Matti Pasanen, who has been appointed to the board of Startup Lions, began his career in management at the age of 29, when he joined Suomen Talokeskus Oy as finance manager and a member of the executive team. He later served as CFO of the Talokeskus Yhtiöt Group during a period when the group’s revenue and profits grew. In that role, Pasanen was involved in a corporate transaction in which a subsidiary engaged in the Group’s software business was sold to an international buyer.
His next step took Pasanen to a significantly larger organization in financial terms: he became the Chief Financial Officer of the Asuntosäätiö Group, where he was responsible for a balance sheet of two billion euros and revenue of over 200 million euros. In the summer of 2025, Pasanen took the leap into entrepreneurship and currently works as a financial management consultant and trainer.
Extensive experience in government provides perspective
Pasasella has served on the boards of no fewer than 47 different companies, including housing and real estate companies. He sees a clear need for an independent board perspective even in early-stage companies, where the demands of day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning can easily become entangled.
“I recommend that even startups include outside members on their boards. Entrepreneurs can sometimes lose sight of the big picture when they’re too busy dealing with immediate issues. An outside board member brings structure and helps keep the focus on the long-term big picture.”
Although there is a stark contrast between companies with balance sheets worth a billion euros and startups struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis, Pasanen emphasizes the common ground: the basic principles of finance and monitoring structures are the same regardless of size. Even in the early stages, it’s worth setting up financial tracking so that the entrepreneur can see where money is being spent and which activities are yielding results. When key metrics are chosen wisely right from the start, the company accumulates comparable data that supports decision-making at various stages of growth.
Potential in the Startup Lions Portfolio
Startup Lions is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies and has approximately 100 minority shareholders. The firm helps its portfolio companies secure funding and grow over the long term in a variety of ways. In addition to direct equity investments, Startup Lions seeks investors for its portfolio companies from among its own shareholders and through the networks of its expert team.
Pasanen considers Startup Lions’ greatest strength to be its principle of investing in attractive companies in their early stages. This makes it possible to acquire significant equity stakes and to participate in the growth stories of the portfolio companies. Pasanen sees a lot of potential in the portfolio and believes that there are some real success stories among them.
”My experience in financial management has given me a good understanding of what it takes for a company to grow. It’s great to be able to use this expertise to support Startup Lions and its portfolio companies. .”
With the precision of an orienteer, even in my free time
Orienteering serves as a counterbalance to Pasanen’s work and business activities. A native of Saarijärvi, Pasanen has competed in events such as the Jukola Relay. He describes running through the woods with a map in hand as the best way to disconnect from work. His free time also includes a wide range of cultural activities, exercise, and, among other things, serving as a coach for a junior soccer team.