Meet Ville Ylläsjärvi
From Co-Founding one of the pioneer IoT companies and growing it to +19M€ in revenues to building multiple AI companies in the Arctic Circle. A proven track record of turning impossible ideas into market-leading products.
Years in Tech
Active Projects
The Herman Foundry Story
Forging the Future from the Arctic
Why Herman Foundry Exists
In the winter of 2024, standing on the snow-covered peaks of Levi, I had a revelation that would reshape how AI companies are built.
After co-founding Haltian with the work resulting in great achievements such as Oura Ring and Thingsee IoT platform that touched millions of lives, I witnessed a fundamental shift in the technology landscape. AI had reached an inflection point – not just in capability, but in accessibility. For the first time in history, a single person with vision and expertise could build what previously required entire teams.
Yet the startup world hadn't evolved. It was still trapped in old paradigms: raise money, hire teams, navigate politics, dilute vision, and hope for an exit. The system was built for a different era.
The Opportunity That Changed Everything
Three forces converged to create an unprecedented opportunity:
1. The AI Revolution Made Real
While others debated AI's potential, I saw its practical power. Large language models, computer vision, and generative AI weren't just tools – they were force multipliers that could compress months of development into days. A solopreneur with AI could now outpace traditional teams.
2. The Remote Work Reality
The pandemic proved what I'd long suspected: geography is irrelevant to innovation. From Lapland's tranquility, I could serve clients in Helsinki, Stockholm, or San Francisco. The world had become my office, and isolation became my superpower.
3. The Bureaucracy Burden
Having built a 100+ person company, I knew the hidden cost of scale: every hire adds complexity, every investor adds opinions, every board meeting subtracts from building. What if we could eliminate all of that?
The Birth of a New Model
Herman Foundry was born from a simple but radical idea: What if one person could launch multiple companies by leveraging AI, maintaining ownership, and spinning off successes without the traditional overhead?
The name itself reflects this philosophy. A foundry transforms raw materials into precisely crafted tools. Herman Foundry transforms ideas into companies – systematically, efficiently, repeatedly.
Why Solopreneurship is the Future
This isn't about working alone – it's about working unencumbered. As a solopreneur at Herman Foundry:
• Every decision is instant. No committees, no consensus-building, no politics.
• Every pivot is painless. See a better opportunity? Take it immediately.
• Every success is multiplicative. Each daughter company strengthens the ecosystem.
• Every failure is educational. Low overhead means survivable experiments.
From the solitude of Lapland, I can see clearly what others miss in the noise of traditional business. The Arctic silence isn't empty – it's full of possibility.
The Freedom to Build Without Limits
Herman Foundry exists because the old way is broken. Raising venture capital shouldn't be the default. Building teams shouldn't be mandatory. Geographic proximity shouldn't matter. Traditional timelines shouldn't constrain us.
We exist to prove a new truth: In the AI age, constraints are choices.
Our Mission: Democratizing Company Creation
Every day, brilliant ideas die in corporate committees or starve waiting for funding. Domain experts with deep insights can't execute because they lack technical skills. Technical builders create solutions looking for problems.
Herman Foundry bridges these gaps. We:
• Transform ideas into revenue-generating companies in 30-60 days
• Partner with domain experts who become daughter company leaders
• Prove that sustainable, profitable businesses can be built without VC funding
• Show that one person with AI can achieve what once required entire teams
The Foundry Philosophy
Like a master craftsman in their workshop, Herman Foundry operates on timeless principles:
Quality over Quantity – Better to forge one excellent product than ten mediocre ones.
Speed through Simplicity – Complexity is the enemy of execution.
Freedom through Discipline – True freedom comes from systematic processes.
Wealth through Creation – Building multiple companies creates exponential value.
Why Now?
The confluence of AI capability, remote work acceptance, and market demand creates a once-in-a-generation opportunity. While others debate the future, we're building it – one AI-powered company at a time.
Traditional incubators take equity and give advice. VCs take equity and give money. Accelerators take equity and give connections.
Herman Foundry keeps equity and gives life to companies.
The View from Levi
From my home in Finnish Lapland, above the Arctic Circle, I have a unique perspective. The Northern Lights remind me that the most spectacular phenomena often happen far from crowded cities. The extreme seasons teach patience and intensity in equal measure. The silence provides clarity that no urban co-working space can match.
Herman Foundry isn't just building companies – we're proving that the future of innovation doesn't require Silicon Valley, venture capital, or traditional teams. It requires vision, AI leverage, and the courage to work differently.
This is why Herman Foundry exists: To show that in the age of AI, a single person with the right approach can build an empire of companies, maintain control, create sustainable value, and do it all from anywhere in the world.
The foundry is hot. The metal is ready. Let's forge the future.
“In the Arctic silence, we hear the future clearly. At Herman Foundry, we build it daily.”
Ville Ylläsjärvi
Founder, Herman Foundry
Levi, Finnish Lapland
The Journey
From hardware innovation to AI-powered software, building companies that solve real problems at scale.
Co-founded Haltian
Led the creation of the company with the work resulting in great achievements such as Oura Ring and Thingsee IoT platform.
Thingsee
Founded a pioneer IoT solutions brand that became one of the leading IoT data platforms at Haltian.
New Business Incubation
Lead the effort to build a comprehensive Asset Tracking business for Haltian. Managed strategic accounts in US worth +15M€.
Herman Foundry
Launched the world's first 100% solopreneur AI venture studio in the Arctic.
The Philosophy
Why the traditional startup model is broken and how the solopreneur approach creates better outcomes for everyone involved.
Speed Over Perfection
Build fast, learn faster. Perfect is the enemy of shipped.
Solo Efficiency
One person can move faster than a committee. Less overhead, more innovation.
Arctic Advantage
The silence and isolation of Lapland creates focus impossible in busy cities.
AI-First Thinking
Every solution starts with: how can AI make this 10x better?
Ready to Build the Future?
Whether you're looking for AI consulting, custom development, or want to lead a daughter company, let's create something extraordinary together.