Founding Valimo
We are Osmo Haapaniemi and Olli-Pekka Saksa, founding partners of Valimo.
Between us, we have over 40 years of experience building and leading consultancy businesses. As former Managing Director of Futurice Finland and leader of Futurice Family strategy and portfolio of subsidiaries, we've worked across every function: sales, delivery, operations, HR, IT, finance. We've built teams, shaped cultures, and helped clients succeed through major technology shifts.
In early 2025, we started discussing how fundamental the AI transformation would be. Not just for our clients, but for consultancies as well. Talent structures, commercial models, service offerings — everything would need to change. For established firms, this journey would take time and involve difficult choices. Some would succeed, others would struggle.
But we also saw opportunity. This transformation was opening space for new entrants who could build from scratch with agility at their core, designing for the AI era from day one and adapting quickly to changes rather than wrestling with legacy structures.
The more we discussed this, the more it resonated. We had the experience. We understood what works and what doesn't. Why not take everything we'd learned and build something new for this new era?
Building Valimo
We started by defining what this company needed to be:
Focused solely on applying AI. Within that, building further focus points where we could create real impact.
Built on an entrepreneurial approach. A company of entrepreneurs who drive every client engagement as if their future depends on it.
A culture of senior doers, where trust and autonomy are the foundation.
Partnering with a respected consultancy company who could give us credibility from day one and who would benefit from our success.
Making impact first in Finland, then across Europe - Contributing to the long-term success of European businesses.
By summer 2025, we'd put these ideas on paper and started conversations with potential partners. The response validated our thinking — others saw the same future and praised our approach. The decision to move forward became clear.
Partnering with Gofore was the obvious choice. They brought a well-regarded brand and understood that this partnership could accelerate their own renewal for the AI era. Together, we could make a bigger impact than either could alone.
We called this concept the project Foundry. Capturing both the act of founding something new and the industrial strength needed to create lasting value. When we established the company, we chose Valimo, the Finnish word for foundry.
We launched at the beginning of 2026, focusing on building a strong team of senior experts, developing our offerings, and working closely with clients to understand where we can help the most.
Now in February 2026 we have our initial team in place and can start making an impact on our client’s businesses and to the world.
What We Believe
We believe AI will be transformative, reshaping our clients' industries as well as our own business of digital consulting and engineering. This shift opens space for new leaders. Organizations that learn and adapt quickly have the advantage, while legacy drag and conflicting priorities slow down impactful change.
We launched Valimo for this new era, as an AI-first consulting company, free of legacy constraints. Twenty years on the front line of digital change have shown us that consultant impact goes beyond individual business problems. A hands-on example can spark systemic change.
As a world-class local partner, plugged into the global AI scene, we help clients across industries navigate the broader shift to AI. In doing this, we play our part in securing the long-term relevance of European businesses and the societies in which we all operate.
Achieving this vision takes the right people and the right culture. We've had the privilege of shaping exceptional cultures alongside great people. In our experience, focused entrepreneurial teams with autonomy, accountability, and end-to-end ownership deliver the best results and the most rewarding work. This belief sets the foundation on which we've built Valimo, drawing in ambitious people along the way.
Through our partnership with Gofore, clients gain the focus and agility of an AI-native consultancy and the backing of a known enterprise. Gofore secures an entrepreneurial fast track to renew their business for the AI era.
Follow Us
This is where the real story begins. We welcome everyone to follow our journey, partner with us, and most importantly, together explore what this new era has to offer.
- Osmo Haapaniemi and Olli-Pekka Saksa
