Unikie – exporting Finnish software expertise to the world
Born from the dream of five visionaries, Unikie is a software technology innovator and digital services provider. The company combines cutting-edge expertise in embedded software, artificial intelligence and innovative technology solutions to change the world. Now into its tenth year of growth, the company has developed into an international player boasting several Fortune 500 companies as customers.
Why?
The world’s rapid digitalisation poses challenges for conventional industry. To address these challenges, Unikie offers in-depth expertise in technology and embedded software, as well as entire product development teams. The company acts as a strategic product development partner for its customers, helping them develop innovative, cost-effective and competitive products through embedded software.
Deploying Unikie’s expertise helps its customers grow into digital leaders within their industries. Embedded in Unikie’s corporate culture is a strong ethos of growth and internationalisation, as well as a desire to export Finnish engineering expertise to the world. In line with Unikie’s slogan – We Drive Change – the company has always believed in its ability to contribute to world-class projects and help its customers become leading players in their own fields.
What and how?
Unikie offers embedded software expertise and AI-based solutions that are critical in smart devices, machines, autonomous driving and industrial digitalisation. The company’s business model is to collaborate with industry leaders and assist them in the ongoing industrial transformation, where software increasingly determines the competitiveness and desirability of products.
Alongside solutions for the ICT, automotive, transport & logistics, and manufacturing sectors, Unikie offers secure embedded technology solutions and services for critical systems in the defence and security industries*, as well.
Growth and internationalisation
Unikie founds its business on its strong faith in Finland’s competence in technological expertise, embedded software, world-class teams and international reach. The core of the company’s strategy is to grow customers in key markets in Europe, North America and the United Arab Emirates.
Alongside service business, Unikie has invested in developing its own expertise and developing its own technologies. Unikie, which still in some senses regards itself as an SME, is growing rapidly and currently employs nearly 600 people. The company was awarded Finland’s Internationalisation Award of the President of the Republic in 2024.
The importance of venture capital
Unikie has grown profitably from the very start, thanks to its service business. In 2020, Tesi and CapMan Growth invested altogether EUR 12 million in Unikie’s technology development and international growth.
These investments enabled development of Unikie Marshalling Solutions** for automated driving, which is now a key element in Unikie’s product portfolio. The investments were also used to accelerate international growth and development and to open up new networks.
General information
Founded in 2015, Unikie is a service company that combines top experts and self-developed software technology with the mission of changing the world envisaged by its five founders. Today, Unikie’s strengths include software expertise and innovative solutions for smart devices, security and defence technology, and industrial digitalisation.
In 2023, Unikie generated net sales of EUR 65 million, more than half of which came from outside Finland. The company employs some 600 professionals. From the outset, Unikie set its sights on becoming a world-class innovative software company that combines embedded software expertise and technology.
Exporting Finnish software expertise to the world
* Defence technology is one of Tesi’s strategic investment themes, around which new clusters of expertise and growth can be formed in Finland. You can read the results of Tesi’s study on defence technology in Finland, published in fall 2024.
** Read more about Unikie Marshalling Solutions (UMS) on the company’s website.
“As a reliable Finnish investor in companies seeking international growth, Tesi has been a good partner for us, together with CapMan Growth Fund. Today, Tesi is also very active in financing growth in the defence industry, which is now an important growth area for us.”
- Juha Ala-Laurila, CEO, Unikie