When chronic migraine robbed Valma of her dream of becoming a doctor, the future looked uncertain for a while. But then there was an idea that would change everything.
In 2022, Valma and her partner Paulus Linnanmäki decided together with Valma’s father to set up a family business that would help older people live at home longer. This was the beginning of Famula Oy, which has grown into a home care company that now operates in five wellbeing services counties.
However, the beginning of Famula was not quite this straightforward.
“Due to her condition, Valma was unable to attend medical school, but it also gave her a new direction. When we thought about what we could do that would be something meaningful, we came up with the idea of a home care company and genuinely being with the customers every day”, Paulus explains.
The couple had to persevere to get their idea off the ground, however, as their start-up grant application was rejected. The aspiring entrepreneurs were told that it is unlikely that Valma could be an entrepreneur. The couple didn’t let the rejection discourage them. On the contrary, it gave them a boost.
“If we hadn’t believed in ourselves, Famula wouldn’t exist. We wanted to show that success can grow even from setbacks”, Paulus explains.
The company soon found its first customers.
“When Valma’s first customer said, ‘You are like my own daughter to me, without you I couldn’t live at home’, we understood how important our work is”, Paulus says.
Growth based on values
Famula’s values are based on warmth, human touch and an unhurried approach.
“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is that it allows us to do things according to our values. We take our time when we go see our customers. We don’t run around trying to stick to a strict schedule”, Paulus says.
The company has an ambitious vision: Famula wants to be Finland’s best-known brand in the care sector by 2030. The Group already includes several regional companies in different parts of Finland, and the business has been profitable from the outset without borrowed capital. In 2025, Famula Group’s turnover amounts to almost EUR 1 million.
Valma will start studying to become a nurse in early 2026, and Paulus has recently graduated as an economist. Despite their young age, the couple is motivated by their strong vision of what business operations should be like. To the couple, growth is not measured in money alone. Instead, they want to increase everyday wellbeing. They are now surrounded by a community they call the ‘Famula family’. According to the entrepreneurs, human values attract people who consider them to be important.
“Entrepreneurship fits modern lifestyles”
Tarja Pöyhönen, Business Advisor at Kuopion Seudun Uusyrityskeskus, says that Paulus and Valma were determined from the start; the company is a value-based business grown from a desire to help and work with a heart.
According to Tarja, Famula is an excellent example of how entrepreneurship can also offer opportunities for those with limited work ability or who need a flexible way of working.
“Being an entrepreneur does not necessarily mean working from five to nine. Instead, it can be adapted according to your current needs. These kinds of companies fit our current social situation like a glove”, Tarja explains.
Famula has grown rapidly, but the value at its core is still the same: treating every customer with heart and genuine compassion.
“Our goal is happy old age that allows everyone to live their life as they see fit in their own home. We want to be a one-stop shop for the elderly, or a place where you can find everything you need to live at home happily and safely.
