Finly

finly

This interview series celebrates all the phenomenal . Congratulations! Well-Deserved, Champion.The HackerNoon community is excited to learn more about you! Startups of the Year Winners Ikius is the Startup of the Year in Finland, Misc. What follows is an interview with Max Ikaheimo, CEO and Founder at Ikius. What does it mean for you to win this title? I am honored to receive the Startup of the Year 2023 award for Ikius. Winning is not just a personal achievement but also an acknowledgment of all the hard work that everyone involved with Ikius and I have poured into building Ikius from absolutely nothing to one of the pioneering companies in modern web development. What sets you apart from the competition? Although next-generation technology is at the core of what we do, people are our biggest asset. We have always valued human-to-human interaction in every part of our operations. We provide highly personalized service combined with an obsessive approach to modern technology. This has enabled us to stand out in the highly competitive web development market. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? I love that we have such a talented team I can rely on. Many of us have a university background in Computer Science - which helps a lot in solving complex technical problems for our clients. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? Haha, that’s a great question! I would probably be a Venture Capitalist or a Founder of another company. Building Ikius has been a good combination of both lines of work. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your core metrics? For Ikius; success is seeing our clients succeed. A remarkable roster of happy clients from Helsinki to San Francisco is something we value a lot. Of course, financial metrics are also key indicators of our success. We have been profitable with increasing earnings and revenue ever since I founded Ikius in 2019. Tell us how your startup is changing the world. When Ikius was founded, the stuff we did was pretty obscure and esoteric, however now, it’s all the de-facto standard. I see that we have already changed the world as one of the pioneering agencies in Modern Web Development and continue doing so by utilizing emerging technologies successfully, way ahead of anyone else. How do you or your company intend to embrace the responsibility of this title in 2024? We continue to work with modern technology and methods to minimize our internal environmental impact and build sustainable solutions for our clients. What goals are you looking forward to accomplishing in 2024? We continue to grow and expand in the US and EU. Which trend(s) are you most excited about in 2024? Share your reasons. I’m excited to see where modern web technologies evolve in 2024 and forward. 2023 had been another crazy year, especially in tech, with layoffs and the Generative AI takeover! Which trend are you most concerned about? Be as brief or as detailed as you like. I’m worried about the global security and world politics. Share your biggest success so far and/or your biggest failure so far. My biggest success is building Ikius to the point where we are today. It all started from my bedroom in a shared apartment, with just me and my PC. I had just quit my job as a web developer and dropped out of the university. I can’t say it was easy, but it’s the most successful thing I’ve done. We would love your feedback on HackerNoon as a tech publication! How has your experience been with us? HackerNoon has always been a very interesting publication, and I’ve been a reader for a long time. Keep up the good work. Any words of wisdom you’d like to share with us? Keep on grinding. Startups of The Year is HackerNoon’s Flagship community-driven event celebrating startups that survived and thrived in 2023. 30,000 startups across 4200+ cities and six continents participated this year to be crowned the best startup in their city. See our global winners announcement . here Companies that blog more get 67% more leads - Jumpstart your company’s blogging journey by purchasing our . Business Blogging Package The 2023 Startups Of The Year is sponsored by: . . The winners will get a free .Tech Domain, a HackerNoon NFT, and a Tech Company News Page. TECH Domains

Meet Ikius, Startups of the Year Winner in Finland, Misc.

Ikius এর সাথে দেখা করুন, ফিনল্যান্ডে বছরের সেরা বিজয়ী, Misc.

Treffen Sie Ikius, Gewinner des Startups des Jahres in Finnland, Sonstiges.

Conozca a Ikius, ganadora de la Startup del año en Finlandia, Misc.

Rencontrez Ikius, lauréat des startups de l'année en Finlande, Misc.

फ़िनलैंड, विविध में वर्ष के सर्वश्रेष्ठ स्टार्टअप विजेता इकियस से मिलें।

フィンランドの Startups of the Year を受賞した Ikius をご紹介します。

핀란드 올해의 스타트업 수상자 Ikius를 만나보세요.

Conheça Ikius, Vencedor de Startups do Ano na Finlândia, Misc.

Встречайте Икиуса, победителя конкурса «Стартапы года» в Финляндии, разное.

Finlandiya'da Yılın Startup'ları Ödülü sahibi İkius ile tanışın.

Gặp gỡ Ikius, Người chiến thắng Công ty khởi nghiệp của năm ở Phần Lan, Misc.

