Press Release March 20th, 2025
The Finnish software group and SaaS pioneer, Saarni Cloud, announces today a strategic partnership with the Danish private equity firm, VIA equity. With new resources and capital brought by the partnership, Saarni Cloud is set to continue its growth and international expansion efforts in the global SaaS market.
Founded in 2017, Saarni Cloud has grown fast as the leading provider of HR software solutions in Finland. With VIA equity’s new support, Saarni Cloud will continue its successful growth strategy and international expansion efforts. As part of the partnership, VIA equity will acquire a minority stake in Saarni Cloud, making the collaboration also a significant growth investment into a Finnish company. The existing investor, Sponsor Capital, will also continue to support Saarni Cloud’s further growth as an active shareholder.
”Despite challenging market conditions Saarni Cloud has experienced exceptional growth. Our new partnership with VIA equity is a natural next step in our journey. VIA equity has a proven and impressive track record of driving growth in software companies and is a superb partner for us. With this partnership, we are doubling down on our growth plans to become the leading HR software provider in the Nordics and Northern Europe,” says Kaj Rintala, CEO of Saarni Cloud.
Saarni Cloud offers its clients one of the most comprehensive service portfolios on the market, including personnel management, learning, time tracking, financial management, and analytics solutions. These services are used by nearly half a million users across more than 1,500 customer organizations in Finland and Northern Europe. Saarni Cloud’s client portfolio ranges from small, fast-growing companies to publicly listed firms, as well as major organizations in both the public and private sectors.
”Our exceptionally broad and integrated service portfolio provides us with a significant competitive edge in the market. We address fragmentation in the software industry by bringing together leading solutions and ensuring they work seamlessly with automatic data transfers. Our support enables professionals to focus more effectively on their expertise,” says Rintala.
In 2024 Saarni Cloud saw a significant increase in turnover, surpassing 20 million euros, cementing the company’s place as one of the leading providers of software solutions in Finland.
”We have been following Saarni Cloud for many years and are excited to support the company in its next growth phase. Finland is known for producing world-class software solutions, and Saarni Cloud is a prime example of this. We look forward to collaborating with the management team and accelerating the company’s growth and expansion across the Nordics and Northern Europe,” says Peter Thorlund Haahr, Investment Responsible and Partner at VIA equity.
“We are very happy to welcome VIA equity as the new lead investor in Saarni Cloud. Our team is excited to continue the successful journey now together with the great Saarni Cloud and VIA equity teams,” tells Jussi Seppälä, Investment Professional and Partner at Sponsor Capital.
Saarni Cloud
Founded in 2017, Saarni Cloud is a Finnish software group and a leader in the SaaS industry, specializing in personnel management, learning, time tracking, financial management, and analytics. These solutions are utilized by nearly half a million users across approximately 1,500 customer organizations in Finland and Northern Europe. The group employs over 160 experts in Espoo, Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu, and Hyvinkää.
www.saarnicloud.com
VIA equity
Headquartered in Copenhagen, VIA equity is a leading Northern European private equity firm investing in software and IT-service companies. VIA equity focuses on buyouts of profitable small to mid-sized companies in the Nordics and DACH region. VIA equity manages five funds, where the most recent one alone has EUR 250m in committed capital from established international investors.
www.viaequity.com
Media contacts:
Kaj Rintala
CEO, Saarni Cloud
+358 40 141 3040
Peter Thorlund Haahr
Partner, VIA equity
+45 28101795