Helsinki-based proptech startup Jaakko.com has raised €500K in fresh funding to accelerate product development and international expansion as it looks to unlock liquidity in Europe’s stagnant housing markets. The round is backed by a mix of angel and institutional investors, including Markus Oksa, Vesa Sironen, Innovestor, and Business Finland. The company operates a marketplace that connects prospective buyers with homeowners who have not formally listed their properties, aiming to surface supply outside traditional listings. The platform incorporates automated valuation and virtual staging tools, and facilitates direct communication once mutual interest is established. The funding will be used to develop the product further and support expansion beyond Finland, following early activity in other European markets.
Launched in early 2025 by Jaakko Saini and Sebastian Hemmilä, the platform has already gathered nearly 3,000 active buy and sell listings across over 2,000 properties in Finland. The number of new sellers more than doubled from Q4 to Q1 2026, and the vast majority of properties on the platform cannot be found anywhere else. On the buy side, this means that thousands of active house-hunters are finally discovering relevant homes that simply aren’t available on the stagnant public market.
Only about 2% of homes are currently listed publicly, yet studies show that up to onefourth of homeowners would consider selling if the right buyer came along. Finnish startup Jaakko.com has made it its mission to activate this massive “hidden market.”
Jaakko.com removes traditional bottlenecks: expensive commission fees and the high psychological threshold of “officially” listing a home. On the platform, interest can be shown anonymously based on just an address. When a buyer’s and seller’s preferences align, a “match” occurs, opening a direct line of communication.
“Our goal is to democratize real estate. Most homes aren’t officially for sale, but many owners are ready to sell when the right buyer appears. We make that encounter easy and free,” says Jaakko Saini, Founder and CEO.
The model is already proving its worth. Sarita Runeberg, CEO of Maria 01, found a buyer for her home through the service in just a few weeks. “The apartment had been on the market for over a year through various brokers without success. Through Jaakko, the right buyer was found quickly,” Runeberg comments.
Jaakko.com is more than just a message board; it leverages AI to streamline the entire process. The service already offers automated price valuations and AI-powered virtual staging for listing photos.
“We are developing Jaakko into a true digital alternative to the traditional brokerage model. Our platform is technically global, and following our London pilot, we are ready to expand outside Finland this year. Recently, we’ve seen organic buying and selling interest emerge in Sweden, Germany, and Spain, proving the service’s international potential,” says Sebastian Hemmilä, Co-founder and CTO.
The company is supported by a prominent group of investors, including Barona founder Markus Oksa, serial entrepreneur Vesa Sironen, venture capital firm Innovestor, and Business Finland.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/jaakko-raises-e500k/
