Richard Järvinen

Open Innovation Expert | Corporate-Startup Partnerships

Calm bridge builder with clarity, inspiration and humility. 30+ years in multinational business operations with deep expertise in technology partnerships, M&A, and cross-cultural collaboration.

About Me

Finnish and British national with 30 years of international work experience across Europe and Asia, specializing in building trust-based partnerships and relations, VCs and entrepreneurs. My professional foundation lies in mobile technologies, having held senior roles at Nokia and Elektrobit where I led R&D, new business development and partner management teams. I bring a unique combination of corporate experience and entrepreneurial mindset, having founded multiple ventures and advised startups across AI, deep tech and software domains. Most recently I founded and built Corporate AI Vault — a private enterprise AI platform — shifting from advising on technology to architecting and shipping it. That work has given me a rare, hands-on understanding of how AI should actually be embedded in an organization: grounded in the company's own verified knowledge so it answers from fact, with sources, rather than the unreliable guesswork of off-the-shelf AI. With 10+ years living in China, I offer deep cross-cultural fluency and proven ability to bridge European innovation ecosystems with Asian business cultures.

Portrait of Richard Järvinen

Nationalities: Finnish, British

Languages: English (Fluent), Finnish (Native), German (A2-B1), Mandarin Chinese (A1), Spanish (A1)

Key Skills: Technology Partnerships, M&A Strategy, Startup Scouting, Cross-cultural Negotiation, Post-Merger Integration, Business Development, Multicultural Team Leadership

Hobbies: Mountain hiking, golf, reading, mindfulness practices, and helping professionals unlock their potential in high-stress environments.

Education

Executive Education Programme, Mergers and Acquisitions

London Business School | 2022

MSc Industrial Management

Tampere University of Technology | 1995-1997

BSc Logistics

Jyväskylä Institute of Technology | 1991-1995

China Country Manager Program

Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business | 2005

Career

Founder – Aarre GmbH, Switzerland

2021 - Present

  • Growth and investment advisor for an Asian public company, leading its successful acquisition of a European tech firm
  • Advisor to Finnish AI and deep-tech ventures
  • 2025–2026 — Founded and built Corporate AI Vault (aarre.ch), a private enterprise AI platform that turns an organization's own knowledge and the outside world into trusted, role-aware intelligence — moving from advising on technology to architecting and shipping it

Co-Founder & Chairman – Euroeat Oy, Finland / China

2015 - Present

  • Co-founded Euroeat, a Finland + China venture helping European SMEs launch, sell and source in China — a "Digital Silk Road to China"
  • CEO from inception (2015–2022), building the team and operations across Finland and Beijing, including food import/export and Nordic brand retail
  • Stepped aside in 2022; returned as Chairman of the Board in 2023

Founding Partner – Duaali Ltd, Hong Kong

2009 - 2021

  • Led turnaround project for Finnish printing company in China
  • Advised US company on accessing Chinese tech ecosystem

General Manager – Elektrobit China

2010 - 2013

  • P&L responsibility for 300-person technology business in Beijing
  • Streamlined organization to breakeven and acquired new customers

Site Manager – Nokia China Investment Ltd

2004 - 2010

  • Founded Sino-Finnish Internet JV (grew to 100 people)
  • Led R&D operation growth from 5 to 300 people
  • Executed successful M&A and post-merger integrations

...and various other roles

1979 - 2004

My Writings

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