Peter Vesterbacka

Peter Vesterbacka
Nationality	Finnish
Occupation	Entrepreneur, investor, executive
Employer	FinEst Bay Area Development, FinestLove VC
Known for	Former CMO of Rovio Entertainment (Angry Birds), FinEst Bay Area Development, Finest Future

Peter Vesterbacka is a Finnish entrepreneur, investor, and former technology executive who served as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and self-styled "Mighty Eagle" of Rovio Entertainment, the company behind the globally successful mobile game franchise Angry Birds. Often recognized for his signature red Angry Birds hoodie, Vesterbacka became one of Finland's most visible figures in the international technology and startup community during the 2010s. After departing Rovio in 2016, he turned his attention to a series of ambitious ventures, most notably the proposed FinEst Bay Area undersea railway tunnel connecting Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia — a project estimated at approximately $15 billion. Vesterbacka has also pursued ventures in education technology, venture capital, and high-speed rail, positioning himself as a serial entrepreneur with interests spanning infrastructure, education, and startup ecosystems. His post-Rovio career has drawn both attention and controversy, particularly regarding the Finest Future education programme, which faced accusations from Chinese families alleging false promises and poor conditions.

Career

Rovio Entertainment and Angry Birds

Vesterbacka rose to international prominence through his role at Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish mobile game developer responsible for the Angry Birds franchise. At Rovio, he held the title of Chief Marketing Officer and adopted the internal title "Mighty Eagle," a reference to a character within the Angry Birds game. Under his tenure, Angry Birds became one of the most downloaded mobile games in the world, and Vesterbacka played a central role in expanding the brand beyond gaming into merchandise, animation, and broader entertainment licensing. He became a frequent speaker at technology conferences and a recognizable ambassador for both Rovio and the Finnish technology sector more broadly.

Vesterbacka departed Rovio in 2016. His exit from the company marked a transition from corporate technology leadership to entrepreneurship and large-scale project development.

FinEst Bay Area Development and the Helsinki–Tallinn Tunnel

Following his departure from Rovio, Vesterbacka became the public face of one of Northern Europe's most ambitious infrastructure proposals: a planned undersea railway tunnel connecting Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia, across the Gulf of Finland. The project, organized through the company FinEst Bay Area Development, was estimated to cost approximately $15 billion (£10.6 billion at the time of reporting) and aimed to reduce the travel time between the two capital cities to roughly 30 minutes.

The tunnel proposal attracted significant international media coverage. In December 2018, the political news outlet Politico included Vesterbacka in its "Politico 28" ranking, a list of individuals deemed influential in shaping Europe. The publication noted the parallel between the Angry Birds concept of "breaking down barriers" and Vesterbacka's ambition to physically connect Finland and Estonia through the tunnel project.

The tunnel concept has remained in active development as of the mid-2020s. In June 2025, it was reported that Vesterbacka and his business partner Kustaa Valtonen had expanded their infrastructure ambitions beyond the Helsinki–Tallinn tunnel by proposing a high-speed rail link between Stockholm and Oslo. The proposal positioned the two entrepreneurs as advocates for transformative cross-border rail infrastructure in the Nordic region. The Stockholm–Oslo high-speed rail proposal was described as complementary to, rather than a replacement for, the FinEst Bay Area tunnel project.

Venture Capital and Startup Investments

In the years following his departure from Rovio, Vesterbacka became active in venture capital and angel investing, frequently partnering with Finnish technology executive Kustaa Valtonen.

In November 2024, Vesterbacka and Valtonen invested in Snorble, an education technology (EdTech) company, through their newly launched venture capital firm FinestLove VC. The investment was described as both a financial commitment and a strategic partnership, with Vesterbacka identified in the announcement as "Former Rovio CMO (Angry Birds)" and Valtonen described as a "tech veteran." The FinestLove VC fund signaled Vesterbacka's interest in education-related technology ventures, an area that would also intersect with his other post-Rovio projects.

