Mikkeli-based Observis develops and delivers solutions for situations that nobody hopes to face. The company’s products are used around the world to protect people against threats such as chemical, biological and radiological hazards.
The company’s founders, Heikki Isotalus and Ville Kanerva, know that entrepreneurship rarely follows a straight path.
”A great deal of it has involved chance, seizing opportunities and taking risks. Not everything we planned at the beginning worked out exactly as intended. But along the way, we discovered things that carried us much further,” says Isotalus.
Founded in 2011, Observis is now best known for its situational awareness system for the CBRNe sector, as well as the integrated solutions and expertise built around it. Its most significant customers include public authorities and security organisations. The company’s products are not only relevant in situations involving war or terrorism. The same technology can also be applied in more everyday contexts, such as managing risks associated with the transport of hazardous materials.
From Mikkeli to global markets
There has always been one clear direction in the Observis story: the company never viewed Finland alone as its market.
”For us, Finland on its own would be too small. That is why we turned our attention to international markets at a very early stage,” says Isotalus.
Today, the company serves customers across the world. Observis also operates an office in Abu Dhabi, making it easier to serve markets throughout the Middle East.
Internationality is reflected in everyday operations as well. Over the years, the company has employed people from more than ten different countries. Isotalus and Kanerva are also pleased that employees have enjoyed working at Observis, with staff turnover remaining low. The company currently employs around twenty people.
”We have never required everyone to speak Finnish. It is enough to speak either Finnish or English,” says Isotalus.
Growth through security
Europe’s changing security environment has increased interest in security solutions, and Observis has seen the effects in several ways.
”When there are more threats, there is more demand. Competition in this sector is intense, and demand is also heavily influenced by international politics,” says Kanerva.
Finland’s NATO membership and Mikkeli’s growing profile as a security and defence hub have also strengthened the city’s reputation. So far, however, Mikkeli’s status as a NATO city has not yet had any direct impact on the company’s operations.
”There is certainly a certain appeal in being able to say that you come from Mikkeli, a city that hosts, among other things, a NATO headquarters. It can be quite an effective ice-breaker.”