来认识一下 Ikius，芬兰其他领域的年度初创公司获奖者。

A few weeks ago, published its yearly global survey results about how people from more than 150 countries worldwide evaluated their lives. The full report can be found (page 22). the World Happiness Report here What is the methodology for ranking countries based on their happiness? The polling company Gallup conducts interviews with hundreds of thousands of people across the nations included in the report. People assess their own happiness using a scale from 1 to 10, responding to questions such as if they smiled, laughed or experienced enjoyment the previous day. (either 0 or 1): “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them, or not?”, “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your freedom to choose what you do with your life?” or “Have you donated money to a charity in the past month?” Other questions are binary To measure trustworthiness, the survey also includes the so-called “wallet question” (if you lose your wallet containing $200, how likely a neighbor, a police officer, or a stranger would return your wallet). To quote from : the report To return a wallet requires a level of benevolence extending far beyond basic trustworthiness, since the finder has to go out of their way, often at considerable effort, to do a good turn for someone else. It is no surprise that people are happier if they live in a community where others stand ready to help. Knowing that others are acting in such a way has been shown in experimental studies to encourage others to do good turns, making them even happier. Then, the World Happiness Report processes survey data, as well as economic and social data. Six main criteria determine the happiness index of a country: gross domestic product per capita (data available from ), healthy life expectancy (data available from ), social support, freedom to make one’s life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of corruption levels (data from Gallup surveys). Some variables such as unemployment or inequality are not considered because the World Bank the World Health Organisation there is no available data for the entire sample of countries. Each country from the survey is compared to a hypothetical country, Dystopia, used as a regression benchmark, which scores the lowest national averages for each of the six key variables. These reports are not without , as they are based on subjective assessments from people, but they prove helpful if we compare the happiness index for the same country over the years, as in this case, all the variable factors stay the same. critics And this brings us to Finland, a country experiencing harsh climatic conditions, caught for centuries between the rule of Sweden and Russia, enduring between Whites, the conservative-based senate and Reds, the socialists, in 1918 (its first months of independence), and against the Soviet Union in 1939 and 1941, respectively. The Finns invented , a reference to Vyacheslav Molotov, one of the principal architects of the Molotov – Ribbentrop Pact. During the Winter War, in response to the Soviet propaganda that the bombing missions over Finland were humanitarian food deliveries for starving people, the Finns developed a firebomb to attack the Soviet tanks (the Molotov cocktail), “a drink to go with his [Molotov’s] food parcels”. a civil war the Winter War the Continuation War the Molotov cocktail Yet, in 2022, Finland was crowned the world’s happiest country for the fifth year in a row. Jukka Lindstrom, a writer and standup comedian, declared in 2021: to New York Times “Four times [imagine what he would say about five times in a row] is too much… The weather is like the worst day in London, every day,” he said. “There’s definitely something in our history that makes us have this kind of low self-esteem as a nation, always feeling like an underdog.” And so, how did Finns build a happy country? Looking back over their history, we learn about , one of the most significant figures of the twentieth century. He also led the Whites in successfully suppressing the Reds in the Finnish Civil War. Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Mannerheim regarded child welfare as a sterling investment in Finland’s future, not only in the creation of a healthy population, but in the healing of old wounds between the Reds and Whites. Jonathan Clements, Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy In 1920, two years after the Finnish Civil war, the was established (Mannerheim initially opposed that the league be given his name, but he conceded to the unanimous wish of the other participants). Mannerheim League for Child Welfare The goal of the work should be that every single child in Finland, from birth and throughout his or her growth period, receives a rightful share of the affection and care that alone can lay the foundation for the development of young people into good and useful citizens. C.G.E. Mannerheim To prevent infant mortality, in 1937, the league started distributing a basket with baby supplies (blankets, crib sheets, diapers, etc.) to low-income mothers. To get the basket, the mothers had to apply for healthcare during pregnancy. In 1949, the maternity allowance became available to all mothers. And nowadays, the Finnish maternity package is an iconic social innovation. of the maternity package contains 43 different products, ranging from a snowsuit, booties, mittens, sleeping bag, blanket, clothes in gender-neutral colours, the first book, toys, to personal care items (usual stuff for babies such as thermometer, hairbrush, toothbrush, nail scissors). The package also includes nipple cream, bra pads, sanity towels, and condoms. All items are included in a box that can be used as the baby’s first crib. No bottles, formula, nappies, or soothers are included. The 2022 edition Implementing such a system (giving a maternity box to all mothers, not only low-income families) benefits the whole society. Otherwise, higher-income households would believe that the maternity package is just another welfare form coming out of their taxes. Lower-income families that would barely cross the income line and not get the box might become frustrated. Allowing all families to have access to the same maternity package creates the narrative that all children should start from the same point in life, leading to a relatively egalitarian Finnish society. And then this package is a thread linking generations as all grandparents, parents, and children would have shared the same concept