In December 2024, Nordic Angels, described as a prominent network of angel investors in the Nordic region, announced the appointment of Valtonen and Vesterbacka as founding members of its expansion into Finland. The move was reported as part of Nordic Angels' broader strategy to strengthen its presence across the Nordic countries.

Finest Future and Education Ventures

Vesterbacka has been involved in promoting Finnish education internationally, an effort centered in part on the Finest Future programme. Finest Future offered education-related services that were marketed to families abroad, including in China, with promises tied to Finnish language courses and immersion in Finnish life.

By June 2025, the programme had become the subject of significant controversy. Chinese families accused the Finest Future programme, which was tied to Vesterbacka, of making false promises and providing poor conditions after they had paid thousands of dollars for the services. The Helsinki Times reported growing outrage among Chinese families over the programme, describing accusations that the experience delivered did not match what had been advertised. Finland's national broadcaster Yle also covered the controversy, noting that a firm founded by the former Rovio executive had been accused of failing to deliver on its promises of Finnish language courses and immersion experiences.

The controversy drew attention to the broader phenomenon of international education programmes that leverage Finland's reputation for high-quality education, and raised questions about the accountability and oversight of such privately operated schemes.

Involvement in the Startup Ecosystem

Vesterbacka has maintained a presence in the Nordic and international startup ecosystem beyond his specific ventures. Slush, the large annual gathering of startups, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators headquartered in Helsinki, has been described as Finland's flagship innovation event. In October 2025, Slush'D Istanbul was held as Türkiye's first official Slush spin-off event, reflecting the expansion of the Finnish startup ecosystem's influence internationally. While Vesterbacka is not the organizer of Slush, his career has been closely associated with the Finnish startup culture that the event represents, and he has been a frequent participant and speaker at such gatherings throughout his career.

Partnerships

A recurring element of Vesterbacka's post-Rovio career has been his collaboration with Kustaa Valtonen, a Finnish technology executive. The two have worked together on multiple ventures, including the FinEst Bay Area tunnel project, the Stockholm–Oslo high-speed rail proposal, the FinestLove VC fund, and their roles as founding members of Nordic Angels' Finnish expansion. The Vesterbacka-Valtonen partnership has spanned infrastructure, venture capital, and education technology, reflecting a shared interest in cross-border and internationally oriented projects.

Recognition

In December 2018, Politico named Peter Vesterbacka to its annual "Politico 28" list, which profiles individuals the publication considers to be shaping, disrupting, or otherwise influencing European affairs. The listing specifically referenced the Helsinki–Tallinn tunnel project as an example of his ambitions following his career at Rovio.

Vesterbacka's visibility during his time at Rovio, where he served as a public spokesperson and brand ambassador, established him as one of the best-known figures in the Finnish technology industry during the early 2010s. His distinctive practice of wearing a red Angry Birds hoodie to public appearances became a widely noted personal trademark.

His post-Rovio ventures have continued to attract media attention, both positive and critical. The FinEst Bay Area tunnel proposal has been covered by major international outlets including Business Insider and Politico, while the Finest Future education programme has been the subject of investigative reporting by Finnish media including the Helsinki Times and Yle.

Controversies

Finest Future Programme

The most significant public controversy associated with Vesterbacka has involved the Finest Future education programme. By mid-2025, Chinese families who had enrolled in the programme reported that they had paid thousands of dollars based on promises of Finnish language education and cultural immersion experiences in Finland, only to find that the conditions and services provided did not match what had been advertised.

The Helsinki Times reported in June 2025 that "Chinese outrage grows over Finnish study scheme tied to Peter Vesterbacka," describing accusations of false promises and poor conditions. Yle's coverage of the controversy noted that the firm, founded by the former Rovio executive, had been the subject of growing anger from Chinese participants. The reports raised broader concerns about the regulation and oversight of privately operated international education programmes that trade on Finland's educational reputation.