Meet Walter Masalin, the newest, 6th addition to Nokia Growth Partners team. He has spent seven years in the venture capital and is already on the board of several growth-stage European companies, including mobile gaming studio MAG Interactive and nutrition tracking app Lifesum. His most notable investments include Berlin-based Babbel (board seat), Clue (board seat), Fyber (sold to RNTS Media) and GetYourGuide.
Walter has two master degrees, one in economics and one in engineering. Born and bred in Finland, he has lived abroad in both Boston (while at Harvard) and Berlin (while at NGP). When we asked what he has seen change over the years in VC he said,
“Being in a global team I have exposure to how the tech eco-systems have developed across Asia, Europe and the US and a lot has changed in recent years. Especially the European eco-system has developed a lot. When we made our first deal in Berlin back in 2010, there had not been any significant exits beyond Gate5. Seven years later, it’s one of the most important locations in Europe with many noteworthy companies and exits. Overall, it’s a much more robust eco-system, with talent relocating to Berlin from all parts for the globe.”
Masalin started his career path as an entrepreneur. Then in 2007, he joined Nokia where continued in several positions including business development and M&A. Eventually, in 2010 his path crossed with NGP.
At Nokia Growth Partners he will be focusing on digital health and mobile-driven consumer services in the Nordics and central Europe. So if you are a startup developing solutions in digital health, contact Walter. To learn more about what manner the man he is, read this interview for NGP.
Walter’s advice for startup entrepreneurs is simple. “If there is something you believe in strongly, just go after it and act quickly, sitting on the fence won’t change a thing.”