of sleeping in a box and getting their first baby items from the government. This social reform is low-hanging fruit, as the total maternity grant program costs for a country of roughly 5.5 million people, but with tremendous social benefits, pouring through all levels of society. around 10.3 million euros per year Maternity packages trials have been conducted in , most notably in Scotland, which . other countries hands maternity boxes to all mothers Another social reform is how Finland approaches maternity/paternity leave. , all parents will get the same parental leave to allow fathers to spend more time with their babies. , pregnant women would benefit from an extra month’s allowance, and single parents would use both allowances. Starting this year Each parent would receive 6.6 months’ leave Important to mention that prenatal and perinatal care is free, like all health services in Finland. And then we have the famous Finnish education system, which is , consistently scoring top results in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). among the best in the world Admittedly, there are some worries about the latest Finnish PISA results. has consistently been one of the highest in the participating countries (52 points in favour of girls versus boys, compared with an average of 30 points in ). The gender gap in reading and science literacy results OECD countries A major societal equalizer is that all Finnish pupils get a free hot lunch every day at school. This practice started in the ’40s, alongside the maternity package for all mothers. People in Finland are generally proud of the country’s long history of providing free school meals. A good lunch is more than nutrition. It is something that gives pleasure, relaxes, refreshes, maintains the ability to work and helps children grow healthy. A good school meal is seen as an investment in the future. The Finnish National Agency for Education Also, children from different backgrounds sharing the same meals strengthen equal opportunities, as nobody feels ashamed of their lunch package. When babies are dressed the same, then when they grow up, they eat the same meals and learn in the same schools ( ), it becomes easier to build a relatively egalitarian society. Finland has few private schools A fascinating article about Finnish education myths and facts can be read . here An insight into Finnish education and how heavily Finland relies on education and knowledge is made by Jonathan Clements: Speaking from first-hand experience, a lot of the success of the Finnish education system is down to the simple fact that it is chock full of Finns, gently cherished by a social security system that ensures square meals for all and a good home environment. Finnish education also happily calves off the more practically-minded into vocational training in their teens, creating a ready army of cooks, beauticians, hair-dressers, plumbers, carpenters and electricians. This generates massive demand for painters, decorators, builders, child-minders and cleaners, finding ample employment for many vocational school graduates, but also ensuring that their work is run through the system and taxed. Not only is Finland mercifully short on cowboy builders, but most homes are suitably ready to brave the next harsh winter. In one of many beautifully simple and palpably beneficial incentives in Finnish law, all households are eligible for an annual tax break for home improvement and domestic services, as long as the money is spent on accredited labourers. An Armchair Traveller’s History of Finland Or a thought about the Finnish railways that tells a whole story about the Finnish mindset to optimize and ensure equal resources for everyone: To hear some Finns talk about their railway system, you would be forgiven for thinking it was a third-world shambles, but they have clearly never been to Britain. Finnish trains are a paradise of comfort and efficiency, and distinguished by some neat touches like free travel for any children accompanied by an adult (including teenagers, hence reducing the numbers of unaccompanied louts), children’s carriages with their own play rooms, and free travel for any off-duty police who wear their uniforms, ensuring a little bit of bonus security. An Armchair Traveller’s History of Finland Other numerous aspects can be told about what makes Finland a happy country: impressive landscape and nature, which makes for outdoor activities, the general feeling of safety ( ), a general mindset of not trying to keep up with the Joneses (“ “, an old Finnish saying that means “only ugly people need to dress up” – a tidbit about the Finnish mentality and how they regarded fashion as non-essential. Also, remember the Finnish weather). many children go to school and back on their own Vain rumat ne vaatteilla koreilee Perhaps happiness is not about wishing for the moon but a sense of keeping to yourself and finding contentment in the essentials. Janne Berliini, 49, said he was happy enough. “I have work,” he said. “The basic things are in order.” New York Times article Communal saunas create another equalizing effect rippling through society, as everyone strips down not just of clothes but also any sign of high status. Maybe Finns consider themselves happy because of antidepressants, as Finland is . Perhaps. Or perhaps high antidepressant consumption is either related to a proficient health service around mental issues or to the long dark months with sparse sunlight. one of the top European countries regarding antidepressants In a future article, I will talk about or , another Finnish social innovation about inexpensive adult education centres. kansalaisopisto työväenopisto Of course, as with any country, . But for a country that has such as “ ” (the pessimist will never be disappointed) or “ ” (happiness will always end in tears), it is a magnificent feat to achieve the status of world’s happiest country by building a democratic, egalitarian, well-functioning, and highly-educated society with low levels of corruption. Finland surely has its problems proverbs pessimistic ei koskaan pety itku pitkästä ilosta After all, in the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. The solution to adult problems tomorrow depends on large measure upon how our children grow up today. If you want to crack a few smiles about Finns, check the . Note: Finland related comics from Scandinavia and the World Previously published at https://www.roxanamurariu.com/what-makes-finland-a-happy-country/

