Translink Corporate Finance acted as the financial advisor to the owners of Profinder (Rootfon Oy), including Juuri Rahasto I Ky, a fund managed by Juuri Partners and other owners, in a sale of all shares to Ilkka Plc. Through this acquisition, Ilkka expands its marketing and technology business area to include sales technology and data services in alignment with its strategy.

Profinder is a leading Finnish SaaS-based sales intelligence data platform currently covering over 1300 corporate clients across industries. Its platform amasses and refines data from various reputable sources, creating the most extensive decision-maker contact database in Finland. Profinder’s revenue reached EUR 5.1 million with EUR 1.9 million EBITDA during January-September in 2024. Over 80% of the revenue is recurring. The enterprise value of the transaction amounts to EUR 20.4 million.

Profinder was formed in 2017 as part of LeadDesk Plc, with Juuri Partners the majority owner since 2019. In recent years, Profinder has focused on developing a subscription-based service. The growth of the business has been driven by the increasing demand for marketing and sales intelligence tools, as well as the real-time target audience data that meets this need by combining various sources. The service is enabled by a user-friendly, continuously evolving cloud-based software platform that integrates seamlessly with sales systems.

“Profinder’s successful journey of profitable growth is entering a new phase as we join Ilkka Group and Summa Collective. This transaction will not impact our existing customer relationships. Surrounded by skilled partners, we will continue to develop innovative solutions for sales, marketing, and customer communication alongside our current data services. The progress achieved over the past four years in collaboration with Juuri Partners, combined with our team’s exceptional expertise, has positioned us at the forefront of business-targeted data in Finland. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this success and warmly welcome this new chapter”, says Ville Honkimäki, CEO of Profinder.

Ville Honkimäki expressed his satisfaction with Translink Corporate Finance: “An exit process is always a significant undertaking for all parties involved, and ours was no exception. From the outset, our management team recognised at the early stage of the process the vast added value of Translink. Their expertise, both in preparing materials and providing practical, hands-on advice, allowed us to focus on our core business while navigating this complex process. We were particularly impressed by their seamless communication and ability to manage every aspect with precision and clarity. Unsurprisingly, the end result exceeded our expectations and was a true success.”

Tommi Asmala, Partner at Juuri Partners further highlights the critical role played by Translink Corporate Finance in the process: “Translink demonstrated exceptional professionalism and responsiveness throughout the entire project. Their seamless communication, unwavering support, and tenacity to help us ensured a smooth process and a highly satisfying outcome. Translink’s dedication, SaaS industry expertise, and ability to navigate complexities were instrumental in the success of this transaction, and we are delighted to have chosen them to lead this project.”

Juuso Marttinen, Partner at Translink Corporate Finance, comments on the transaction: “This transaction highlights the growing value of SaaS-based data platforms in today’s business landscape. We are proud to have advised the owners of Profinder in this transaction. It was a pleasure to work with such a skilled management team and committed owners. We are confident that this acquisition will create substantial value for both Ilkka and Profinder.”