Reading thousands of business plans – some brilliant, many just plain daft – could make a lesser man fit to be tied. But not Nexit Ventures’ Investment Director Sami Karppinen.
The first employee to join the Nexit Ventures’ team after the founders and still going strong, Sami is one of the bedrocks of the whole operation. Hailing from western Finland, he comes from a culture where people don’t say much but their words are carefully thought out and weighed. And, more impor- tantly, where a person’s word is his or her bond. This trait is appreciated both by other team members and portfolio companies who often seek out Sami’s insight and unflinching advice.
After graduating from the Department of Industrial Management at the Helsinki University of Technology, Sami worked at the investment firm Norvestia, the technology consulting firm Accenture, and ERP powerhouse SAP where he sharpened both his technical and business skills prior to joining Nexit Ventures in early 2000 as an analyst and reality-check provider.
When not working with either new or existing investments, Sami spends time with his four children and enjoys windsurfing and alpine skiing. Excellence is key word for Sami also out of the office – he was in fact a member of the Finnish National Wind Surfing Team from 1988 to 1991 and has won several national championships.
Sami, therefore, is your man whether you are keen on good investments or some good surfing.
