Summary of the position
Kiilto Ventures is looking for a highly motivated and dynamic Head of Ventures, to help grow new businesses that will define Kiilto’s future beyond 2025. The primary responsibilities of this role include: (1) accelerating internally built ventures and early-stage startups from inception through to pre-seed and seed phases, and attracting A-level and A-round investors (2) working to expand the Ventures’ investor and entrepreneur networks (3) personifying Kiilto’s innovative spirit and frontrunning its strategy in sustainability. The people at Kiilto believe the best way to impact the future is to invent it. If this sounds like you, and you have hands-on entrepreneurial experience, keep reading!
Background
Kiilto is a growing, family-owned company with over a hundred-year history, and a vision looking ahead to 2080. Kiilto intends to take a stronger stance on defining sustainability and quality of living in the built environment.
In 2021, Kiilto had +260 M€ total revenue, mainly connected to the built environment. Kiilto has a background in developing, producing and selling chemical industry solutions across four business areas: construction, industrial adhesives and fireproofing, professional hygiene and consumer goods. Just before its 100th birthday, Kiilto made a Promise to the Environment that all company operations would be carbon-neutral by 2028, among other environmental targets. This also requires systemically renewing the core business through new business activities.
In this role, you will have access to the resources and expertise of around 900 Kiiltonians in ten countries, and Kiilto’s 100 RDI professionals, spanning construction, industrial adhesives & fireproofing, as well as professional hygiene, and the R&D facilities and laboratory equipment designed for the construction sector and industrial processes located in Lempäälä.
In the past few years, Kiilto has piloted creating new solutions and ventures that deviate from its core business, and engaged in startup investment activities through Kiilto Ventures. One fundamental way to achieve long-term market leadership, and animate the innovativeness and entrepreneurial spirit, is to systematically develop and invest in new solutions and ventures that will spearhead Kiilto's future strategy and mission. This is why Kiilto is now doubling down on the next evolution of its Ventures unit and is aiming to build a small but impactful organization during 2023 – led by you.
Requirements
- +5 years of entrepreneurial experience in founding and running (B2B) startups and growth companies
- Master's degree, or similar
- Proven leadership track record, with tangible results
- Hands-on experience in fundraising and growth company resource acquisition
- Experience in startup evaluation and investing (eg. angel or VC investor and/or accelerator and corporate venture capital)
- Excellent storytelling and communication skills
- A strong network of founders and investors in the Nordics and Baltics
- Interest in creating and investing in early-stage startups, and building new products/services/solutions
- Fluent English. Finnish and Swedish are considered an advantage.
- The primary location is in Helsinki, Finland. We have hybrid work practices, and the job requires traveling. Kiilto has offices across the Nordics and Baltics .
Why would you be interested in this opportunity
Heading a modern innovation unit and ‘an operational VC’ can be inspiring for several reasons. Some potential motivators might include:
- Heading a ventures unit gives you the power to shape the future of entire industries and make a positive impact on the built environment
- Building relationships with founders and investors of both internal and external new ventures
- Running an entire ventures unit is a valuable experience, which will lead to personal and professional growth
- Creating and investing in successful ventures can lead to interesting future opportunities
Here’s how the process works
- The last day to apply is 12 February 2023. Please apply here and attach an introduction of yourself with a one-minute video. Also attach your salary request and CV.
- For more information about the position, please contact Chief Business Development Officer Ville Solja +358 50 329 5211 , 31 Jan at 14-15 p.m. (EET) or on 9 Feb at 10 – 11 a.m. (EET).
- You may also contact Aki Soudunsaari in Coventures +358 40 822 6322, 1 Feb at 1 -3 p.m. (EET) or on 2 Feb at 10-11 a.m. (EET).
- We operate in compliance with Kiilto's recruitment process and treat all contacts concerning the post with absolute confidentiality. We also ask applicants to reserve 21 and 22 February for a possible interview.
- The starting time of the employment is flexible but we would love for you to start as soon as possible.
Kiilto Ventures
Kiilto Ventures is the corporate venture unit of Kiilto, a family-owned company aiming to be an environmental leader in its field of business. With the same startup spirit as Kiilto in 1919, Kiilto Ventures was born in 2019 to be more digitally curious and commercially daring. So far, Kiilto Ventures has invested in a handful of early-stage companies and started to incubate internally built ventures. We are dedicated to supporting the growth and success of our portfolio companies, and working closely with them to help them achieve their goals. Kiilto’s experienced professionals bring a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise to the table, and the corporation is committed to fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation.
For more information, visit https://kiiltoventures.fi/
Kiilto
Kiilto is a family-owned company from Finland, with over a hundred-year history and a vision looking ahead to 2080. We develop, produce and market chemical industry solutions in four business areas: construction, industrial adhesives and fireproofing, professional hygiene, and consumer goods. The key principles underlying our operations are environmental leadership, closeness, and commitment to the future. We operate in 10 countries and employ around 900 people. In 2021 group's net sales amounted to 261 M€. www.kiilto.com