Value is created together

Virala in brief

Virala Group is a traditional family-owned industrial company founded in 1977, in Finland. Virala Oy Ab is the parent company of Virala Group, and it has operating subsidiaries in Finland, Sweden and the USA. Independent subsidiary Nidoco AB operates in Sweden.

For more than 20 years, Virala Group has built a decentralized, family-owned industrial group focused on strategic ownership that will endure, grow and develop from one generation to the next. Virala Group's strategy is to produce long-term value creation for its ownerships in good co-operation with other owners.

In addition to an actively managed global investment strategy including private equity and venture capital, Virala Group consists of private and publicly traded family-controlled companies in which the Virala Group has a strategically significant ownership. These include Fiskars Corporation, Ahlstrom Oyj, Munksjö AB, YIT Corporation and Purmo Group Oyj.

Strategic holdings and investment portfolio

Virala Group (30 September 2022)

Shareholding

Fiskars Oyj Abp

15.5%

Purmo Group Oyj

15.1%

Nidoco AB (30 September 2022)

Shareholding

YIT Oyj

17.4%

Enersense International Oyj

26.2%

Greater Than AB (publ).

15.3%

Betolar Oyj

10.6%

Ahlstrom Oyj

8.6%

Munksjö AB

15.0%

Geographical distribution of Virala Group's direct and private equity investments

Nordic countries

23%

North America

27%

Rest of Europe

10%

Asia

25%

Latin America

15%

Values and responsibility

Values preserved for generations are at the heart of Virala Group's ownership philosophy.

Reliability and integrity

We are a reliable and honest business partner. We keep our promises and always act with integrity. We show respect for our business partners and honour the agreements we have made. Integrity and reliability are our moral guidelines.

Commitment and agility

We are committed to long-term development of the companies in which we invest. We are committed to ensuring their success and our decision-making processes are efficient and agile. Entrepreneurship and a low-hierarchy organisation give us the opportunity to react quickly and purposefully to growth opportunities.

Respect

We value people’s individual abilities and respect different ways of living and working. We respect each other, our work and our customers in everything we do. We treat people the same regardless of gender, age or ethnicity.

Our business principles and responsibility

We are committed to conduct our business ethically and honestly. We also expect our business partners and investee companies to support our core values and commit to transparent and ethical business practices. Responsibility and sustainability have been an important part of the investment criteria of Virala Group for a long time, and this is reflected in both the Group’s direct investments and private equity investments. Our goal is to support portfolio companies in different areas of responsibility and sustainability, including cyber security. In 2021, we invested more than EUR 100 million in companies and private equity funds with a strong responsibility and sustainability agenda.

Examples of responsible companies we have invested in are Purmo Group which is a leading provider of indoor air solutions aiming at energy efficiency in heating and cooling residential buildings, Betolar, which develops low-carbon construction materials, Infinited Fiber, whose technology transforms cellulose-containing waste streams into reusable raw materials, Gubbe, which is a new kind of service that keeps the elderly active and helps with everyday tasks, and Naava, whose smart green walls improve indoor air quality and reduces symptoms caused by poor indoor air.

Virala is a member of Creosyndicate, a community of investors dedicated to solving the climate crisis www.creosyndicate.org.