05 | 2023 Olli Laine, Co-founder & CEO

The year 2022 was Kipinä Software's first full financial year, with a turnover of €4.1 million (€0.4 million in 2021). The entire year went exceptionally well.

Kipinä was founded in April 2021 and introduced to the general public in May 2021. Right from the start, our objective was to build something new. At Kipinä, we wanted to leverage the years of experience in software development and digitalization that the founders had accumulated throughout their careers. We wanted to build something new by placing our trust in people and considering how, as a community, we could serve our clients even better.

The pandemic and the war in Europe have set quite a backdrop for a new company. Fortunately, one does not know everything in advance, nor is it necessary to. We believe that top-tier expertise in digital development will remain in demand no matter what happens in the world or the economy.

At the start of the first full financial year, we had around 15 people working on customer projects. Now there are 31 of us. In addition, Kipinä has more than 10 known freaks and subcontractors. In the whole ecosystem, we are already more than 150 people.

In our first financial year in Kipinä, we had a turnover of 4,1 M€ in 2022. That is a figure that shows we have succeeded. I bet we are close to the Finnish record. It also shows that our customers are really happy with us.

Olli opens the Kipinä Symposium. — Olli opening the Kipinä symposium in Tampere.

Customer experience is exceptional, and we back it with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Our projects always involve something particularly demanding or novel, which is never easy. Not every project results in a breakthrough, and other challenges may arise. However, the probability of success is high when client projects are executed by experienced experts who act as owners.

Kipinä's cash flow and equity have also consistently remained in the black. On the other hand, these figures, while fine in themselves, only tell the financial side of the story.

Traditionally, software developers—even experienced ones—are sold for client assignments based on company references and individual CVs. In practice, experts work independently at the client's site and largely identify with the client team they happen to be working with at any given time. This dynamic is further reinforced by personal billing bonuses for consultants. At the same time, many have transitioned to freelancing.

For us, the community is what matters most. Our greatest investments and successes have been rooted in our community. We have invested in this from the very beginning. The core idea is our belief that complex problems are better solved as a team of experienced professionals rather than working alone.

Kipinä experts at Niina Ahtiainen's birch school. — The Kipinä people in the birch school, taught by our sponsoring partner Niina Ahtiainen.

We believe there is an even better way to practice top-tier expertise. Together, we can support one another. We do not use personal incentives; instead, everyone shares in the success of our entire community as owners. This encourages a completely different level of peer support.

But even a building does not make a community alone. Community is created in encounters. It is this community and thriving community members that create our customer experience. Our community members act as highly experienced professionals in client environments, knowing that they also have the support of the entire Kipinä community.

At Kipinä, supporting a colleague is always encouraged.

Olli Laine