Sami Somero, Entrepreneur, Private Investor, Nurmiranta Holdings Ltd

Tell us briefly about your background in Tampere, your career and your current job

I have lived in the Tampere region all my life. I studied data processing at the University of Tampere, and around the same time as my graduation in 1999, I set up an IT business with two of my friends. Our business, Plenware, grew in Tampere to become a multinational company that employs over six hundred people. After we merged with the Swedish Cybercom, I continued serving the company for a few years before I decided to return to younger growth companies as an investor, peer entrepreneur and professional board member. In these roles, I have worked in tens of start-up companies in different fields, doing my part to help companies grow and flourish. Nowadays, I work on the boards of Gofore, Tamturbo, Haarla and Anders, among others.

What did you especially appreciate at your own higher education institution?

The diverse universities and universities of applied sciences in Tampere have educated people who excel in different fields for the industry and commerce in the region, and have thus assisted in the birth of businesses and the development of start-up companies into international leaders in their fields. For me, university offered a natural path to work and entrepreneurship, and later on, it led me to a numerous tribe of colleagues and business associates with solid educational backgrounds.

How would you describe Tampere as a city? What makes it special?

Tampere is a great place to set up a business and to live your life. The city has grown and developed and has always had the courage to invest in its future. Tampere offers diverse opportunities in terms of education, career and leisure. Despite its growth, Tampere has remained a human scale city and preserved its proximity to nature.