Jaakko.com Raises €500K for Real Estate Market Innovation

Helsinki-based proptech innovator, Jaakko.com, has secured a significant €500,000 in seed funding, signaling a strong belief in its disruptive approach to European real estate. This capital infusion, contributed by a notable syndicate including angel investors Markus Oksa and Vesa Sironen, alongside venture capital firm Innovestor and the Finnish innovation fund Business Finland, will fuel the company's mission to tap into the vast, unlisted property market.

The core of Jaakko's strategy lies in activating the substantial segment of homeowners who are open to selling but haven't formally listed their properties. Current market dynamics suggest that while only a small fraction of homes are publicly available, a much larger percentage of owners would consider a sale if the right buyer emerged. Jaakko.com aims to bridge this gap by creating a platform where potential buyers can discover these off-market opportunities, thereby injecting much-needed liquidity into often stagnant housing sectors across Europe.

Founded in early 2025 by Jaakko Saini and Sebastian Hemmilä, the platform has rapidly gained traction, boasting nearly 3,000 active listings for over 2,000 properties in Finland alone. The company reports a dramatic increase in seller engagement, with new listings more than doubling between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. This growth underscores the demand for a more efficient and less intrusive method of property transaction, particularly for homes not found on traditional portals.

Jaakko.com differentiates itself by dismantling traditional barriers such as high brokerage fees and the psychological hurdle of public listing. The platform facilitates anonymous interest expression based solely on property address. When buyer and seller preferences align, a direct communication channel is opened, streamlining the initial stages of a potential deal. This innovative model is already demonstrating its efficacy, with early user testimonials highlighting successful and swift transactions that bypassed lengthy conventional processes.

Beyond its matchmaking capabilities, Jaakko.com integrates advanced technological tools to enhance the user experience. The platform features automated property valuation estimates and AI-driven virtual staging for property images, aiming to provide a comprehensive digital alternative to conventional real estate services. This technological backbone is crucial for its planned international expansion, with initial pilot programs in London paving the way for broader market entry into countries like Sweden, Germany, and Spain, where organic interest has already been observed.

The strategic backing from prominent figures like Markus Oksa, founder of Barona, and serial entrepreneur Vesa Sironen, coupled with the institutional support from Innovestor and Business Finland, positions Jaakko.com for substantial growth. This funding round not only validates the company's innovative business model but also highlights the growing investor appetite for proptech solutions that address inefficiencies and unlock latent value within the real estate ecosystem. The company's focus on democratizing real estate transactions and activating hidden supply is poised to reshape how properties are bought and sold across the continent.