Caritta Seppä

I never thought I would become a founder, especially of a tech startup, given my background in public diplomacy and my BA in International Relations in London. However, while working with the Finnish Foreign Ministry and living in Serbia, I became familiar with the political, economic, and social situation in South America through different analyses I used to write. It was then that I understood how much more work needs to be done globally to ensure equal access to opportunities, particularly access to education and energy. So, when I was approached to co-found an energy tech startup in Finland with a mission to bring access to mobile energy in off-grid regions, I decided to make a career change into something I felt much more passionate about: making a positive social impact.

My atypical background ended up serving me well as a co-founder, as I was able to understand the customer better from a non-technical perspective while being able to forge new partnerships, foster customer relations, and negotiate with suppliers. I developed skills in operations, financials, business development, sales, and marketing, among other areas, but more importantly, I developed a deep passion for entrepreneurship and making an impact. After working for years in the energy, edtech, and climate industries and operating in emerging markets, I was recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 in Europe, Winning Woman Entrepreneur by Ernst & Young, as well as one of the finalist winners in the Nordic Women in Tech Awards.

After years of working in the startup world, I witnessed the lack of diversity in the tech industry. This inspired me to become passionate about highlighting the need for different skill sets in the tech sector. As a result, I began to mentor and advise other aspiring founders, and I gave a TEDx speech and several other keynote presentations at well-known conferences such as the WTO Public Annual Forum, ChangeNOW, and Arctic15. This eventually led me into venture capital and to pursue a fast-track MBA for venture capital with Included VC.

My experience as a co-founder and entrepreneur has given me valuable insights into what it takes to build and grow a hardware-software company from scratch, as well as the daily obstacles that founders face. I believe that this understanding, from a founder’s perspective, can be leveraged in my role as a Senior Investment Manager. I strive to connect with founders and empathize with their journey, while demonstrating that working with a VC is a partnership where both parties are equal and working towards a common goal. This is what initially drew me to Spintop Ventures – the focus on providing ongoing support and follow-up investment to their portfolio companies.

In Finnish, we have a word called “sisu” which embodies traits such as perseverance, determination, and an attitude of never giving up. I aim to apply this mindset to my daily life and hope to see it in every founder and startup that I encounter.