Agreements concluded with Central European automotive giants lead to the employment of more software development experts also for the Tampere office
Unikie, while on an international growth path, is also strengthening its operations in Finland. April saw the positive move of Unikie’s headquarters to larger premises at the address Hermia 11 in Hervanta. Larger premises are required as Unikie from their Tampere location will be providing automotive software solutions to, for instance, Munich.
In these new premises, and behind locked doors, an increasing amount of teams are devoting their time to automotive industry projects. Unikie is developing machine vision and shape recognition solutions, based on their AI Vision -platform, enabling cars and other equipment to detect and dodge persons or obstacles. Their clients consist of leading companies in their respective fields, all regarded as attractive collaborations.
Finland has know-how
European car manufacturers have realized that Finnish technology expertise is at the forefront of their industry, when it comes to self-driving vehicles. Tampere-based Unikie has from the very outset aimed at the international market and has, thanks to its successful projects, presented a level of know-how qualifying the company also for remotely provided services.
“Until this day, we have generally been asked to work out of our clients’ own premises, but the situation is changing. Car manufacturers are ready to buy our services and know-how also via remote connections. A secure environment and secured connections to the clients’ servers allow our guys to work from Tampere”, Jari Mononen, Unikie CIO & CSO, explains.
The start of new projects has created a need for new employees. Challenging projects for renowned manufacturers, however, have a tendency to attract software development professionals, which has facilitated a quick recruitment process.
“We managed to recruit a number of Intel experts in one go. Entire teams were integrated into our organization and could instantly be assigned to client projects,” says Rauno Vänni from Unikie’s sales.
One of the most promising startups
Client relationships are predominantly confidential. When Finnish financial publication Talouselämä earlier this year ranked Unikie one of Finland’s most promising startups, negotiations were still underway. With documents now signed and projects up and running, the topic can more easily be discussed. Names will, however, not be disclosed.
“The bigger the client, the more difficult it is to be permitted to disclose a partnership. At this very moment we are working with several car manufacturers on projects we are not at liberty to discuss,” explains Esko Mertsalmi, CEO of Unikie.
“There is no denying that we would like to talk about our clients. At least some people will now have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with what it is we do, during an open house event at our new office on May 14th,” Mertsalmi continues.
Founded in 2015, Unikie has grown into a major software development company in Finland. Last year’s consolidated revenue was approximately EUR 16 million. The company provides software development services and develops high-tech software development solutions for the technology industry. Unikie employs over 250 software developers in Tampere, Turku, Helsinki, Oulu, Kuopio and Kokkola. In addition, the company has offices in Palo Alto and Berlin. Clients include M-Files, Ponsse, Sandvik, Sanoma, Solita, Valmet and Yliopiston Apteekki.
