I would like to start by giving a virtual tap on the shoulder to all our customers, partners and #AtoZpeople and say, humbly: thank you. Thank you for once again being part of our story and helping to build a better digital future together.
The year 2025 was not the easiest one for the software industry. Achieving results still required hard work. The market continued to shift into a new position, purchasing cycles remained slow in many cases, and decision-making stretched out across numerous organisations. For us at AtoZ, however, the year was special in many ways. While we closely followed everyday operations on a weekly and monthly basis, we also worked deliberately on the next phases and laid a strong foundation for the future.
Our revenue amounted to approximately EUR 3.5 million. In a challenging market, we largely held our ground. When the year is viewed in halves, the overall picture becomes clearly more encouraging. The second half of 2025 was stronger than the corresponding period in 2024, indicating that the actions we had taken were starting to have an effect and that the direction was turning positive. Although the accounts have not yet been fully closed, profitability can be estimated to have remained at around 13 percent. In the current market, this is an outcome we can be satisfied with.
Over the course of the year, it became increasingly evident that customers are buying more cautiously and expect their partners to have a deeper understanding of the value created by development work and the timelines involved. At the same time, many organisations reviewed their operating models, structures and competence focus areas.
The software services industry has changed significantly in recent years. Delivery alone is no longer enough, and simply providing additional hands is no longer a winning concept. Customers increasingly expect the ability to combine business understanding with technology, to grasp the bigger picture and to make choices that support long-term and sustainable software development. In our view, this is also very much in line with our slogan, “Building a better digital future.”
Understanding the customer’s operations, identifying what truly matters and scoping work so that the outcome genuinely supports everyday use has become increasingly important. Emphasising business understanding is deeply ingrained at AtoZ, and it is becoming an ever clearer competitive advantage for us in the market.
The importance of combining business and technology understanding is also directly linked to artificial intelligence. AI offers many opportunities, and it allows code to be produced quickly, but it does not remove the need to understand what is being built and why. A strong understanding of system behaviour, architecture and quality must remain, even as tools evolve. Writing code is, in fact, a surprisingly small part of software development as a whole.
Our response to this change has not been about making quick promises, but about focusing on what endures over time. We have concentrated on strengthening the fundamentals. Software development, quality assurance and project management in a way that keeps the overall picture under control, reduces risks and makes our customers’ everyday work easier. For us, AI is a tool for skilled professionals, not a shortcut or an end in itself. This approach has felt right, and it provides a solid foundation for the future.
One of the most significant turning points of the year was the appointment of a new Chair of the Board. Mikko Pitkänen began in the role on 8 May 2025, succeeding the company’s founder, Jyrki Oksa, who stepped down from the position for health reasons but continues as a member of the Board.
With the new Chair, the work of the Board gained additional rhythm, experience and strategic perspective. Discussions helped to clarify direction and sharpen our focus on what truly matters. In a challenging market, these aspects are particularly important. Strategy must be visible in everyday work, in decisions, and in how we relate to change and the future.
The year 2025 was also a year of encounters. We were more active than ever in events and discussions focused on the practical transformation of work, technology and organisations. In the spring, for example, we participated in Business Tampere’s “Smarter Organisation” programme, and in the autumn we took part in Agile Tampere, speaking about everyday self-management, organisational culture and how these themes appear in practice amid urgency and pressure.
We also exhibited at the Alihankinta Trade Fair in Tampere, the Isotope Days in Jyväskylä, and at Hannover Messe in Germany. All of these events provided valuable insight into how industry and software development are evolving across different parts of Europe. Conversations with customers and partners reinforced our view that there is still strong demand for practical expertise, quality and reliable partners.
We also continued our partnership with Tappara for the 2025–2026 season. Visibility at Nokia Arena and shared moments with customers and partners are a natural part of how we build long-term relationships and recognition.
And yes, the AtoZillas also deserve a mention in this annual review. What started as a joke has grown into part of our brand and the way we tell the story of who we are. The AtoZillas reflect joy in doing, a healthy dose of nerdiness and a down-to-earth attitude. They remind us that things can be done seriously without unnecessary stiffness, very much in line with how we operate at AtoZ.
A difficult market often first affects morale and day-to-day resilience. That is why it was particularly encouraging to see that AtoZ’s employee survey once again showed an eNPS score above +50. We have maintained this level throughout our history, and it is no coincidence. Investing in culture and people is a long-term commitment for us, not a one-off initiative.
The survey highlighted freedom, trust and the opportunity to influence one’s own work. Especially in times like these, these aspects become even more important. When the environment changes, culture must not be the first thing to be compromised. On the contrary, it is precisely then that we need to hold firmly to direction and ensure that people have the space to do their work well.
When looking back at 2025 as a whole, the story is ultimately quite clear. From a revenue perspective, we held our ground in a challenging market, and the second half of the year already showed clear signs of growth. Profitability remained at a good level. Our culture held strong. We welcomed a new Chair of the Board and clarified our direction in a way that provides a solid foundation for the future.
We head into 2026 with confidence and our feet firmly on the ground. While we know how to make ourselves heard when needed, our way of working is not based on noise. It rests on quality, on people’s expertise and on working together. This is the AtoZ way, and right now it feels more right than it has in a long time.
Mikko Leinonen