Article
The backbone of expert work: Severa’s growth from local innovation to a Nordic powerhouse
Business insights
April 16, 2026

Article
The backbone of expert work: Severa’s growth from local innovation to a Nordic powerhouse
Article
The backbone of expert work: Severa’s growth from local innovation to a Nordic powerhouse
Business insights
April 16, 2026
Article
The backbone of expert work: Severa’s growth from local innovation to a Nordic powerhouse

16/4/2026
min read
Business insights
Severa’s story is a prime example of how the right strategic choices, the courage to focus, and a strong backing organisation can elevate software to become the standard in its category. Today, Severa is the undisputed market leader in Finland, with ambitious targets in Sweden and Norway too.
However, the story of Severa is not merely about product growth, but also the story of how a corporate acquisition can open doors to an entirely new career trajectory for its founders.
A success story born by accident
Severa’s roots stretch back to the early 2000s when student Ari-Pekka Salovaara and his business partner founded a company. Their initial business idea failed, but the spark for entrepreneurship remained. Severa was born almost by accident when they developed software to bill their own consultancy work on an hourly basis.
"We noticed that our clients wanted to use the same billing system. This led to the founding of Severa, and we quickly secured our first paying customers," Ari-Pekka Salovaara recalls.
The product became a success. Between 2005 and 2010, Severa grew by 1,500%, funded entirely through cash flow. When Visma acquired Severa in 2010, many might have imagined the story ending there for the founder. What occurred was the opposite.
Salovaara did not make a quiet exit. Instead, he continued leading Severa before moving on to become Managing Director of Visma Solutions, where he steered the company to tremendous growth. Today, he leads the entire SMB segment of the Visma Group. His career path is living proof that Visma is a home for entrepreneurial builders.
Visma added "fuel to the flames"
Visma’s involvement did not mean the loss of Severa’s soul, but rather its scaling. Severa’s current Product Director, Evamaria Ingves, emphasises that Visma offers a framework where the product can be developed autonomously, yet with the backing of vast resources.
"Don’t fear structure, but embrace it instead. The best practices Visma offers in sales, marketing, and administration do not restrict freedom, but provide a framework upon which to innovate," is Evamaria Ingves’ advice to entrepreneurs joining Visma. "Keep the soul of the product, but utilise the machinery around you. It is fuel to the flames."
This "fuel to the flames" attitude is visible in concrete terms. Without Visma’s network, Severa’s expansion into the Nordics would not have been possible on the same scale.
World-class support frees up focus
The "fuel" provided by the group also translates into world-class support structures that a stand-alone small business would find impossible to maintain. Evamaria highlights the professionalism of HR, administration, and finance as critical factors enabling growth.
"I think we have absolutely world-class HR at Visma Solutions. We are extremely good at recognising talent, knowing how to hire smart people and nurture their growth," Evamaria describes.
This strong backbone means the Severa team can focus fully on their core business and product development rather than administrative churn. These support functions do not appear rigid; instead, they offer a safe foundation for innovation.
Cybersecurity is another area where the strength of the Group is evident. In an uncertain global climate, security has become one of the most important criteria of the clients’ decision-making.
"Our security expertise at Severa is of platinum level and something that genuinely differentiates us. We should be more proud and even brag about it a bit. It would be difficult for a single small player to achieve a similar standard," Evamaria notes.
Strategic discipline: the courage to choose what not to do
The secret to Severa’s success lies also in what they decided not to do. Severa has remained strictly a tool for professional services companies (PSA) and has not strayed into manufacturing or bespoke client tailoring.
"There has been a certain discipline in not setting out to tailor. Many competitors have fallen into that trap, which can become a barrier to scaling. We haven't tried to be everything to everyone," Evamaria explains.
This focus has allowed Severa to remain intuitive and easy to use. The team has a mantra, "If it needs a manual, it’s not Severa", which reflects a philosophy where ease of adoption is a competitive advantage.
AI served on a silver platter
In the future, the nature of expert work will change even further. A single expert will need to manage an even larger number of items than before, which will increase cognitive load. Severa specifically supports experts in managing their workloads effectively.
"We are endlessly curious about our customers' problems and strive to address them with new and innovative perspectives. This naturally includes incorporating AI both in delivering customer value and refining our own operations to ensure efficient production", Evamaria elaborates. “When our clients use Severa, they don’t have to worry about whether they are managing their work in the most efficient possible way. Severa stands as a guarantee and standard of quality, which is the goal we are aiming for.”
Future outlook: a Nordic influencer
The gaze is firmly fixed on the future. Severa has a strong foundation in Lappeenranta, where the spirit of product development and commitment is on an extremely high level. Over the next three years, the goal is to strengthen this position even further.
"In Finland, we are the market leader, and we will become even bigger and stronger," Evamaria envisions. "In the Nordics, our goal is to shift from a smaller challenger to a relevant player, one that is a serious obstacle to our competitors' dreams and the driving force for our customers' growth."
Severa’s story demonstrates that when the product is sound, the team is committed, and there is a growth partner like Visma in the background pouring fuel on the flames, the windows of opportunity are open. One simply has to be bold enough to step through them.
Facts about Severa:
- Founded: 2004 in Lappeenranta, Finland
- Part of Visma since: 2010
- Destination: To be the undisputed Nordic standard for managing billable knowledge work - driving clarity, profitability and growth for expert firms.
- Mission: To deliver business clarity to management through seamless workflows and automate operational work so specialists can focus.
- Core purpose: To reduce cognitive load and bring a sense of control to the expert world.
- Customers: 1,800 companies
- Growth: 9 % business growth in 2025
- Employees: 50
About the episode
Business insights,growth story,entrepreneurship,expert work
Voice of Visma
Welcome to the Voice of Visma podcast, where we sit down with the business builders, entrepreneurs, and innovators across Visma, sharing their perspectives on how they scale companies, reshape industries, and create real customer value across markets.
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