Mari Luukkainen

Short: Principal at identity.vc, the first VC in Europe investing in early-stage startups with LGBTQ+ leadership. Ex-growth operator (idea to Series A). Founder of a non-profit creating tech jobs for international talent Herizon.io. Investor of the Year in Nordic Women in Tech Awards 2022 and Diversity Role Model of the Year in Nordic Startup Awards 2023.

I am a passionate growth technologist, self-educated and people-focused, with my journey beginning at age 12 when I earned my first affiliate marketing commission from a fan page I created for the game, Fallout 2. Throughout my 20-year professional career, I've been driving growth for diverse companies and initiatives.

I spent a decade in affiliate marketing and another decade building and developing companies as both an external consultant and internal growth operator within startups and venture capital firms. I thrive in the early stages of a venture, helping businesses navigate from an idea to securing seed or series A funding.

At identity.vc, I support early-stage companies led by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs across Europe and beyond. Our mission is to embrace diversity and redefine the norm, fostering innovation by breaking free from convention.

Previously, as Principal at Icebreaker.vc, I managed a portfolio of 100+ early-stage startups, helping them raise substantial seed and series A funding as uprounds. My experience at Icebreaker.vc involved extensive work in the pre-seed stage, providing portfolio development and growth strategies.

As an ex-growth operator, I've driven significant growth for startups like Freska, Paxful, and Yousician, increasing ARR and achieving substantial fundraising milestones.

Simultaneously, I devote time to helping international talent get employed through my non-profit, Herizon.io. Growth hacking has been a core part of my career since the late 90s and continues to drive my passion.

My mission is to use my skills to help startups that wish to make things better and be good companies for the people. I believe in Nordic values of work-life balance and equality at work.

Key achievements:

• Increased Freska's annual recurring revenue from €<200K to €13M as a solo growth operator, securing its position as the leading home-cleaning service in the Nordics. This growth was achieved within two years, maintaining a 15% month-over-month growth rate, all while staying profitable.
• I made my best investment in Call of Duty and they grew from €0 to €1M ARR in 12 months since the investment.
• Contributed to increasing investments in startups with diverse founding teams from 22.3% in Icebreaker.vc Fund I to 40.7% in Fund II, while diverse teams represent only 14% of the pipeline.
• Contributed to scaling companies from under €1M in annual revenue to over €10M.
• Facilitated fundraising from initial €50K investments to significant €30M rounds, adapting strategies to suit each company's stage and potential.
• Designed and implemented growth strategies globally, adjusting to the unique demands of diverse markets.
• Directly coached over 100 startup CEOs, influencing the growth trajectories of businesses from €1M to €100M in revenue.
• Played a significant role in creating over 1,000 jobs, focusing on inclusivity and opportunities for women, immigrants, and minorities.
• Received the 2022 Investor of the Year at the Nordic Women in Tech Awards and the 2023 Diversity Role Model of the Year at the Nordic Startup Awards for my work in diversity and inclusivity.

Currently:

• Investing and guiding early-stage startups at identity.vc, helping them scale and thrive.
• Built a program for international talent employment in the Nordics with a 95% success rate generating over €1M in new monthly salaries paid to previously unemployed individuals.
• Sharing actionable growth strategies with early-stage startups.

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