Enterprise Accelerator selected Enterprise Accelerator Entrepreneur of the Year

Ollipekka Kivin was awarded the title of Enterprise Accelerator Entrepreneur of the Year as a distinguished student entrepreneur.

The student to be rewarded this year is a person who adheres to the principle of lifelong learning. He is already completing his second degree at SAMK. He is a persistent character, who observes his surroundings, finding diverse business ideas there. Nor will he allow himself to be discouraged by difficulties, but finds opportunities even in setbacks according to the principles of functional entrepreneurship. Despite his young age, he could be called a serial entrepreneur. The enterprise to be awarded is not his first, and certainly not the last. The 2020 Enterprise Accelerator Entrepreneur is Ollipekka Kivin, founder of the remote physician centre Kätevä (“Handy”).

Kätevä

Kätevä is a private health care company providing high-quality and easily accessible remote health care services, utilising various technologies to make health care more efficient.

The Kätevä story began after the coronavirus crisis broke out at the turn of March and April 2020, when software for remote health care meetings was established. The software was offered to health care operators, but everyone had already introduced some emergency solution for remote appointments with their own customers. There was no business at sight.

Kivin then applied to Valvira for permission to provide private health care services independently. Now the enterprise has a professional team of 12 doctors and nurses, who will start customer appointments in Kätevä before the end of the year.

Versatile expert and momentary grabber

Ollipekka Kivin participated in an idea competition organised by SAMK already during his first year of studies in 2010 and it was awarded as a TOP 3 idea.

– I graduated from SAMK as an engineer in mechanical and industrial engineering in 2014. By the time I graduated, I established my first limited liability company. After graduation, I worked at Cimcorp during the summer, after which I became a full-time entrepreneur,” Kivin says.

In 2018, Kivin started his Bachelor’s studies in the Degree Programme for Entrepreneurs. He started working at SAMK in late spring 2019.

– In the meantime (2014-2019), I developed various products in my business, for example, Finland’s TOP 5 sports product, the well-being service recommended by the Ministry, and a service which distributes medical and therapy services to 1,000 people at a time,” Kivin says.

Kivin currently works as a project worker for SAMK in the Efficient Flow project, which develops an application for a better exchange of information between port operators. Starting in December, Kivin is working on the ChangeMakers project, where 250 students from Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and the Åland Islands will set up 50 mini start-ups and start studying the challenges given by companies.

– I have two enterprises, one of which has been left a bit in the background, and the other, Kätevä, is the one that I am going to concentrate on now,” Kivin sums up.

Interview with Ollipekka Kivin

How did you end up in the Degree Programme for Entrepreneurs?

– I applied to the degree program when it was first published in 2017, but I was in Silicon Valley, California, at the time of the entrance exams, so I missed it. I applied again the following year and got in. The degree programme seemed to be a flexible package and “tailored to an entrepreneur”. I wanted to meet fellow entrepreneurs, get new ideas and learn new things about entrepreneurship. My impression was not wrong, all this is possible in the Degree Programme for Entrepreneurs.

What has been the most important contribution of the Enterprise Accelerator?

– Mentors, discussions with them, encouragement, brainstorming together, support, networks and knowledge of funding.

What does it mean to you to be chosen for the Enterprise Accelerator Entrepreneur of the Year?

– It means a lot, apparently I’m doing something right. Even though Kätevä is a young company and the business was already changed by 180 degrees and we are just starting something new, it’s great to get recognition like this from SAMK in addition to all the support I already have received!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

– I don’t even know where I’m going to be tomorrow! I take one day at a time. Well, if I have to say something, hopefully I’ll be working with Kätevä and I’m somehow linked with SAMK, because I really like being in SAMK and SAMK makes so many things possible.