Member Interview: “Our goal was to save the world and sell t-shirts”

In this FiBAN member interview, you’ll get to know a little bit about one of our new members. Let’s get to know Eemeli Parantainen, a 22-year-old aspiring angel investor who’s constantly developing new business ideas. What are Eemeli’s red flags when it comes to finding suitable investments? How did he end up becoming a FiBAN member?

Eemeli is a 22-year-old student, entrepreneur, and angel who joined FiBAN in the Autumn of 2023. He found out about FiBAN on a golf course by chance. “First, we were planning to apply for funding through FiBAN, but ultimately, we didn’t need it. Then I thought, why not take part in the community myself,” he says.

Angel investor skills from peers and the FiBAN network

Not only is he looking for exciting startups to invest in, but he’s also looking to learn from more experienced angels and the angel training organized by FiBAN. “As an angel, I’m at the beginning of my learning curve. One of my goals at FiBAN is to learn as much as possible about angel investing. It would be great if I wouldn’t have to learn everything through trial and error – I’d like to have a mentor from the community.”

Despite his young age, Eemeli hasn’t stayed put. He founded his first company at 15 and recently returned to Finland after studying economics in Monaco. For his first company, he sought to create change.
“My first company was called T-Land. Our goal was to save the world and to sell t-shirts: For each sold T-shirt, we planted one tree. I wanted to come back to Finland because of the startup scene. I’ve already founded a few companies and am eager to create more and invest in startups.”

Entrepreneur at heart: evolving businesses together with founders

At his core, he sees himself as an entrepreneur, and his motivation comes from fixing what’s broken. “When I identify a problem, that something doesn’t work as it should, it motivates me to come up with better solutions.“

As an angel investor, he views himself as active – someone wanting to be involved in developing businesses together with founders. “I’m looking for startups that genuinely solve a real problem, bring value to the world, and are easily scalable regarding the business model. I’d like to see startups who are there for the customer.”

But what type of companies is he not interested in? As with every angel, Eemeli also has his red flags when it comes to startups. “I’m not too eager if the ask is too high and if the company needs a lot of capital to start. The company has to have started their operations and show some results with sales when looking for an investment.”

“Angel investing is a great way to make a mark on what society will be like in the future”

Though the majority of FiBAN members are over 45 years old, Eemeli wasn’t intimated. In fact, he has a message for the younger generation still pondering whether angel investing could be a possibility.
“Angel investing is a great way to make a mark on what society will be like in the future. Unlike people think, becoming an angel investor doesn’t require a huge amount of capital. Angel investors invest in syndicates, and that’s where there is strength in numbers. I recommend looking at what FiBAN can offer if you want to make a difference,” he says.

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Milja Inkeri Mäkelä
COO, FiBAN ry
milja.makela@fiban.org