Timo Ketonen

With a background in Swedish education in Finland, I graduated from the Business School at Åbo Akademi University in 1988. Since then, my career has spanned finance, media, service design, and venture capital. I have built a strong foundation in impact investing, particularly in DeepTech sectors and the Blue Economy. This experience has allowed me to create long-term investment strategies that align financial returns with societal and environmental benefits.

Currently, I serve as Chair of TS-Yhtymä (TS Group), a 120-year-old family investment and media company. This role reflects my dedication to fostering innovation and growth in transitioning industries, especially through digital transformation. I draw inspiration from Grandmother, Irja Helena Ketonen, who was Managing Director and later Chair of the media business from the 1950s until her passing in 1988. Despite coming from a modest background, she became a strong leader and wise matriarch, contributing to society by founding various charities. Her philanthropic efforts extended to donations for causes like the cancer foundation in Southwest Finland and the Foundation for Economic Education in Finland. One of her key lessons was to recruit individuals who are more knowledgeable than oneself, a principle I now apply to promote gender equality and multicultural competencies in today's world.

As the Partner and Co-founder of A’Pelago since 2022, my focus is on spearheading science-based business initiatives to restore sea regions and drive economic vitality. Collaborating with over 800 organisations and 2,500 professionals, our work fosters an impact-led ecosystem dedicated to sustainable development. We are part of the 1000 Ocean Startups accelerating innovation for ocean health. We can help regenerate it through our Nordic Blue Accelerator programme. My expertise in new business development and strategic partnerships directly supports our mission to enhance the Baltic Sea region and beyond.

Personally, I am also engaged with Redstone Norcis with its Redstone Blue Fund I, a fund for the blue economy in the Baltic Sea region and beyond. I am also an advisor and shareholder in Aether Capital Partners in London, with its Canopy Catalyst Fund, a private equity impact fund investing in the sustainable materials sector.

My hobbies include sailing, tennis, reading books and music. I play guitar in DoubleTrouble Family Band and have recently started to write my own songs & lyrics together with my bandmates. We have written and released many ocean related songs like 'Life on a Skerry', 'Sailing to a Distant Shore', and 'Mot nya äventyr' (in Swedish) available on all music streaming platforms.

I enjoy learning different languages, listening and observing is the key to understanding local culture. I’ve lived in Finland, Sweden, the UK and USA. My sailing trips have taken place across the Baltic Sea, from Norway to Svalbard, in the Caribbean Sea and the South Seas.

Nowadays I live year-round on an island in the archipelago in SW Finland and we also have a city apartment in Åbo (Turku).

Press & media