Finland's economy is undergoing a transformation - These companies are surpassing the giants of the stock exchange. In Finland, companies are growing that could become 10 times larger than they are now. Why aren't politicians reacting? Today at 9:00 'A structural change in Finland's economy is underway. By the 2030s, Finland will be an economy driven by technology and growth companies,' predicts Jyri Engeström, partner at Lifeline Ventures, on the Markkinaraati program. In Finland, people have grown accustomed to thinking that startups are small and insignificant, but according to Engeström, it's time to revise these notions. There are numerous companies here in rapid acceleration that will soon grow alongside and surpass the current large companies on the stock exchange. 'These companies could be satellite firms or even companies building nuclear reactors,' he says. As an early-stage venture capital firm, Lifeline Ventures has extensive experience with Finnish unicorns, having invested in nearly all of them: Supercell, Wolt, Oura, Iceye, and Aiven. 0 seconds of 13 minutes, 16 seconds Volume 0% The fruits are harvested elsewhere. On Markkinaraati, experts ponder how at least some of the growth fruits could also be retained in Finland. Currently, startups needing funding during their growth phase almost always have to seek the majority of their financing from abroad, and as a result, the benefits of growth flow out of the country. 'In Finland, risks have been taken, successes have overcome adversities, and incredible global companies have been created, and it may well be that these companies will grow to be 10 times larger,' Engeström says. 'Unfortunately, Finnish ownership has diluted to about one-tenth, with the majority held by American companies.' It is important to hold onto hyper-growth companies because they can be not only economically but also strategically significant for Finland. 'They are critical companies for infrastructure, defense, and the functionality of the entire society, and we should own more of them than we currently do,' Engeström says. Oura did not wake up politicians. Ownership does not have to flow abroad, experts emphasize. The Finnish startup community has listed proposals to better retain companies. One key issue is the availability of growth-phase funding. Early-stage funding is available in Finland, but often the B-round is raised from abroad. The Oulu-based smart ring company Oura recently announced that it is moving its headquarters to the United States. Behind the decision was better access to capital. According to Riikka Pakarinen, CEO of the Finnish Startup Community, it was somewhat surprising that politicians barely reacted to Oura's decision. 'When a paper mill unfortunately closes somewhere in Finland, a ministerial delegation goes to the site to show sympathy,' Pakarinen says. To Oura, reportedly, no politician has reached out. Markkinaraati. This week on Markkinaraati, the promising outlook of the startup sector was discussed. What are Finland's next unicorns and how could obstacles to their growth be cleared? Discussing were Riikka Pakarinen, CEO of the Finnish Startup Community, Jyri Engeström, partner at Lifeline Ventures, and Antti Raappana, head of equity management at Aktia. Markkinaraati was hosted by Talouselämä journalist Katja Boxberg. The commercial partner of the Markkinaraati program is Aktia. All journalistic decisions are made in the editorial office. Watch all Markkinaraati episodes here.

ICEYE launches deforestation monitoring solution to accelerate enforcement against illegal tropical forest loss. Mar 03, 2026, 02:00 ET SAR-powered monitoring delivers reliable insights through cloud cover, enabling near real-time response to illegal logging and mining HELSINKI, Finland, March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - ICEYE, a global leader in disaster intelligence from space, today announced the launch of its deforestation monitoring solution. This technology is designed to provide law enforcement agencies, government officials, and conservation organizations with near real-time visibility into forest loss, even in the most cloud-covered regions of the world. The launch comes amid sustained pressure to protect the Amazon rainforest. According to Global Forest Watch, Brazil lost 28 million hectares of tree cover between 2000 and 2020, a nearly 6% net decline, reflecting a long-term trend that continues to challenge enforcement efforts in remote and cloud-covered regions. While enforcement efforts have reduced deforestation from peak levels seen earlier this decade, illegal clearing remains persistent and highly adaptive. Traditional optical satellites often struggle in tropical regions where heavy cloud cover can obscure imagery for days or weeks at a time. These monitoring gaps create enforcement blind spots, limiting authorities' ability to respond proactively when illegal clearing occurs. Without reliable evidence and verification, forest loss can expand before action is possible. ICEYE's synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation closes that gap. SAR imagery operates day and night through all weather conditions, providing persistent monitoring even in the cloudiest parts of the Amazon. The system delivers incremental deforestation detections with pre- and post-event imagery for a clear evidence trail. "When forests are under threat, timing is everything," said Andy Read, Vice President of Government Solutions at ICEYE. "SAR removes the blind spots that have historically limited monitoring and enables a continuous stream of trusted intelligence. That shift in speed and persistence is game-changing for the authorities and conservation partners responsible for protecting these landscapes." ICEYE has monitored forest change across Brazil for several years, observing deforestation patterns in remote regions where optical monitoring has been intermittent. The formal launch of this solution marks an expansion of ICEYE's environmental intelligence capabilities to deliver structured, repeatable monitoring designed specifically for enforcement agencies, conservation NGOs, and government ministries. "Reliable, persistent monitoring is critical for protecting wildlife and natural habitats," said Dr. Lilian Pintea, Vice President of Conservation Science at the Jane Goodall Institute, which collaborates with ICEYE to monitor chimpanzee habitats across the Congo Basin. "Illegal mining and deforestation are accelerating in remote regions. Access to near real-time, cloud-penetrating data strengthens our ability to document impacts, prioritize threats, and advocate for immediate action." ICEYE's monitoring supports the full ecosystem of forest protection, from NGOs' advocacy and donor transparency to national climate reporting and environmental compliance. Meanwhile, enforcement agencies gain access to evidence-based deforestation data, enabling intervention during active operations. As pressure on tropical forests intensifies, persistent and reliable monitoring is foundational to global conservation efforts. ICEYE's approach links continuous monitoring with forward-looking analytics to support long-term conservation strategies in Amazonia, Congo Basin and other threatened forest biomes around the world. About ICEYE ICEYE delivers unparalleled persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth, faster and more accurately than ever before. Owning the world's largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, ICEYE provides objective, near-real-time insights, ensuring that customers have unmatched access to actionable data, day or night, even in challenging environmental conditions. As a trusted partner to governments and commercial industries, ICEYE delivers intelligence in sectors such as defense and intelligence, insurance, natural catastrophe response and recovery, security, maritime monitoring, and finance, enabling decision-making that contributes to community resilience and sustainable development. ICEYE operates internationally with offices in Finland, Poland, Spain, the UK, Australia, Japan, the UAE, Greece, and the US. We have more than 900 employees, inspired by the shared vision of improving life on Earth by becoming the global source of truth in Earth Observation. Visit www.iceye.com and follow ICEYE on LinkedIn and X for the latest updates and insights.

ICEYE, a Finnish disaster intelligence company, has launched a deforestation monitoring solution using synthetic aperture radar technology to provide near real-time visibility into forest loss through cloud cover. The system enables law enforcement and conservation organisations to respond quickly to illegal logging and mining in tropical regions. Traditional optical satellites struggle in cloud-covered areas like the Amazon, creating enforcement blind spots. ICEYE's SAR constellation operates day and night in all weather conditions, delivering continuous monitoring with pre- and post-event imagery for evidence trails. The company has monitored forest change across Brazil for several years and collaborates with organisations including the Jane Goodall Institute for habitat protection in the Congo Basin. The solution supports NGOs, government agencies and enforcement bodies tracking deforestation across threatened forest biomes globally.