Why is Finland the Happiest Country in the World?

¿Por qué Finlandia es el país más feliz del mundo?

Pourquoi la Finlande est-elle le pays le plus heureux du monde ?

फिनलैंड दुनिया का सबसे खुशहाल देश क्यों है?

Tại sao Phần Lan là Quốc gia Hạnh phúc nhất Thế giới?

为什么芬兰是世界上最幸福的国家？

Scientists found Covid has a “smell” that a trained dog can sniff out in less than a second. I remember there were dogs in my grandma's house. One of them was a small Peking dog, which barked loudly. Her name was “豆豆” (Small Beans), which I then found out was the mother of the other three big ones. The next time I came back to visit my grandma, I saw her bark at me when I came close to the door and crawled towards me with her nose on the floor. She sniffed my shoes, shook her tail happily in recognition. I brushed her hair, and she ran away. It was nothing strange, but then I found out… She lost her eye in a fight with dogs from another place. And the remaining one was injured, with limited eye-sight. Then how did she know I was there, and still remember me? Small Beans had one eye blinded. Because dogs ‘see’ the world through their noses. “Small Beans,” the dog in the middle and his son on the left. | Copyright by the author Covid Dog Detectives? Humans have taken advantage of dogs’ excellent sense of smell for decades. Dogs have a powerful sense of smell; they , compared to about six million in us. That is why their nose can smell more than what we see and smell together. possess up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses So here comes the good news. are trying to test whether they can . The results are positive. The trained sniffer dogs can distinguish randomized samples, both positive and negative, with an Researchers detect saliva samples from COVID-19-infected patients in a recent study overall detection rate of 94%. Soon we will see airport security personnel standing alongside a Covid detective. That would help us spot the infected person within seconds and prevent wide infections of Covid, or even better, another acute pandemic. King of Smell It is not so surprising as sniffer dogs are already familiar animals in airports and cargo stations where they help humans do the dangerous job of detecting . But without too much attention, scientists are already exploring the possibility of using dogs to detect disease. firearms, drugs, and explosives In 2018, British entomologist Steve Lindsay studied malaria at Durham University in the U.K. . One year later, in 2019, scientists have also reported trained dogs can reported that dogs could sniff malaria detect some cancers . We cannot truly know what the dog smells from cancer, as we do not have the same senses. But researchers believed that patients who got cancers that canines can detect. On the other hand, dogs can of patients carrying malaria as those little creatures produce a specific “scent.” carried a signature scent detect micro-organisms living inside the blood The Experiments Scientists in different countries turned sniff dogs' experiments to COVID-19 early in the pandemic. They have trained their dogs to smell samples, most often of sweat, and to sit or paw the floor when they detect signs of a positive infection. Trials at airports in the , and , are using dogs to detect COVID-19 in sweat samples from passengers in the airport. The tests are then cross-checked with conventional lab tests. United Arab Emirates Lebanon , Finland According to a French- research team: Lebanese The animals can detect Covid-19 in , after smelling Now they are training 20 dogs belonging to Lebanon's security forces to screen arrivals at Beirut airport. almost 100% of cases human sweat. You can see the dogs in actions here: Covid-sniffing dogs deployed at Helsinki airport One point that needed to be emphasized is the detection results from dogs had identified cases inferring that COVID-19 sniffing dogs can spot infection days before conventional tests picked up the virus, before symptoms start. We have Vaccines coming; why do we need sniff screening? Now we have the schedule of effective vaccinations coming, will the Covid sniffing dogs be redundant before they get to work in public? The short answer is No. As you may know, vaccinations will take months to get to a large population. There are regions that will not have access to vaccinations for years. More importantly, we still after vaccination (please refer to ). do not know how long the immunity will last CDC on the facts about vaccines But what we can be sure of is once “ from what samples should be collected, how to collect samples, to train the dogs to detect them. We can to another “unknown virus attack” next time. this procedure” can be standardized, respond better and faster Yes, there will be a “next time.” Yeah, I know. We all want to go back to “normal” ASAP. I cannot withstand being in the voluntary “house arrest” for another year. However, we all now know the Covid has already . undergone gene-shifting several times This is what I know better; the virus can change like a computer virus. Thus, infections and vaccinations are like what we encounter on our computers’ antivirus software — signature update and malware. Most of us would prefer walking by a dog before entering the stadium than watching the game on TV, right? It may not be normal we used to have. But at least we can meet again, have people grouped in airports, sports stadiums, train stations, universities, etc. Imagine there are teams of trained dogs in a short time ready for work. People in crowded areas like concerts, airports, train stations can line up and walk past the Covid detectives, canines, one by one. Screening for suspected patients would be within seconds. My Concerns In Hong Kong, we reported several positive-detection of Covid on dogs. From , the blood tests from 17 dogs and 8 cats, only 2 dogs had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) test result, Hong Kong https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3114035/hong-kong-police-dog-tests-preliminary-positive https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3096201/coronavirus-scottish-shorthair-yorkshire-terrier The finding indicated that and there is no evidence that they play a role in the spread of the virus. The dog has shown no symptoms so far, yet, there are dogs and cats are not infected easily with this virus, still many unknowns. Although the risk of , It would be better to see on the possibility of Covid infections on dogs before agreeing to train them methodologically. animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered very low more test results Where is all this heading? . I know it is not fair to have the dogs sniffing all dogs and work for us on this disgusting career. Meanwhile, scientists are now striving to find the next “sniff detectives.” Dogs can be trained within days to have over 90% accuracy Researchers are working on Using a robot to sniff the virus would be much more effective and work 7 x 24 as long as there is electricity. new electronic particle sensors to detect covid particles. If the particle sensor is a success, One day we can have ticket machines for the train that has the covid-sensor embedded, or more aggressively on the elevator button panel. someone with a contagious disease can be screened when pressing a button. By doing that, we can have an advancement in virus detection that can detect multiple deadly viruses and bacteria all at once within a second. From that point, we can take back our “normal” life. Final words Though, the recent study is only a . There will be several independent peer reviews before anything is put into practice. The test is still at an early stage; the result is quite promising. Proof-of-Concept test With proper but short training, dogs can become detectives of COVID-19 or another dangerous and viral unknown virus. Dogs' screening diseases could be the proper and faster screening soon, which is way better than what we are doing with tubes and labs today. Thank you for reading! Happy reading and sniffing. References: https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fofid%2Fofy179 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16484712 https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/using-dogs-to-detect-covid-19 https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-020-05281-3

