What does it take to build a startup, raise millions in funding, expand internationally and eventually reach an exit? What makes an investor decide to back a company or sell part of their stake while others are still investing? And what can both sides learn from the decisions made along the way?
Ready Player Me's journey involved more than a decade of building a technology company, raising funding, expanding internationally and making important decisions. In December 2025, the company was acquired by Netflix. However, not everyone involved in the company's journey made the same decisions or exited their investment at the same time.
Join us for a conversation with Ready Player Me co-founder Timmu Tõke and early investor Lauri Antalainen, who will share their experiences from two different perspectives. We'll explore building and growing a company, making investment decisions, knowing when to sell and the challenges, risks and lessons that come with these choices.
Meet the panellists
Timmu Tõke, Co-founder and former CEO of Ready Player Me
Timmu co-founded Ready Player Me, which raised $72 million in funding and was acquired by Netflix in 2025. He will share his experience of building a technology company, raising capital, managing international teams, moving to the US and the lessons learned along the way.
Lauri Antalainen, President of EstBAN and Board Member of EBAN
Lauri is an angel investor who has invested in over 50 startups and been involved in several successful exits. As an early investor in Ready Player Me, he sold part of his stake during the company's Series B funding round, before its acquisition by Netflix. He will discuss why he decided to invest in Ready Player Me, what led him to sell part of his stake while other investors were buying, and what he learned from those decisions.
What will we discuss?
• Building and scaling internationally. How do you raise funding, build an international team and grow a startup beyond its home market?
• Investor decisions: when to invest and when to sell? What convinced Lauri to invest in Ready Player Me, and why did he decide to sell part of his stake during the Series B funding round?
• Decisions, risks and lessons learned. What were the toughest choices and biggest challenges along the way, and what have Timmu and Lauri learned from their different experiences?
Expect an open and practical discussion, personal experiences and an opportunity to ask questions directly to our panellists.
Agenda
09:30–10:00 Arrival, coffee and networking
10:00–11:00 Panel discussion with Timmu Tõke and Lauri Antalainen
11:00–12:00 Networking and conversations
🎟 Register now to secure your spot. Participation is free!
The event will be held in English.
Who is this event for?
We welcome startup teams from Tehnopol Accelerator programmes, startup founders, entrepreneurs, angel investors and venture capital professionals. Whether you're building your first company, raising investment, expanding internationally or making investment decisions, you'll hear firsthand experiences and practical lessons from both a founder and an investor.
This event is powered by the Tehnopol Film and Multimedia Accelerator IDA Hub, whose activities are funded by the European Union.
