Lassi Simola

Lassi Simola is a Finnish finance professional who was publicly listed as part of Folmer Management’s private equity network and as a “Private Equity Investor” connected to Folmer Management. A separate executive-data source describes him as a former Investment Director at Folmer Management. Folmer itself is a Finnish private equity manager focused on Finnish small and mid-sized companies.

Folmer announced on 20 August 2013 that Simola had joined the firm as an Analyst effective 19 August 2013. The announcement said he had previously worked as a portfolio analyst at Investment Research Finland, as an equity analyst at Inderes, and in credit control at Citibank.

Simola’s education is in finance. Folmer’s 2013 announcement says he graduated from Aalto University with a Master of Science in Economics, majoring in finance, and had passed CFA Level I. Aalto University’s eThesis archive lists his 2013 finance thesis, “Empirical evidence on theoretical relationship between corporate credit default swaps and bond spreads.”

He has also been active in CFA Society Finland. CFA Society Finland identified him as a CFA charterholder and board member in 2020, quoted him on the CFA Research Challenge, and later listed him on committees for Membership, Education, Scholarships and University Liaison, the Research Challenge, and as Technology and Website Chair.

• Folmer’s stated focus is not seed-stage angel investing; public sources describe Folmer as a private equity investor in Finnish SMEs that have “passed the early stages of development” and have unrealized growth potential.
• Folmer’s typical target profile is revenue of EUR 2-25 million and enterprise value of EUR 3-15 million.
• The firm’s investment criteria emphasize majority stakes, with co-investments considered case by case with independent investors.
• Folmer looks for companies with distinctive competence, profitable use of that competence, favorable company and industry analysis, entrepreneurial mindset, and skilled, committed staff.
• Folmer states that it creates value through active development work, including financial planning, business modelling, human-capital support, strategy, goals, and resources for portfolio-company development.
• Folmer’s sustainability approach is integrated into investment decisions and portfolio development; the firm says it refrains from investments it does not consider responsible.