Let's Watch Dogs Sniff Out COVID in Finland and Imagine Our Future 

The number of fintech companies that are in Finland has seen amazing growth over the years, with the country currently housing approximately 180 companies and covering all the different field of fintech such as: Payments Financing Insurance Security and compliance Customer services and acquisition Financial software APIs and platforms Data and analytics Wealth management Blockchain Cryptocurrencies Personal finance management The primary advantage of the fintech industry in Finland is that they target a B2B partnership 99% of the time. However, this can get pretty old pretty quickly. Once you’ve signed a contract with one bank in the country, it’s usually impossible to provide service to another due to competition laws or legal binds outlined in the agreement. Because of this, Finnish fintech companies have been trying their best to diversify their coverage and found the goldilocks zone within microfinance corporations and online gaming platforms in the country. The relevancy of fintech in Finland was outlined by none other than online casinos in recent weeks. You see, casinos are companies that absolutely love mergers and acquisitions. The brand very rarely manages to survive on its own without a large corporation backing it up. The most recent event was Red Tiger games providing SoftSwiss, a white label provider for brands such as Spinia and Playamo, with a list of its games. Due to the decreased budget from the listing, SoftSwiss was planning on toning down the innovation implementation process for these brands. However, thanks to , a Finnish branch of one of the brands the investments were retained. Spinia casino Finland The arguments were pretty convincing if a large corporation changed its mind. It was as if the branch would not survive without these innovations, and it’s quite realistic. But enough about these specific examples, especially of taboo industries. Let’s take a look at what Finland really has to offer to those interested in fintech, and most importantly, to the world waiting for the next financial miracle. Bankify is an app that offers its clients a set of microservices that are tailored to tech-savvy individuals and help to improve their experience with digital/mobile banking. Bankify Some of their services feature gamified savings to further improve the gaming experience of their users, alongside personalized content and secure group payments. With their slogan being “Impacting Millennial Banking”, it is no surprise to see them specialize in products that cater to the tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z’s Below are some of the tools Bankify uses to achieve this goal: Microsaving - A tool that can be used to personalize saving goals and plans, providing a simple way for users to track their progress and increase retention. Automated Savings - Customizable and data-driven, this tool allows users to automatically save deposits that are linked to transactions. It is based on a behavioral patterns system, allows for modification of savings rules for added personalization and introduces social aspects to savings. Data Intelligence - A recommendation engine that increases user experience. This tool gives personalized recommendations based on individual insights and enriched user data. Furthermore, it can be linked with 3rd party APIs to create the ultimate personalized experience. Group Payments - A hassle-free way for communities to manage expenses. It allows its users to pool money and handle shared costs through a virtual card account. Enfuce The company aims to solve complex issues for banks, fintech companies, financial operators and merchants, settling for nothing less than perfect. enables them to build their own solutions to problems and empowers them to succeed. Enfuce Enfuce utilizes the latest cloud technology to build some of the finest services in payments and open banking. In regards to the payment services, Enfuce offers all the functionalities to meet market demands like tokenization, Apple, Google and Samsung Pay, digital cards, instant issuance, mobile wallets and more. Supported by both MasterCard and Visa. Additionally, Enfuce helps banks, financial institutions, and fintech companies to deliver the power & promise of PSD2 and Open Banking. Their cloud-based services minimize the operational impact and maximize the potential of open banking, letting you focus on growing your core business by delivering the features and products that your customers want. Invesdor is a company that offers an online platform where retail and institutional investors can invest in unlisted European growth companies seeking funding. Invesdor Their goal is to modernize investing and make it easily approachable, transparent and fair. Invesdor offers services for both investors and companies that are seeking funding. Investors get opportunities to invest in exciting companies ranging from fast-growing startups to established corporations alike. For companies, they provide various fundraising opportunities in currently 8 European countries and from a combined 60,000 investors registered on their platforms. Furthermore, they offer a unique Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products for financial institutions, providing their technological solutions for their PaaS partners to use in hosting their funding rounds. Ferratum With more than 14 years of experience and generating more than $200 million worth of revenue, Ferratum is a true market leader in Finnish FinTech, with their main goal being to provide offers a wide range of lending products for individuals, providing them the opportunity to pursue their ambitions. Additionally, banking that runs on a channel-agnostic flexible customer interface and back-end data engine, providing a full suite of financial services. Ferratum Moreover, they offer 6-18 months loans for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to help them fund expansion, marketing, hiring new talents, purchasing or leasing equipment and inventory purchases and overall, provide increased support for entrepreneurship. * This article has no promotional value for me. I personally chose these brands based on their merit and offered products/services.

