Builders' Breakfast with Sami Marttinen: Building Pre-AI vs. Building Now

This Builders' Breakfast session is part of the Maria 01 NEXT Startup Festival. Explore the full 2-day program here. Sami Marttinen co-founded a company that most founders only talk about reaching: a centaur, meaning a private company generating over $100 million in annual revenue. Swappie crossed that threshold in 2023 and has held it since, closing 2025 with €234 million in revenue and, for the first time, a full year of EBITDA profitability. Getting there wasn't a straight line. Before Swappie, Sami and his co-founder ran through thirteen different business ideas under one company, pivoting quickly, taking no salary, and funding the process themselves through student loans and savings. The idea that eventually became Swappie came from a personal experience, being scammed while buying a used phone online, and a consumer survey the next day that suggested the market for used electronics could eventually rival the market for used cars. Sami is now building a new company, currently in stealth. This time, the environment is different. Swappie was built in a pre-AI era, with none of the tools founders now take for granted. His new venture is being built with AI shaping the process from the outset. At this Builders' Breakfast, Sami will share the story on what it took to grow Swappie into a centaur, and how building pre-AI compares to building now. If you find this session interesting, we invite you to explore the full Maria 01 NEXT Startup Festival Program.