Yrjo Ojasaar

Fund II - Founder & Investment Partner

2018 - Current

Our 34 portfolio companies have gone on to raise over €300 million, and create over 3,000 jobs around the world. Portfolio includes unicorns like Veriff, but also "soonicorns" like Aerones, Printify, Modash and others. We can deploy capital fast and on founder friendly terms. But more importantly - our team has extensive startup and operational experience. Backed by top EU investors we can help you launch in any markets, scale sustainably and bring about global change. We typically invest from €250K to €1M in seed stage technology startups. We can lead, follow or syndicate. Our primary focus is to back ambitious founders from Baltics. But we are free to invest wherever the Baltic founders have located their business.

Fund I - Founder & Investment Partner

2015

We started Change Ventures to address the market need for smarter pre-seed capital in the Baltics. We can deploy capital fast and on founder friendly terms. But more importantly - our team has extensive startup and operational experience. Backed by top US investors and with teams on both side of the Atlantic, we can help you launch in Western markets, scale sustainably and bring about global change. Change Ventures can make a valuable difference. We typically invest up to €500k in pre-seed stage technology startups. We can lead, follow or syndicate. Our primary focus is to back ambitious founders from Baltics. But we are free to invest wherever the Baltic founders have located their business. Change has no boundaries.

Member of The Supervisory Board

2017

Member of the Board coaching/mentoring founders in developing their business models, scaling sales, raising financing, negotiating with investors and partners, and hiring top talent. Helped the company grow from inception to a platform with the world’s biggest digital timber measurements database and the most sophisticated AI for timber digitalization, with users on every continent in the world.

Managing Partner

2008

Solon Partners provides hands-on strategic consulting for founders and management to identify the true potential of the businesses and develop a strategic plan with detailed tasks, schedule and budget for implementation. Our typical client is a seed or early stage technology/science company looking to overcome start-up related problems, raise financing and expand operations internationally. Visit www.solonpartners.com for more information.

Mentor and Advisor

2011

Mentor and coach helping startups build scalable businesses, grow their operations, prepare for due diligence and raise venture capital financing

Investment Board Member

2011

Fund for startups seeking financing for rapid prototyping and proof of concept creation. Companies have gove on to raise over €75M in follow-on funding and created over 400 jobs.

Member of The Supervisory Board

2020 - 2024

Member of the Board coaching/mentoring founders in developing their business models, scaling sales, raising financing, negotiating with investors and partners, and hiring top talent. Helped the company grow from inception to over 3M students and 70K teachers as active users in the United States.

Co-Founder/Lecturer - Digital Design & Virtual Environments Master's Program

2011 - 2022

Practical and case-study focused program that prepares entrepreneurs for creating and running international online businesses. MA degree candidates learn business modeling, marketing, metrics, project management, intellectual property development and other key concepts by supplementing and contrasting their theoretical learning by launching online businesses with their classmates.

Member of The Supervisory Board

2012 - 2016

Leading the VC fundraising and M&A strategy and execution to build Tahe from a small regional company to a Top 5 European water sports company. Acquiring brands like Zegul, Egalis, others to consolidate competitors from Germany, Portugal, Denmark, Finland and France into one canoe and kayak group.

Mentor and Advisor

2011 - 2013

CEO

2011 - 2012

Publification Ltd develops a disruptive publishing and social marketing platform for authors of ebooks. Our cloud based technology allows readers to instantly open eBooks with one mouse click on a link shared via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. This platform enables self-publishers to cost-effectively distribute and market their ebooks to over 3 Billion devices (works on anything with a browser), track marketing metrics and interact with readers. Springboard UK accelerator chose Publification out of 230 international applicants to join 9 other teams for its class of 2011 startups.