At the beginning of 2026, we entered the year with a clear strategy and a strong company culture. Our goals are ambitious yet practical: to grow profitably, attract the best talent, continuously develop our expertise, and leverage rapidly evolving AI technologies both in our own operations and in the solutions we deliver to our customers.
At Etlia, we have built a company where decision-making is transparent and the organizational hierarchy is kept intentionally flat. We strive to minimize unnecessary bureaucracy while maintaining clear ways of working and high quality standards. Our goal is simple: to create an environment where our experts can succeed in their work and focus on helping our customers.
During the first half of the year, the business environment continued to evolve rapidly. AI is no longer a standalone technology or an experimental initiative—it has become an integral part of business. Economic uncertainty and the geopolitical situation continue to influence customer decision-making, while regulation is advancing at an unprecedented pace. The AI Act, the Data Governance Act, and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are just a few examples of developments that are increasingly shaping the daily operations of organizations.
Perhaps the most significant observation from the first half of the year has been the growing importance of data. The more organizations invest in AI solutions, the clearer it becomes that their success depends primarily on data quality and effective data management. Without high-quality, well-governed data, AI cannot deliver reliable business value. As a result, data quality and Data Governance have become strategic priorities for many organizations. We have had the privilege of supporting our customers in several initiatives addressing these challenges.
At the same time, we have observed another important shift. Technical expertise remains essential, but business understanding, communication skills, and the ability to build trust have become more valuable than ever. AI can assist with writing code and building solutions, but understanding a customer’s business and solving the right problems remain fundamentally human responsibilities.
Against this backdrop, Etlia’s first half of 2026 has been highly successful.
We have increased our revenue, improved profitability, and continued to grow our team. I am particularly pleased with the positive development of our profitability. Sustainable, profitable growth enables us to continue investing in our people’s expertise, new services, and the long-term development of our company.
During the first half of the year, we welcomed several new customers. More importantly, this reflects the trust that the market places in our expertise. At the same time, we have maintained an exceptionally high level of customer satisfaction. In our latest measurement, Etlia once again achieved an excellent Net Promoter Score of 88. Our customer retention has remained exceptionally strong, demonstrating that our customers continue to see long-term value in working with us.
I would like to thank the entire Etlia team for this achievement. Outstanding customer satisfaction is not created through strategies or presentation slides. It is built through everyday work with our customers. It comes from professionalism, accountability, a genuine willingness to help, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching. I am extremely proud of the way our people serve our customers every single day.
We have also continued to develop our AI capabilities with determination. During the first half of the year, we delivered several AI and data platform projects for our customers while continuously strengthening our own expertise in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.
This spring, we developed a new AI Assisted Cost Optimization model for our customers, with its first implementation built on the Databricks platform. The solution uses AI to identify cost-saving opportunities within data platforms and uncover optimization opportunities that would otherwise be difficult to detect. It is a great example of how we combine deep data platform expertise with AI technologies to create tangible business value.
As we look ahead to the second half of the year, our outlook remains positive. We expect our profitable growth to continue throughout the remainder of 2026. At the same time, we recognize that the market is evolving faster than ever before. This is why continuous learning, listening to our customers, understanding their business, and maintaining the ability to adapt remain especially important to us.
Finally, I would like to sincerely thank both our customers for their trust and our employees for their outstanding work. This progress would not have been possible without you.
The first half of the year has provided us with a strong foundation for what lies ahead. We will continue our journey with humility, a commitment to continuous improvement, and above all, a relentless focus on helping our customers succeed. We believe this is how sustainable growth is built, not only for the remainder of 2026, but for many years to come.
Juuso Maijala, CEO
