22.3.2023

Tesi’s fiscal year 2022: The economic framework changed

In 2022, the venture capital and private equity industry experienced a decline in the valuations of startups and growth companies, complications in funds’ fundraising, and a slowdown in the IPO market. Despite the challenging year, international investors stayed in Finland, and preliminary estimates show Finnish startups and growth companies likely succeeded in raising record volumes of growth financing compared to previous years. Startups are now looking more at improving profitability, however, rather than being strongly focused on growth. Tesi’s investment volume totalled almost EUR 300 million.

Tesi made new investments and commitments amounting to EUR 297 million in 2022, both in funds and directly in growth companies. Of these, fund investments accounted for EUR 90 million, direct investments through normal operations EUR 27 million, and the special investment programmes prompted by the coronavirus EUR 180 million.

The temporary special investment programmes created to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic were closed to initial investments at the end of March 2022. At the end of 2022, Tesi had invested altogether EUR 269 million in 63 Finnish startups and growth companies from these programmes and earmarked follow-on investments. It has been agreed that Tesi will repay the EUR 350 million recapitalisation it received for the programmes to the Finnish state from the returns on investments made from the programmes. After the end of the fiscal year, Tesi will return EUR 90 million to the Finnish state in spring 2023 from the returns received during early 2023.

Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the return of inflation, rising interest rates and a decline in asset valuations were reflected in the venture capital and private equity market. These factors also impacted Tesi’s financial performance, resulting in a net loss after many years of profitable operation. Tesi’s net loss after taxes of EUR 26 million for the fiscal year was the first loss after seven years of profitable operation. The company’s retained earnings for the full term of its operation amounted to EUR 910 million at the end of the year. The cumulative total of EUR 1,019 million of investments in Tesi by the Finnish state has grown into EUR 1,929 million of shareholders’ equity. The imputed return on investment (internal rate of interest) for the state, taken over the whole period of operation, has been positive in 6.6% after taxes.

Tesi is well prepared to adapt to the market situation and to a possible decline in valuations. The strong financial performance of recent years, combined with the expertise and networks the organisation has accumulated, provides Tesi with a sound framework for promoting the growth and internationalisation of Finnish companies.

“The significance of Tesi as a player that complements and develops the market becomes ever more evident in constantly changing market conditions. Sustainability gives Finnish companies a competitive advantage, and we want to stimulate that through our operations,” says Tesi’s CEO Pia Santavirta.

Key Figures 2022 (figures for 2021 in brackets)

Tesi’s new investments and investment commitments EUR 297 (207) million, of which
- fund commitments EUR 90 (136) million
- direct investments in companies EUR 27 (45) million
- special investment programmes to mitigate pandemic impact EUR 180 (26) million
Unpaid investment commitments outside of the balance sheet EUR 539 million
Number of new VC & PE funds investing in Finland 9 (14)
Tesi’s net loss for the year EUR 26 million (EUR 338 million profit in 2021)
Tesi’s investments under management as at 31 December 2022 amounted to EUR 2.5 (2.4) billion, comprising 111 (109) fund investments, 4 (4) investments in funds-of-funds, and 128 (119) direct investments in portfolio companies

Key Figures 2022 (figures for 2021 in brackets)

Read more about the 2022 Annual Report