Sometimes, precise timing is everything. Just ask Antti Jaakkola, the CTO and co-founder of Kyocera Technologies, who has seen how a timely encounter with Kyocera at an industry event led to the acquisition of the small Espoo-based startup (at the time called Tikitin) in 2019. Since then, Kyocera Technologies has become the global leader in MEMS resonator R&D in the global timing and frequency control market.
Precision timing and frequency control are vital to safeguard the performance of, for example, today's various smart devices, data centres, and generative AI applications. Good timing is, therefore, not wasted on a startup on a mission to make today's connected and wearable devices even more precise, durable, smaller, and smarter with its MEMS design and silicon wafer process development.
On a mission to change the timing product market
Tikitin was founded in 2016 to disrupt the timing product market with silicon MEMS. Convincing Kyocera about this founding principle is why Kyocera got interested in the startup in the first place.
"The strategic opportunity to change the market in the long run was clearly one of the major factors. We were a small team at that time, but we were able to mature the technology in rapid fashion in the first project delivered to Kyocera before the acquisition," Jaakkola explains.
After the acquisition, Kyocera Technologies could tap into Kyocera's manufacturing know-how and other resources and fully put its research background in silicon MEMS from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland into use.
"A totally new world was opened to a small Finnish company with the acquisition. We didn't have access to major end customers of our products, but Kyocera had existing relationships which we could immediately tap into. Real demand from real customers is vital to get all the details correct for a product that can be released," Jaakkola says.
Japanese corporations have found good matches from Espoo's deep tech community
Kyocera Technologies is among several Finnish companies in Espoo's deep tech community that have struck strategic partnerships with big Japanese companies in recent years. For example, in 2023, Walki Group, a sustainable packaging company, was acquired by Oji Holdings, Japan's leading forest and paper packaging group. In 2020, EKE-Electronics, a leading developer of train control management systems, started a wide-ranging strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Electric.
Finland, therefore, has proven to be a good landing spot for Japanese companies in Europe. But what makes Espoo's deep tech ecosystem particularly attractive to big Japanese companies?
In Jaakkola's opinion, when considering Espoo's investment and collaboration opportunities (in Kyocera Technologies's case, in the semiconductor field), three things make the ecosystem unique: deep tech expertise, the spirit of collaboration, and local state-of-the-art innovation infrastructure, such as Micronova, a multi-user semiconductor R&D piloting environment, and Kvanttinova, a microelectronics and quantum technology piloting and development hub.
"In the semiconductor business, Espoo's Otaniemi area is the hub where things happen. This translates to the availability of talented and innovative people who can add value to major companies globally," says Jaakkola.
"We feel strongly connected with the Micronova ecosystem. Access to the equipment and services provided by VTT is essential for many companies, including us. Over the past couple of years, the Kvanttinova plans have been fundamental in creating the vision for the future of our company. Additionally, other companies and research at Aalto University are a constant source of inspiration."
Espoo-based startups often feel a similar, strong sense of belonging to their innovation community. At the same time, they welcome new companies and talents to share the benefits the ecosystem offers.
"Our strategy is to continue working in the Micronova ecosystem and actively contribute to the coming Kvanttinova expansion. There are like-minded people and companies working close to each other," Jaakkola concludes.
Our other article about Kyocera Technologies discusses why companies like Kyocera Technologies make Espoo's deep tech community an excellent place to work and live for deep tech talents.