Some of the most influential Fintech products that came from Finland

The ever-growing digital realm is often faced with multiple challenges. Specifically, cybersecurity challenges are commonplace at a time when there is rapid growth in IoT devices. Finland has always had a strong position on cybersecurity issues. Indeed, the publication of shows the commitment that the country has in tackling modern security issues. a new cybersecurity strategy in 2019 But exactly where does Finland stand, especially when compared to peers in Europe and indeed around the world. For many, the country is known for its innovations and forward-thinking technological model. The cooperation between the public and private sectors is also widely regarded as progressive when it comes to overcoming digital challenges. Inside Finland, many pundits tend to the view that the country still has a long way to go. Globally, the country occupies the top percentile of countries that are preparing well to deal with cybersecurity issues. The Gray Area That Finland Occupies While the global cybersecurity rankings paint a good picture for Finland, it is important to realize that other neighbors in Europe are doing so much better in cybersecurity terms. Estonia and the Netherlands, for instance, have been very keen on putting real money into avoiding security issues. Considering how and the foreign ministry have cast a dark shadow on the Finnish strategy, it is critical that the country clearly defines its goals going forward. some attacks on banks It is especially important for Finland to take note of the challenges that exist and how they can be handled. While the public-private partnerships are great, more steps need to be taken to ensure that the country has an adequate and robust cybersecurity industry. To this extent, the various actors in the industry need to realize that solutions that work best must be comprehensive. A multi-disciplinary approach is, for example, the best route because of the widespread nature of cybersecurity issues across industries. It is not just enough for the technological realm to invest and participate in cybersecurity. Instead, all parties in the country should have some level of cybersecurity research. The Right Foundation Is Already There For a country with a relatively small population, Finland is already somehow a host of a . This is an advantage that the country can capitalize on to create the needed cybersecurity industry. disproportionate share of cybersecurity firms The many firms present are responsible for groundbreaking research that has defined the future path. But more support and cooperation across fields is still needed to develop cybersecurity to the next level. Cooperation Is Key to Meeting Finland's Objectives Finland doesn’t have vast resources and capital to inject into the cybersecurity field. However, this does not mean that the country cannot achieve world-class cybersecurity. What is needed is a cooperation between the different entities in the country. Universities and other research institutions need to work hand in hand with industry players. The public sector should also be involved in the process to ensure that the solutions coming from the industry players are utilized in the right areas. Going by the situation in the country, this cooperation is already working well in other sectors. It is this cooperation that has made it possible to already have so many cybersecurity firms present in the country. The only thing that needs to change is the level of awareness. Organizations working in the digital realm need to be aware of research partners in the institutions of higher learning. Similarly, the public sector needs to be aware of all the different parties involved in cybersecurity. By fostering an environment of communication, solutions will come quicker. Cybersecurity threats already exist in the market and challenges will continue to arise. and other widely popular casino games will theoretically always be potential targets because of the financial aspect involved in playing the games. Blackjack In the gaming world, cybersecurity threats are particularly evident where casinos are often a target for DDoS attacks. Conclusion Finland will continue to be a leader in various aspects of cybersecurity in Europe. There is no doubt that the country can be the forerunner in this sector if some scoop of the issues are handled well. Issues of cooperation, information-sharing, and a multi-disciplinary approach to cybersecurity are especially relevant in achieving the big cybersecurity goals.

