Helsinki’s Freepress Secures €1 Million To Expand AI-Powered News Platform

As part of its strategy, the company aims to enter global markets through partnerships with local publishers, sharing up to half of its revenue to help sustain quality journalism.

Founded in 2023 Freepress uses an AI-driven virtual news editor that analyses hundreds of thousands of publicly available and licensed articles from around the world. It then summarises key information in the user’s own language, enabling real-time tracking of global news events. Users can automatically follow topics and receive alerts whenever major media outlets publish updates in their areas of interest.

“Freepress gives its users access to a news feed they would never otherwise see. It opens up the world in multiple languages from around the globe. The application makes global news accessible in people’s own language at a scale never seen before. Freepress is the news media of the AI era – capable of unprecedented scalability,” said Mikael Pentikäinen, editor-in-chief, Freepress’s editorial advisor and board member.

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Freepress is positioning publishers as central partners in its international rollout. While its AI-generated news updates remain free to users, the platform will also feature premium journalism from media organisations worldwide.

Publishers receive up to half of all revenue generated from both consumer and business users, and Freepress is already in discussions with several international outlets. Reuters’ global news coverage is expected to be available on the platform starting in January 2026.

“AI enables information organisation that lets Freepress deliver exactly the news readers want – without them having to search for anything. Through Freepress, publishers can reach readers outside their own language and market area. For publishers, this means reaching audiences far beyond their home market,” said Freepress CEO Joel Uussaari.

Launched in Finland in autumn 2025, Freepress quickly climbed to the top of the App Store’s news categories. The company plans to expand into additional languages and markets, while developing business tools for content management, media monitoring, and market forecasting.

Freepress was founded by Joel Uussaari, a prominent figure in real estate and Aleksi Kaistinen, an experienced software professional. Its investor group is led by Kustaa Poutiainen’s Stephen Industries Inc.

Advisors include technology expert and startup mentor Erkki Heilakka, digital journalism pioneer Jussi Tuulensuu, former Finnish News Agency and Helsingin Sanomat editor-in-chief Mikael Pentikäinen, and Jaakko Lindgren, Dottir Law partner and specialist in copyright and AI regulation.