Jesse Saarela
Principal
“Today we see many disruptive innovations emerge from Europe as the startup ecosystem has grown massively. I’m excited to help founders realize their vision and scale globally, supported by our unique corporate network.”
Jesse primarily focuses on topics related to enterprise software including AI, fintech, future mobility as well as emerging technologies such as Web3 and the metaverse. He is particularly excited about teams that tackle real challenges and combine innovation with an ambitious vision for the future.
Before joining NordicNinja in 2019, Jesse spent several years advising entrepreneurs and investors on M&A and financing transactions at Deutsche Bank and Nordhaven.
Jesse holds a Masters in Finance from Aalto University.
Portfolio
Griffin earns B Corp certification, reinforcing its commitment to build a business with a positive impact on the world
NordicNinja is excited for Griffin to demonstrate their focus on high standards of social and environmental performance
Investment
NordicNinja invests in LiveEO to scale AI-powered satellite data for actionable insights to help critical infrastructure operators manage climate risks
We’re excited to lead LiveEO’s €25M Series B funding round – our first investment in Germany.
Fintech
NORDICNINJA INVESTS IN GRIFFIN TO SCALE ITS NEW CHAPTER AS A FULLY OPERATIONAL UK BANK
The company secures $24 million in funding to scale their Banking as a Service platform for fintechs to build and launch their financial products.
fund
サステナビリティ×デジタルに特化した2号ファンド設立のお知らせ
NordicNinja VCは北欧・バルト地域から英国・オランダを含めた北部ヨーロッパ地域における「サステナビリティ×デジタル」分野に特化した2号ファンドを設立し、ファーストクローズを約200億円規模で完了いたしました。
fund
Announcing new fund II to help founders tackle global challenges
The largest Japanese VC in Europe expands its operations to the UK, Ireland, and BeNeLux countries, while doubling down on the Nordics and the Baltics
autonomous
Investing in Annotell: Making safe perception possible for self-driving cars
We are proud to be backing Annotell in their Series A round of $24 million to speed up the development and validation of autonomous vehicles’ perception systems. Find closer details in the article.
The Fund
The story of NordicNinja
Since our launch in 2019, we have answered many times “why NordicNinja was established to the Nordics”. Here we’ve gathered our experiences so far.
mobility
For more liveable cities – Our investment into VOI
Why we invested in VOI technology, the pan-European micro-mobility leader making cities more liveable.
Supply Chain
Data logging for any industry or scale – Our Investment into Logmore
Logmore offers the building blocks for your cargo transparency changing the management of cargo to light and more secure.
mobility
Our journey towards autonomous and clean transportation – Investment into Einride
Why we invested in Einride, the World’s first autonomous, all-electric truck to operate a commercial flow with a permit on public roads.
mobility
The Future of Transport – Our investment into Bolt
Bolt is one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe and NordicNinja is thrilled to be part of this journey. Read more about our investment from the announcement.