Askel Ventures

Acquiring boring businesses.
Building compounding value.

Operator-led family PE  ·  Finnish small business acquisitions  ·  Micro-cap focus
The Opportunity

A wave of succession transitions
no one is equipped to handle.

The silver tsunami is here. Across the Nordics, essential small businesses are profitable and resilient — but founder-led and approaching succession transition.
Structural gap in the market. These businesses are too small for traditional private equity and too operationally demanding for passive investors.
Modern tools, untapped. Many lack data visibility, scalable processes, and modern systems. AI and software now create practical efficiency gains in admin, sales, reporting, and operations.
Attractive entry multiples. Stable, cash-generative businesses available at 3–4× EBITDA — a pricing dynamic unavailable at scale in any other asset class.
The Model

We buy, operate, grow, and selectively exit —
then reinvest the proceeds.

Acquire
3–4× EBITDA entry
debt + equity
→
Apply Playbook
Systems, AI,
commercial dev
→
Grow
Target 3× EBITDA
over 5 years
→
Sell at Premium
6–8× EBITDA
to passive buyers
→
Redeploy
Fund next acquisition
or return capital
We sell when the Askel effect is fully realized — not because investors need liquidity, but because the next euro of value creation happens elsewhere. Portfolio exits fund future acquisitions and create natural investor liquidity.
Barbell strategy: boring but profitable businesses with a systematic tech and operations layer on top.
Our Edge

The Askel effect: a documented playbook
for transforming small businesses.

Two dedicated operators, always. Each business needs four hands. Ours are already there — and they can run 3–5 businesses simultaneously without adding headcount.
Selective automation and AI applied where the return is clear: admin, reporting, scheduling, sales pipeline.
Modern systems and tech stack replacing ad-hoc processes and spreadsheet operations.
Commercial development: pricing discipline, customer mix, revenue quality — areas previous owners typically left untouched.
Stronger governance and operating cadence — consistent reporting, clear KPIs, management accountability.
Proven once at Melers. The playbook is documented, tested, and improving. We're at the start of the curve.
The Team

Four operators.
One focus.

Niklas Slotte CRO
Capital & Portfolio Discipline
Capital allocation · Financing & structuring · Governance · Post-acquisition integration
Varia Wahlroos-Kaitila CEO
Acquisition & Commercial Value Creation
M&A deal origination · Post-acquisition integration · Revenue expansion
Mikael Ylinen Board
Integration & Operational Control
Operational integration · Infrastructure & systems · Risk management
Mike Solomon CTO
Digitalisation & Systems
Automation · Systems architecture · Operational modernisation
Niklas and Vária are full-time operators — the four hands every acquisition needs from day one.
The Investment

Preferred equity in Askel.
€1M for 15%.

Instrument
Preferred equity in the Askel holdco via private placement.
What you're buying
Layer 1: current asset value (Melers).
Layer 2: earnings power at 4–6× EBITDA.
Layer 3: two full-time operators.
Layer 4: the playbook premium.
Use of funds
Next 2–4 acquisitions + operator costs to reach compounding scale (3–5 businesses).
Liquidity
Portfolio exits generate holdco liquidity. Secondary transfers always available with company consent (ROFR). Strategic acquisition of holdco exits all shareholders.
Dividends
Non-cumulative, discretionary — declared by the board when appropriate. Compounding is the primary return mechanism.
Minimum ticket
€150,000. Closing on a rolling basis.