Skaala: an investment company
Skaala is an investment company dedicated to creating meaningful, long-term value. Our investment portfolio includes private equity, real assets, and impact-driven projects across global markets. We are committed to building sustainable, resilient solutions that drive financial growth as well as positive societal outcomes.
Our work is guided by four principles: scale, curiosity, courage, and connection. They define our approach to every investment, ensuring we stay adaptable, inquisitive, bold, and collaborative.
Scale
Great solutions work on several levels. Whether tackling large-scale challenges or finessing tiny details, every decision must contribute to long-term value. For us, scale is about understanding the big picture, as well as the smaller steps that support sustainable growth potential and make it a reality.
Curiosity
Curiosity sparks everything else. We explore new ideas, markets, investment options and ask questions that push us beyond the obvious. This helps uncover hidden opportunities and drive deeper, more meaningful change.
Courage
Progress doesn’t happen by playing it safe. Real impact requires bold action. It involves calculated risk, sound judgement, and the courage to embrace new possibilities in the unknown. We approach each investment with confidence, balancing ambition with responsible management. Challenges are opportunities in disguise.
Connection
Real progress happens when people work together. Collaboration is central to how we work with founders, advisers, and shareholders. It’s the key to achieving long-term success, and we prioritise building strong relationships with our partners, teams, and the communities we invest in. Our approach goes beyond capital. It’s about connecting people and ideas – that’s where meaningful outcomes are born.
The origin story
Skaala’s story is rooted in 2005 when Taavet Hinrikus was busy building Skype as its first employee. To manage his early startup investments, he created a holding company to oversee his growing investment activities. Those few ventures soon expanded into a diversified portfolio, driven by Taavet’s curiosity and his passion for supporting other founders.
After departing Skype, in 2010 Taavet co-founded Wise (then known as TransferWise). The company gained rapid momentum by making money transfers fast and affordable. Wise went public in 2021, becoming not just Europe’s first-ever direct listing, but also the largest tech IPO in UK history.
Meanwhile, his friend and former Skype colleague, Sten Tamkivi, launched Teleport, which made it easier for individuals and teams to move around globally. Teleport’s success eventually led to its acquisition by Topia.
In 2021, Taavet and Sten joined forces to launch Taavet+Sten, an investment platform rooted in their shared mission to create meaningful, lasting impact through thoughtful capital management.
In 2022, alongside three other partners, they co-founded Plural, a venture fund for Europe’s most ambitious tech founders. It quickly became their main channel for VC investments, supporting startups poised for significant growth and positive change. Today, both Taavet and Sten focus most of their day to day efforts on Plural.
Since late 2024, Taavet+Sten operates under a new name, Skaala. It has evolved into an independent investment company with a diversified range of investments, including private assets, property-related projects, and impact-led initiatives. Built on insights gained from the founders’ past endeavours, Skaala fosters systemic change through solutions that last.
Skaala is led by a team of four partners: Kristina (CEO), Martin (CLO), and Taavet and Sten. Day-to-day operations and oversight are managed by Kristina, Martin, and a dedicated team of ten. Taavet and Sten focus primarily on Plural.