15.6.2021

Antti Vepsä Brings New Fund Expertise to Castrén & Snellman’s PE&VC Team

Castrén & Snellman’s Private Equity & Venture Capital service has hired a new fund expert: Antti Vepsä, Master of Laws, M.Sc. (Econ.) will join the team as a senior associate at the start of August.

Antti is joining the firm from OP Financial Group, where he has worked extensively on fund-related projects. Antti has researched the regulation of investment funds, particularly foreign fund regulation and market practices. He is currently working on a doctoral dissertation at the University of Tampere on the regulation of funds established as variable capital investment companies.

‘I am looking forward to working on assignments at C&S. I anticipate that my skills and research findings will be of great benefit to the fund projects of the firm’s clients. In the current market situation, alternative asset categories have raised their profile: new and innovative products are being developed and there is motivation to offer them to a wider pool of investors. On the other hand, there is a will to develop the regulation of funds established as variable capital investment companies, as we saw in the project to reform fund regulation that ran from 2016 to 2019. I believe that this matter will move forward in Finland in the next few years. When that happens, our team will be well placed to provide solutions to our clients’, Antti says.

‘Antti’s extensive experience on both the fund manager and investor sides supplements our team’s fund advisory resources and our ability to serve an extensive clientele well in the diversifying field of fund projects. The demand for our services has grown significantly over the past few years. Antti is an excellent addition to our team’, says Partner Jarno Tanhuanpää, the head of our Private Equity & Venture Capital service.

Among other things, Antti will focus on establishing alternative investment funds, fund due diligence projects, secondary market trading in limited partnership interests and other collective investment projects. Antti’s versatile and extensive experience as an in-house lawyer positions him well to support clients in fund-related product development, management, taxation and sustainable investment matters.

‘We are at an exciting place in sustainable finance. Investors expect concrete actions and proof that they have been taken as well as systematic measurement of impacts. The Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority is already requiring funds to clarify sustainability documentation and the authority’s interpretations have yet to become established. Helping clients in this dynamic situation is an interesting challenge’, Antti says.

Latest references

We advised Jolt Capital and Tesi in connection with their investment in VEV, a leading provider of commercial fleet electrification solutions. The investment, led by Jolt Capital with Tesi as co-investor, will support VEV’s next phase of growth and expansion across Europe. As part of the transaction, VEV became an independent company following the acquisition of Vitol’s stake in the business. Founded by Vitol, VEV provides integrated fleet electrification solutions combining fleet strategy, charging infrastructure, energy supply and operational services. Through its VEV IQ platform, the company supports more than 6,000 commercial electric vehicles across Europe and has been deployed across more than 600 sites spanning the transport, logistics and waste sectors. Jolt Capital is a private equity firm focused on growth investments in European deeptech companies. Tesi is a Finnish state-owned investment company that promotes Finnish business and economic growth through investments. We advised Jolt Capital and Tesi on the equity financing and structuring aspects of the transaction. International law firm Goodwin advised the investors on the acquisition of VEV.
Case published 10.9.2026
VR-Group Plc is a transport and logistics group owned by the Finnish State, operating passenger and freight rail transport in Finland with activities also in the Swedish market. VR Group provides passenger, logistics and maintenance services with over 160 years’ experience in developing responsible transport of the future. We advise VR Group in intellectual property matters as part of the company’s wider brand protection efforts. Our assignments have included advice on copyright, design rights and trademarks, focusing on the protection of the company’s visual identity – including its distinctive green colour – in connection with transport services as part of a comprehensive IP protection strategy. VR Group’s consistent brand building has also received recognition, including the Finland Chamber of Commerce’s Brand of the Year award in 2026. In the competition, brands were viewed comprehensively from various perspectives, including their story, strategic role, brand renewal ability and intellectual property protection. The jury found that VR had understood the importance of the protection of its brand as part of a comprehensive business strategy. 
Case published 9.9.2026
We advised NoHo Partners Plc on the issuance of EUR 50 million senior secured floating rate notes. The notes have a tenor of four years and mature on 10 September 2030. The notes bear interest at a rate of three-month EURIBOR plus a margin of 4.375 per cent. per annum. The notes were allocated to a mix of domestic and international investors. We also advised NoHo Partners on the negotiation of its new senior facilities agreement. The facilities agreement comprises a EUR 60,000,000 term loan facility, a EUR 10,000,000 capex facility and a EUR 27,000,000 revolving credit facility. “We are delighted by the interest investors have shown in the company’s Notes, which reflects confidence in our strategy. The successful issuance of the Notes, together with the new loan agreement, extends the maturity profile of our financing and enables the company to continue executing its growth strategy going forward. I would like to thank all investors for their participation, as well as our partner bank for the excellent execution of the Notes issuance”, says Jarno Suominen, CEO of NoHo Partners. OP Corporate Bank plc acted as the sole lead manager and bookrunner for the issue of the notes. NoHo Partners Plc is a Finnish group established in 1996, and it specialises in restaurant services being the creative innovator of the Northern European restaurant market. The company was listed in Nasdaq Helsinki in 2013 becoming the first Finnish listed restaurant company, and it has continued to grow strongly throughout its history. NoHo Partners’ vision is to be the leading restaurant operator in Northern Europe.
Case published 4.9.2026
We advised Topfoods Oy, a Triton-backed Geia Group company, on its acquisition of Oy Delice Plus Ab, a Finnish supplier of cakes and pastries. Through the acquisition, Topfoods strengthens its retail business and further reinforces its position in the cakes and pastries segment. Founded in 2008, Topfoods supplies selected food products to professional kitchens, the retail sector, and the food industry. 
Case published 4.9.2026