Mallow Podcast: Retrospective and Outlook

2024 is behind us, and it's time to look ahead. In Mallow's first podcast episode, founders Jaakko Karhumaa (CEO) and Teemu Tapanila (CTO) discuss what the market looks like through the eyes of an Azure consultancy, what's really happening behind the AI hype, and why company culture is the most important engine for growth.

2024: Growth amid caution

For Mallow, 2024 was a success. The company grew in headcount and won significant new clients — at one point ranking as Finland's fastest-growing consultancy. But while Mallow thrived, the broader market was marked by caution and uncertainty. New projects and investments were restrained, and many companies were still figuring out their next moves.

AI: Lots of talk, few big investments

AI was the most talked-about topic of 2024, but Jaakko and Teemu point out a wide gap between the buzz and actual investment. Finland saw plenty of experiments, pilots, and proof-of-concept projects, but massive, business-transforming AI initiatives were still notably absent.

"Everyone keeps saying AI will change everything, but nothing has really changed yet." — Jaakko Karhumaa

Large-scale industrial AI solutions or entirely new AI-powered services had yet to launch at scale.

Data is the new oil — and it's time to refine it

The importance of data has grown steadily. Mallow's experts see recent years as a period of "drilling for oil" and getting it into place. In 2025, the focus shifts to refining that data — a prerequisite for successful AI projects.

Although cloud migration has been discussed for a decade, many organisations are still on their way to the cloud or learning to unlock its full potential. In the coming year, cloud adoption and smarter use of data will take centre stage.

Culture and seniority at Mallow's core

Mallow is a team of around 20 specialists built on deep seniority. The founders take pride in having more experienced experts than many much larger competitors.

The company culture is rooted in collaboration and anti-bureaucracy. One tangible example: monthly company-wide lunches that the team intends to keep up regardless of growth. Company kick-off events consistently draw full attendance — a sign of exceptional team spirit.

Looking ahead to 2025: Full speed and optimism

2025 is expected to be a year of acceleration and change. Mallow is targeting strong growth and believes clients now have better budgets to pursue new innovations.

Microsoft Azure remains the solid framework within which Mallow helps clients build new applications and adopt AI with agility. Geopolitical instability and technical challenges raise questions, but cloud services have proven surprisingly resilient in such situations.

Mallow's goal is to be a trusted partner that helps clients make fast moves and build new solutions in a changing world.