Niklas Lahti, a purpose-driven CEO, is leading Lynsight to the US market with determination and teamwork
Niklas Lahti began his career at Lynsight as the CFO and has since advanced to the role of CEO. In the past, he aspired to be a professional athlete. His strong work ethic, determination, entrepreneurial mindset, and commitment to teamwork still resonate from this pursuit: he firmly believes that achieving great success is only possible through the collective effort of the entire team. Working with people gives Niklas the greatest sense of fulfilling his purpose.
Throughout his school years, Niklas dedicated himself to sports. As a determined and conscientious athlete, he excelled in athletics, soccer, and enduro at the Finnish and European elite levels. The discipline and focus instilled by his athletic pursuits not only aided his academic performance but also significantly influenced his career path.
“Consistently working towards goals, self-motivated training, and a strong desire to achieve have helped me in sports, academics, and my career. Through team sports, I’ve learned the value of teamwork and understand that success is only possible with the help of others. This mindset has also influenced my desire to foster a corporate culture that emphasizes cooperation. Sports and entrepreneurial activities are linked through their approach to adversity. Every challenging moment presents an opportunity for growth, provided we learn from these experiences and genuinely seek to improve.”
Young Niklas had a strong interest in mathematics and pursued further studies at the university. He also minored in economics, which involved managing numerical data in that context.
“The economics courses inspired me to apply for a master’s program at Aalto University’s School of Business. My strong numerical understanding and entrepreneurial nature led me to finance and sparked my interest in the commercial sector. Initially, I pursued a career in corporate finance, but the work culture in this field may not be the best fit for me. While corporate finance is a great and challenging field, it strongly emphasizes career advancement, and my work motivation has always been driven by purpose and entrepreneurial aspirations.”
In 2017, Niklas took on the role of CFO. At the time, the company was still primarily focused on research and development. His responsibilities as CFO were extensive, reflecting the nature of a start-up environment.
“A significant influence on joining the company was that my mother was the founder of its innovation. I see this as both a privilege and a huge responsibility since the commercial success of that innovation also depends on me. In the start-up environment, I quickly learned that you must be ready to take on any task because resources are limited, and the work is very hands-on.”
As the CFO, Niklas prioritized securing company financing and managing investor relations. In 2022, the company’s board appointed Niklas as the CEO. Following this, he successfully advanced the company’s funding and commercial strategy.
“The spring 2023 funding round was a huge success. The resources it provided helped us to narrow our focus on commercial development and R&D activities. Over the past year, I have dedicated time holistically to all the diverse CEO responsibilities and strategically developed the organization for the next steps.”
Thanks to the funding, the company has been able to advance its R&D projects necessary for commercialization in a new way. As a result, the company has developed a finished product and established new laboratory facilities, which serve as the foundation for fully implementing the commercial strategy.
“In line with our strategy, we are fully launching the product into the market. The high-quality research and development work in our Finnish laboratory is the foundation for this. Our main target is the US market, which has great potential. However, the industry regulations are stringent, which is necessary for a product like ours. For us, compliance is both a requirement and a social responsibility.”
The company is progressing in the US market by actively engaging in multiple negotiations for collaborations, network building, and regulatory processes. As part of this effort, the company has rebranded and changed its appearance and name to Lynsight.
“We decided to rebrand the entire company at this stage to target the new market directly with a fresh name and appearance. It was a strategic decision. The new name reflects our company and product, emphasizing the importance of providing information and raising awareness about Lynch syndrome, the world’s most common cancer syndrome.”
Niklas and the entire team believe that having a clear purpose in their work is crucial, as it motivates them to give their best effort every day. Since the start of his career, macroeconomic challenges, particularly in healthcare, have fueled Niklas’s passion for pursuing opportunities in economics
“Purpose is an essential motivation for working. I’ve always wanted to be part of the solution instead of the problem on as large a scale as possible to improve the world. Work-life balance also plays an important role today, especially among the younger generations. That’s why our organization has set out to build an enjoyable work culture. Such a large part of life is spent at the workplace that it is impossible to be indifferent. Well-being and openness are fundamental parts of our values. A good team spirit helps us strive towards a common goal.”
The past seven years have been an incredible learning experience for Niklas at Lynsight. The rapid development in recent years and the opening of the US market are the highlights of his career, which has led him from the laboratory to significant commercial opportunities.
“Life is a continuous learning experience. When I compare myself to the person I was seven years ago, I realize I’ve come a long way. I know that I’ll look back at my current self in seven years and see even more growth. Over the years, I’ve gained knowledge in various areas such as science, finance, commercialization, regulation, recruitment, marketing, and setting up a laboratory. While many of my endeavors have been successful, I’ve also learned valuable lessons from any obstacles I’ve encountered. As they say, every setback is an opportunity for growth.”
Despite gaining substantial business insights, Niklas finds that working with people has given him the greatest sense of fulfilling his purpose. Building relationships with the team, the board, investors, partners, clients, and other stakeholders has taught him the most valuable lessons.
“I deeply appreciate the people I work with. Successfully leading commercial activities requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to listen to those around you. Lately, engaging with people in the US market and addressing and overcoming their challenges has been incredibly fulfilling. If we, as a team, can achieve our ambitious goals, it will be a remarkable journey for all of us, and I am grateful to be part of it.”