Matias Kaila, an experienced investment professional with over 20 years of expertise in leading venture capital and private equity investments in the Nordics, has joined the Supervisory Board of SmartCap, Estonia’s national fund manager.
Kaila brings extensive experience from his career at Tesi, Finland’s state-owned investment company, where he served as Director of Fund Investments for over seven years and was a member of the management team. Founded in 1995, Tesi plays a key role in supporting Finnish tech, growth and industrial companies through investments in venture capital, private equity and industrial investments in funds, as well as direct investments in companies.
“Tesi has been one of our key partners in advising SmartCap on strategy and adopting Nordic practices throughout the years. After years of sparring and close cooperation with Matias, we’re welcoming him to our Supervisory Board to further strengthen SmartCap with extensive PE&VC market knowledge and his experience in developing a state investment company in Finland,” said Sille Pettai, CEO of SmartCap.
“Having one of the top talents in the field, both in Europe and globally, join the Supervisory Board of SmartCap will help us further empower and strengthen SmartCap and its governance, positioning the organization for growth and the expansion of its investment mandate. This is particularly important at a time when the Estonian Government has placed a great deal of trust in SmartCap’s venture capital arm,” said Aare Järvan, member of the Management Board of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, the shareholder of SmartCap.
“I’m excited to join the Supervisory Board of SmartCap and to support the Management Board and the whole SmartCap team on its next stage of growth,” added Matias Kaila.
Kaila’s career before Tesi includes leveraged finance at Danske Bank, heading private equity and debt investments at Elo Pension in Finland as well as M&A advisory at MCF Corporate Finance. Additionally, he served as Vice Chair of the European Venture Fund Investors Network (EVFIN) and was a member of the Limited Partners Council at Invest Europe, an organization representing Europe’s private equity and venture capital sectors.
SmartCap is a subsidiary of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, registered with the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority. The company manages several funds, including the SmartCap Venture Capital Fund and the Green Fund, with a focus on fostering innovation and driving Estonia’s economic growth.