Story of Fundis
The idea for Fundis was born when Juha Markkanen and Tero Paunonen noticed that fundraising for clubs, school classes, and associations mainly took place in very outdated and clumsy ways.
In 2021, they decided to do something about it and founded Fundis. Over the following years, extensive background work was done, including market research and investigation into fundraising-related laws and taxation.
As a result, it was found that there is no existing model like Fundis anywhere in the world, and that there is a clear need for it, solving many current challenges for all parties involved in fundraising.
Based on this, the development of the Fundis payment application and its related background systems began. As we approach the end of 2023, these are nearing completion, and the launch of Fundis is very close!
Fundis Team
Seppo Kuusinen
CEO
Seppo joined Fundis in 2023 as the launch of the application approached, taking overall responsibility for Fundis’ development.
Seppo has extensive experience in international sales leadership roles in the IT industry, including positions at Cisco and F5 Networks. Most recently, Seppo lived in Dubai establishing Sulava’s operations in the Middle East.
Outside of work, Seppo is a football enthusiast and loves travelling. He served as the chairman of the Finnish National Team Supporters’ Association from 2012 to 2014 and continues to actively attend matches of the Finnish national football teams (Huuhkajat and Helmarit).
Juha Markkanen
Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer
Juha has been an entrepreneur for a quarter of a century. In addition to his experience with a traditional fundraising company, he has worked in various sectors, ranging from a specialised construction company to managing a restaurant chain.
Juha has also contributed to global peace as a United Nations peacekeeper. Outside of work, Juha engages in Thai boxing, basketball and swimming. He is also actively involved in football and cultural activities, as the proud father of his goal-scorer and artist daughters.
Tero Paunonen
Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board
Tero is a seasoned entrepreneur who has been promoting Finnish screw pile technology worldwide for many years. Through this, Tero has accumulated expertise in various aspects of business growth and going global.
In his free time, Tero enjoys martial arts, and whenever possible, he can be found on the back of a motorcycle!
Tommy Korpinen
EVP, Fundis USA
Tommy Korpinen is responsible for the development of Fundis’s operations in North America. He has previously worked at Rovio and The Walt Disney Company, where he was responsible for the global business development of the film studio. He has also worked in the music industry at Warner Music Group and EMI Music Group.
In his free time, Tommy, who lives in Los Angeles, spends time with his family and enjoys ice hockey.
Marko Somppi
Chief Technology Officer
Marko’s career in technology spans over 20 years and includes a wide range of experiences. In addition to his CTO roles, Marko has launched and managed his own companies and served as a senior consultant. Through all of this, Marko possesses not only leadership and innovation skills but also a wealth of expertise in areas such as AI, Microsoft, and cloud technologies.
Minerva Nylander
Business Development Manager
We have a new member in our team! Minerva joined Fundis in March 2024 to help with contributing the company’s business development efforts. She has been gaining experience in the field while pursuing a degree in business administration at Aalto University. In her free time, Minerva enjoys diverse sports and likes to explore new cultures through travelling. One of her favourite hobbies is cooking and exploring international cuisines at home as well as abroad.
Erik Forss
Business Development Director
Erik Forss joined Fundis´ team in June 2024 to lead and develop the sales. Erik has over 12 years of experience in B2B sales and works based on the customer’s needs in a purposeful and systematic way. Humor and positive energy also characterize his way of working.
Erik spends most of his spare time with his two rescue dogs and following sports, mostly domestic football, in a passionate way.
Jan Lahikainen
Jan joined the Fundis team as a technical consultant in September 2024. He is in his third year studying electronics and electrical engineering at Aalto University and is involved in the development of Fundis’ IT projects. Jan has a strong background in football and plays as a hobby in the third division. He spends most of his free time with football, whether playing, watching matches, or training at the gym.
Investors and Partners
Lexia is a key partner to Fundis for both legal matters and business development.
Our 60+ experts in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere and Oulu provide comprehensive business law services with legal excellence and a positive service attitude. We create value for our clients and aim to bring peace of mind.
H3llo Pay, specialised in payment systems, assists Fundis in both strategic and technical development.
Konepalvelu Kuivas is one of Fundis’ investors and also involved in business development.
Fundis Application Oy
Maria 01
Lapinlahdenkatu 16
00180 Helsinki, Finland
Y-tunnus: 3193666-1
Tel. +358 40 142 5595
partners@fundis.fi