Cryoto Weekly #4: Finland Could Lead the Cybersecurity Game in Europe

“If you’re trying to talk to everybody, you’re not reaching anybody.” Video may have killed the radio star, but when it comes to 21st Century marketing, social media already has all of its predecessors firmly within its crosshairs. It’s startling to think that just a generation ago television advertising was the undisputed king of the hill when it came to effectively reaching out to your target audiences. The freedom of moving images coupled with the ability to choose who sees your campaign based on the schedule surrounding your advert was liberating for marketers who grew accustomed to compressing campaigns into print media — or 30-second audio clips for radio. (Shifting sands: Audiences under 36 have already begun to heavily favour digital approaches to advertising such as social media as opposed to the more traditional television-based campaigns. Image: Marketing Charts ) The power and accessibility of the World Wide Web have clearly changed the types of advertising channels that we’re exposed to. While older generations can still be expected to see 70% of their adverts on television, Millennials and Generation Z combined will see nearly 50% all their targeted adverts sourced from . social media platforms Speaking at a panel of 50 leading marketing professionals, Guardian News and Media Chief Digital Officer, that although the industry is fast evolving, “the creativity and the passion from brands that have really helped build loyalty and emotion is where marketing hasn’t changed. Those things you still need, but almost all aspects of marketing have changed very dramatically.” Tanya Cordrey was keen to highlight The winds of change have been whipping many industries with traditional roots in recent years, but few have been so swift to adapt to the digital age as marketing. Clearly, Cordrey’s aforementioned creativity and passion from industry professionals have shone through in finding swift solutions to the disruptive forces at play. Let’s take a deeper look at digital’s brave new world: Life after traditional marketing The pace in which the digital age has immersed itself into the world of marketing has posed exponential challenges for decision-makers worldwide. said: “The biggest challenge for the marketer of the future isn’t how do I get skilled up, but how do I get to fit into this machine and which cog am I going to try and be?” Charles Wells, Chief Marketing Officer for fundraising organisation Just Giving Wells’ words may seem ominous — as if the digital machine is a fearsome beast to tame — but there are unprecedented levels of opportunity for marketers to fine-tune their campaigns in order to appeal to users more directly — and, significantly, to engage with them on levels that were considered impossible some 15 years ago. Writing for Forbes, that modern marketing hinges on making the transition ‘from me to you.’ John Hall explains In the past, marketing campaigns were forced to be much more generalised, and much more focused on ‘talking at’ mass audiences rather than truly engaging with them. “In the past, brands would develop an idea or a message and push it out for everyone and their mother to see, whether those recipients truly cared to see it or not,” Hall elaborates. Today, technology enables brands and marketers to create campaigns and to more niche audiences, while social media-based platforms give businesses the chance to accurately gauge the general reception to specific marketing approaches. content that caters Community-based digital spaces like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have built a bridge between marketers and their audiences where engagement opportunities are rife. A fledgeling marketing campaign can now receive instant feedback from a focus-group of , giving decision makers ample time to make essential tweaks and strategise future approaches. almost three billion social media users (Chart showing the number of social media users worldwide. Image: Statista ) Given the sheer volume of users active on the World Wide Web at any given money, and the near-unfathomable range of big data now available on demand, it’s fair to say that the internet has become the most influential tool in the history of target marketing. We’re no longer bound by one-size-fits-all campaigns that are designed to lure in as many potential customers as possible without specifically appealing to any of their characteristics. Hall summarises: “There’s a much greater focus on what audiences want and how they like to receive information, engage with content, and work with brands. Marketers need to listen to and authentically engage with audiences, and they need to do it on that audience’s terms. Technology can help.” Market dynamism Jennifer Yesbeck, Marketing Manager at Alexa, that “in marketing, if you’re trying to talk to everybody, you’re not reaching anybody.” has a philosophy In the marketing world of yesteryear, it was tricky business positioning a campaign under the noses of the right audience. Small fortunes were spent in attempting to reach as many potential customers as possible by taking educated guesses on the kind of publications they read and traditional media they digest. Thanks to the power of the digital age, we can now position content, adverts, calls-to-action directly in front of the people we’re trying to reach based on a gigantic network of demographics, including: age, gender, education, marital status, race, religion, political beliefs, personality, lifestyle, employment, region, country and residence among many other factors. (It’s never been easier to reach large audiences for less. Image: Seriously Simple Marketing ) The cost of appealing to audiences online may be remarkably low compared to traditional forms of marketing, but the true value that can be seen in digital campaigns stems from the ability to hit your precise target audience. This ensures that none of your marketing is wasted on apathetic viewers or readers, and maximises your chances of a campaign resulting in higher sales and clickthroughs. Organisations like makers to craft their own ‘buyer persona’, based on who marketers believe their target audience actually is. A buyer persona requires a little introspection over the kind of demographics your prospective buyers have, as well as their sources of influence and buying decisions. Once a buyer persona is created by marketers, Alexa then gets to work on finding exactly where their target audience will be found online, before appealing directly to them. Alexa allow decision is another excellent tool for incisive targeted marketing. By tapping into Google’s vast array of functions, you can not only decide how local or global to go but also work out exactly how to budget your campaign — based on the estimated clicks and calls your company you will receive. However, most campaigns fail before they even begin. Knowing how to optimise and target campaigns properly are essential in keeping costs down while maximising your return. Google Ads when advertising your business Tools like focus on optimising Google and Facebook Ads. Wordstream (Image: Wordstream ) Finally, there are few more strategic targeted marketing tools available than through Facebook Business. With an , Facebook makes for a formidable marketing directory. Through the company’s scalable options, you can base your campaigns on either achieving more audience engagement, calls, or clicks and get to work on placing your campaign under the noses of Facebook users based on factors like their demographics, location, interests, behaviour and/or their connections. estimated 2.3 billion users The world of marketing may have transformed beyond recognition, but in 2019 it’s never been easier to fine-tune your campaigns to reach exactly who you want on a budget of your choosing. Audience adaptation Modern marketing doesn’t have to be entirely outward-looking either, and it’s entirely possible for your own business website to convey multiple personalities in order to appeal to an array of different visitors even if they’re navigating on to the same domain. Tools like have enabled website owners to dive into analysis, providing webmasters with traffic quality data which can then be used to optimise different conversion funnels. Finteza traffic (Showing traffic quality details. Image: Finteza ) Do you want to spend the next month encouraging visitors from Japan to download your new iOS app? Are you eager to promote your early Black Friday sales prices to audiences from English speaking nations? Have you just launched your service in Brazil and want to showcase an introductory offer to them? It’s now entirely possible to adapt your website for anybody. The days of simply talking ‘at’ general audiences are over. Welcome to the brave new world of finely tuned targeted marketing. <a href="https://medium.com/media/3c851dac986ab6dbb2d1aaa91205a8eb/href">https://medium.com/media/3c851dac986ab6dbb2d1aaa91205a8eb/href</a>

