Linda Emelianov: How can Angel investors take advantage of HBH?

Are you an Angel investor looking for opportunities in Finland? The Angels Services team at Helsinki Business Hub is relatively new, so we sat down with Linda Emelianov to discuss HBH resources for Angles and how she fits in with the rest of our Investor Services.

HBH: Let’s start at the beginning. Why is Helsinki Business Hub interested in Angel Investors?

Linda Emelianov: The mission of the Investor Services team is to help Finnish startups find funding from abroad, but previously our focus has only been on more mature startups raising €1 million and up. We’re now additionally focusing on angel rounds because we’ve seen that the earlier the startup is, the more it needs help in finding international connections. 

Additionally our goal is to increase the number of foreign angel investors in Finland, which has been relatively low. We’re lucky to have a very active angel scene here, but Finland is a small market– most startups can benefit from looking for both customers and capital from the beginning.

Helsinki has been ranked among the top emerging startup ecosystems, now is the best time for foreign investors to get involved!  

So What services does HBH provide to support Angel investors? And when should an Angel get in touch with you? 

Linda Emelianov: We offer a few services for Angels. 

First, what Angels seem to find most interesting is that we are offering deal flow from Finland– a personalized service according to your own investment criteria.

Next, we see ourselves as your key ecosystem contact to help facilitate investments. Whether you need a personal intro, a ticket to an event, a deep dive into local startup hubs, or want to get in contact with tax authorities, we can make that happen. 

Angels are warmly welcome to get in touch whenever they have any questions!

What are you looking forward to in 2021?

Linda Emelianov: Lately we’ve been working hard to find the most interesting early-stage startups from Finland. In 2021 I hope we can help these startups to get connected with foreign angels, either via direct intros or via Angel mentoring/matchmaking events similar to what we’ve organized with Slush in the last Node by Slush community event at the end of November.

And in general I think we’re all ready to get out of 2020. Of course making investment decisions can be harder when everyone is remote, but my guess is people will be used to this “new normal” in the new year. If this lifestyle continues it will probably be also easier to invest in new startups without meeting people physically.

Either way, we’ll be throwing lots of online events where Angels can meet startups! Watch this space.