your path. This was the essence of our partner Kirsi Vine-Haaparinne’s presentation at the Greenstep x Gorilla x Nordea Growth event last week, where she spoke about what VCs look for in startups, how models differ, and why founder–investor fit matters. Let’s start with the exit reality. Over 80% of tech company exits happen through early trade sales, usually post–Product–Market Fit and before Series A, with a median Nordic exit value of €10–15M. These are not failures — they’re the baseline of the market. And for founders and early investors, these exits can be genuinely life-changing for founders and yield very healthy returns to early investors. But whether this outcome remains possible depends on how the company is built and funded. If you raise too much, too early, at inflated valuations, these realistic exit paths can quietly disappear. What could have been a strong, healthy outcome may no longer be viable — pushing the company to chase ever-bigger outcomes, longer timelines, and higher risk, whether it fits or not. This is where the camel way of building comes in. It’s about moving step by step, staying capital-efficient and resilient, and keeping real exit options open. Valuations are aligned with realistic outcomes, funding is milestone-based, and profitability is reached early — the moment a founder truly becomes master in their own house. If an attractive early exit opportunity comes, it’s a real choice, not a structural impossibility. And if the company wants to continue scaling, it can — from a position of strength. By contrast, the unicorn path is about aiming to build a global winner. It requires significant time, capital, and near-perfect execution across markets, product, timing and team. The risk is high — and many unicorns are still valuation-based without real liquidity for early investors. But if it works, the upside can be a true jackpot. Neither path is “better.” They’re just different. But the first VC funding decision locks your trajectory. That's why building with exit in mind helps you decide which model is the right one for your startup. A big thank you to our partners in the discussion — Greenstep, Kati Tuovinen & Oliver Lindholm. Nordea, Vesa Riihimäki — and especially to Greenstep for organizing such an energizing event. 👉Gorilla Capital is the pioneer — and the only VC in the Nordics — built fully on the camel thesis. #Startups #Founders #GorillaCapital #Startwithexitinmind #Startupfunding #Camelstartups #Camelpath

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Have you already registered for our upcoming event in Espoo? We’re teaming up with our partners at Greenstep and Nordea Growth to host our final event of our practical roadshow for startup founders, their teams, and early-stage investors. We welcome you to join us in Espoo on the 24th of September to close off the event series! What you will learn:  💡 What professional investors look for — and how to build the right founder–investor match 💡 How loan financing makes sense as part of the growth journey 💡 Which financial management and HR matters should an early-stage company focus on to ensure business continuity and fundability Join us in: Espoo | Sept. 24, 8:30–11 a.m. Please note: This event will be held in Finnish. Get all the details and register here: https://lnkd.in/eurdhnAy #Startups #Founders #VentureCapital #Funding #Finance #FounderInvestorFit