Jyväskylä Remains a Magnet for International Investors

Familiar faces returned to the Jyväskylä Business Rally Investor Day 2026. Albert Colomer, Founder and Chairman of the business angel network BANC and a Board Member of EBAN, and Davorin Štetner, a Croatian investor and managing partner of Croatia Ring, F1 race track project, both returned to Jyväskylä nine years after their previous visit. Both were present when Investor Day was held for the very first time in 2016.

“Every time I come to Jyväskylä, I notice that people are even more ambitious and bring new ideas with them. Today, Investor Day showcases what can be achieved in Jyväskylä and the determination people here have to move things forward. And of course, Jyväskylä always has wonderful weather,” Albert says with a smile.

“This is my second time in Jyväskylä, and the atmosphere is just as great as it was the first time. Here, a world-class sporting event and a business event come together in one package. Companies, investors, and other startup ecosystem actors are all under one roof,” Davorin continues.

“In Jyväskylä, business and sports are lived side by side, and there is an energy here that you can feel the moment you arrive.”

Shaping Businesses and Supporting Startups

Both Albert and Davorin have plenty on their plates.

Albert has spent his entire life in business and the startup world. One project currently keeping him busy is particularly close to his heart: for the past ten years, he has been helping retiring entrepreneurs whose companies have no successor find new owners to continue their businesses. As a result, more than 5,000 companies are saved through this model every year.

Davorin, meanwhile, is involved in the construction of an F1 circuit in Croatia as managing partner, as well as GP1, the sports television channel he founded and owns. GP1 launched in 2011 with exclusive Formula 1 broadcasting rights in Croatia and today operates across Central and Eastern Europe. Davorin also serves as Chairman of CRANE, the Croatian angel investor network. Throughout his career, he has invested in numerous startups and mentored young entrepreneurs around the world.

“When bureaucracy and other frustrating things start to wear me down, the startup world gives energy back. You constantly hear new, out-of-the-box ideas there. That keeps me happy,” Davorin says.

Jyväskylä's Journey from Student to Teacher

The connection between Jyväskylä and European Business Angels Network EBAN began 12 years ago when the city approached the network with the ambition of bringing innovation and investors to Finland. Albert describes how the situation has since completely turned around: today, people come to Jyväskylä to discover innovations and meet investors.

“The former student has become the teacher,” Albert sums up Jyväskylä's journey into an international hub for startups and investors.

Davorin agrees. “In Jyväskylä, business and sports are lived side by side, and there is a positive energy that you can feel the moment you arrive. And as Albert said, now we come here to learn,” Davorin says.

So how has Jyväskylä managed to establish itself as an international meeting place for startups and investors?

According to Davorin, one reason is the smart concept of combining an investment event with a major international rally event, Secto Rally Finland, part of the FIA World Rally Championship. Another is the city's surroundings and natural beauty. Speaking from the terrace of Viilu and pointing toward the sunlit lake view, Davorin explains that Jyväskylä is simply a place people enjoy visiting. But, he adds, the most important reason is something else entirely:

“The people. They are the reason why we international players keep coming back to Jyväskylä time and time again.”

Albert agrees: “The people and the energy you can feel here.”