The life and business partners’ entrepreneurial journey started after they became parents. When caring for their newborn, Satu and Erasmus stumbled on a gap in the market for a new baby tech product. Like a growing number of modern parents, they too worried about their baby’s safety and well-being, wanting to do all they could to ensure their child had the best possible start in life. 

Parents using the Onni Care system

This led to them documenting his feedings in minute detail at all hours as well as keeping track of his sleeping, diaper changes, growth, and development, at first by using only pen and paper and later, by also utilising the state-of-the-art devices, apps, and data that existed at the time. 

Little by little it became evident that there was an international need for smart solutions that helped new parents with little or no experience in baby care feel confident they’re “getting it right” as parents. 

After welcoming prematurely born twins and learning that each child is different, even twins, and realising that by establishing each child’s unique “norm”, it would be possible to pinpoint when consulting with a healthcare professional might be warranted, they knew they were onto something. 


Erasmus van Niekerk and Satu Niemelä with their children 

And so, the founders embarked on a mission to revolutionise childcare with Onni Care, and provide parents with an innovative AI-supported, 360° childcare solution, integrating IoT technology to monitor babies and offer data-driven insights into their growth and development in a sustainable way that at the same time helps avoid burdening the already overloaded healthcare services. 


The Onni Care baby platform: remote access video monitors ‘Star’ and ‘Twinkle’, the Onni Care web portal, and the Onni Care mobile apps


Multi-award-winning remote access video monitoring device ‘Star’ 

In addition to drawing from their exceptionally diverse experience in developing and launching multi-award-winning new products paired with services in international markets, Satu and Erasmus are committed to continuous learning, seeking to consistently improve their existing knowledge and skill sets. They also cooperate with their extensive network of experts to ensure a solid cost-benefit ratio for micro, small, and medium enterprises as well as people interested in becoming entrepreneurs seeking to avoid typical RDI and internationalisation pitfalls while maximising their chances of success. 

They offer business development consulting, coaching, and concrete hands-on help 
spanning business idea clarification, validation, implementation, and international commercialisation.  

Helping clients utilise the funding options available at each stage is at the heart of the services offered.