VibeCatch
Founded 2015 · 3 employees on LinkedIn · 4 known investors
VibeCatch offers an employee survey and engagement measurement tool built around the QWL (Quality of Working Life) index, focusing on identifying staff development needs rather than only measuring problems. It targets organizations seeking to improve workforce productivity and performance through data analysis.
Also known as VibeCatch Oy
Investors · 4
Also in the syndicate · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026VibeCatch (legal name VibeCatch Oy) is a Finnish software company that provides a continuous employee listening and engagement measurement platform. Employees answer short automated or customized polls on any device, delivered through channels such as periodic email and Slack reminders, and the system analyzes the responses to show managers organizational strengths, areas for improvement and the actions expected to have the largest impact on engagement and productivity.
The platform is built around QWL (Quality of Working Life) analysis, a method developed in academic research that assesses employee feedback and connects it to workforce performance and business outcomes. Product modules include QWL polls, customizable pulse polls, brainstorming and voting for crowdsourcing and prioritizing development ideas, and 180/360-degree feedback reviews used to identify individual strengths and behavioural blind spots. Reporting features described by the company include semantic analysis, heat maps, individual-level risk analysis, and aggregate reporting for virtual or combined teams, with applications such as turnover, absence, work disability and burnout risk identification.
The company was established in 2015 and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland, and is classified in software with sub-industries covering HR and workforce software, content management and analytics/performance software.
Founding story
VibeCatch originated as an internal tool built by serial entrepreneur Juha Huttunen while he was founder and CEO of Finnish software company Rakettitiede, where much of the roughly 20-person team worked remotely at customer premises. He designed the first version proactively, to make sure every employee's voice was heard and potential issues were spotted early, rather than in response to existing engagement problems. The tool worked well enough that he spun it out as a separate business. After meeting Professor Marko Kesti, whose research produced the QWL (quality of working life) theory, Huttunen concluded the link between employee care and business results could be quantified in monetary terms; backed by Kesti's research and support, and encouraged by early prospect feedback and market research pointing to continuous listening as an emerging HR trend, VibeCatch was launched as a startup.
Business model
B2B software sold to organizations, with revenue generated primarily through subscriptions to its QWL polling services. Clients typically enter annual or multi-year agreements that may include tiered pricing based on user numbers or customized features, with ongoing support and updates included.
Subscription-based licensing of the QWL polling and employee feedback platform, sold directly to business customers under annual or multi-year contracts with tiering by number of users or customized features.
Traction
As of May 2018 the company employed 14 people, counted several major enterprises among its customers roughly a year after being spun out, and said it was on track for turnover of EUR 500,000 (about $592,000) that year, a significant increase on the prior year. Reported revenue was $70,347 in 2017, rising to $124,015 in 2018, $131,955 in 2019 and $210,424 in 2020, then $197,510 in 2021; EBITDA turned positive in 2020 ($8,202) and reached $186,731 in 2021. For 2023 the company reported revenue of EUR 251,978.80 and EBITDA of EUR 78,885.90.
Latest developments
Recent product-focused publications describe access management for organizations (December 2022) and semantic analysis capabilities (January 2023) as part of a monthly series on platform features. Reported plans include new QWL platform features and improved data analytics, funded in part by the seed round, alongside market entry in Asia and North America targeted for 2025.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Operates in a crowded employee engagement market that includes established survey companies and newer, in some cases well-funded, continuous listening startups. Business has been predominantly in Finland, working with several major Finnish companies that operate internationally, and management acknowledged in 2018 that the company was far from being a globally known brand.
The company positions its scientific QWL methodology, based on roughly 15 years of academic research and practical experience, as the differentiator versus competitors it says report only improved survey scores. VibeCatch instead cites financial and operational outcomes such as EBIT increases of 25%, HCROI up 6% and sick leave reduced by 75%, and emphasizes identifying employee-perceived development needs rather than only measuring problems.
Technology
The platform runs automated and customizable polls that employees complete on any device, prompted through periodic emails and messaging tools such as Slack. Results are analyzed automatically using the QWL methodology, which the company describes as non-linear rather than simple averaging, to translate feedback into performance indicators and prioritized improvement actions. Additional analytical capabilities include semantic analysis of responses, heat maps, individual-level risk analysis, 360-degree evaluation reporting, and HCROI-style calculation of business outcomes from human capital utilization. The underlying research includes tacit signal measurement, subject of CSO Marko Kesti's doctoral thesis.
Go-to-market
Direct B2B sales supported by demo requests on the company website, plus content marketing through a blog and podcast series covering HR, leadership and employee engagement topics, and customer case studies. Early go-to-market involved pitching to a small number of prospects at a very early stage to gather concept feedback.
Organizations across a range of industries seeking to measure and improve employee engagement, wellbeing and workforce productivity, including large enterprises. Buyers include HR functions and top management; the company stresses metrics such as EBIT, human capital return on investment and sick leave that senior management tracks.
Geography
Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, with product staff also located in Oulu. Business has been concentrated in Finland, with a client base described as spanning Europe, North America and Asia, and stated plans to expand into new markets in Asia and North America by 2025. Seed funding was earmarked for expansion into Western European and North American markets. Marketing materials are published in both English and Finnish.
History
The company was established in 2015 in Espoo, Finland, with Arttu Ylärakkola cited as founder and Juha Huttunen and Tauno Hepola as key executives. By 2018 it had spun out of its originating business, gained several major enterprise customers, employed 14 people, and had raised a EUR 600,000 seed round. It has continued publishing product and HR content, including feature explainers on access management (2022) and semantic analysis (2023). Tauno Hepola is listed as CEO on the company website, with Marko Kesti as CSO and Olli Haapalahti as product manager.
Risks & controversies
Management has described adoption barriers: organizations accustomed to large biennial employee surveys can find it difficult to increase survey frequency because they must react faster, and surveys run inside an HR silo can struggle to secure management interest and contribute little to business development. Resistance was compounded by VibeCatch's survey methodology differing from established approaches. The market is also described as crowded with large incumbent survey providers and well-funded startups.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsThe company published a feature deep-dive on semantic analysis within its QWL and 360 feedback polling products.
The company published a feature deep-dive on managing an organization's VibeCatch access.
Press coverage reported VibeCatch had recently secured a €600,000 funding round from Finnish early-stage VC Superhero Capital and angels Sami Inkinen and Nicolas Brabeck-Letmathe, to be used for expansion into Western European and North American markets. The company also receives Finnish government support for product development.
VibeCatch Oy received EUR 0.6 million in funding through a seed round led by Superhero Capital and Tekes Venture Capital.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- VibeCatchvibecatch.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does VibeCatch do?
- Finnish employee engagement software company whose polls measure Quality of Working Life (QWL) and link it to productivity.
- Who are VibeCatch's investors?
- VibeCatch's investors include Superhero Capital.