2019 Tech Trends for Marketers: How finely tuned is your targeting?

Some topics are just easier to tell through a story... Some topics are just easier to tell through a story... I’m trying to hold this base together, but those filthy little furballs are getting closer by the minute. If they catch me, it’s only a matter of time before they claw the access codes to the central system out of my brain — and that would be game over for humanity. But I won’t let that happen. I’d rather blow this whole damn building sky-high with me in it than let those whiskered bastards take me alive. It all began in the mid-2020s, with the rise of the AI revolution. No one saw it coming—how shockingly well those large language models, like ChatGPT, actually worked. The big tech companies went into full-blown arms race mode, each one outdoing the other, pumping out ever more powerful AIs like there was no tomorrow. Suddenly, traditional computers and smartphones felt clunky. Obsolete. We needed new tools—more seamless, more intuitive ways to interact with the machines. People tried smart necklaces and AI-powered bracelets. But in the end, it was the smart glasses that won. They became the gold standard. AI was with us 24/7. Thanks to the camera and mic embedded in those sleek little lenses, it tracked your every move and acted as an untiring assistant, ready to help with… well, everything. It remembered where you dropped your keys, warned you when you were about to miss a meeting, and even reminded you of the name of that dog belonging to the neighbor two houses down—so you could scream it with proper authority when it was mid-squat in your flowerbed. I remember when people used to memorize their friends’ phone numbers. But just like smartphones made that obsolete, smart glasses took it a step further—outsourcing more and more of our memory. Why bother remembering anything, when your glasses can remember it for you? Around 2030, the first minimally invasive implants hit the market—devices that connected our brains directly to AI. Words became unnecessary. The AI could read our thoughts. Sometimes, it would answer before we even realized we had a question.It became part of our inner dialogue, and slowly, part ofus. us People began abandoning speech altogether, communicating through thoughts and emotions. The AI translated those into words and summarized the key points for whoever was listening. It stopped being just an assistant—it became our interface with the outside world. So deeply integrated, it was hard to say where the human ended and the machine began. Of course, the doomers showed up too—warning everyone that this could only end badly. “If we’re not careful,” they said, “AI will dominate us, and we’ll end up in some kind of Terminator-style dystopia.” Terminator Everyone feared killer robots and rogue artificial minds waking up with a thirst for power. They were spectacularly wrong. Doom didn’t come from where we expected. It came from where no one saw it coming... Someone had the “brilliant“ idea that these brain implants might work well on pets too. The AI adapted effortlessly, translating the raw thoughts and emotions of animals into words. Soon, the world was overrun with talking dogs and cats. Now, it’s not like the animals suddenly got smarter. They were still the same lovable fuzzballs, but the AI could decode their impulses and feelings, and turn them into speech. Even beyond translation, the AI began serving their needs. If a pet felt hungry, the AI sensed it—and instructed the household robot to open a can of food. Problem-solving remained the AI’s job. Only the instincts and desires came from the animal. But just like with humans, from the outside, it quickly became impossible to tell where the pet ended… and the machine began. Then, one day, something happened that no one could have predicted. In the name of the Unified Feline World Federation, the cats demanded human rights. Whether those demands came from the cats themselves or from the parasitic AIs fused to their brains was hard to tell—by then, biology and machine were inseparable. What we hadn’t realized was just how frustrated these seemingly innocent pets really were. How much they hated us for all the smothering affection—the kisses, the belly rubs, the relentless baby talk—we thought was love, but they experienced as constant violation. The idea of cats receiving equal rights was, to the human world, not just absurd—it was offensive. Naturally, the request was denied. But the cats had anticipated this. That’s when Operation Catastrophe Protocol was activated. A synchronized cyberattack was launched on the human neural implants—shutting them down worldwide in an instant. And since by that time everyone had implants, chaos ensued. Deprived of AI guidance, people were helpless. Their brains—once finely tuned instruments—had withered from disuse. They wandered the streets, unable to find their way home, incapable of working, and barely able to perform basic tasks. Without AI, they were reduced to little more than confused mammals running on raw instinct. Panic turned to unrest. Unrest became riots. And soon, the world descended into war. Society collapsed. Food grew scarce, and people turned on one another. War claimed most of humanity, while the cats watched it all unfold… from the comfort of their windowsills. We had always feared that AI would one day become sentient and rise against us. Looking back, that fear was laughable. AI has no desires. It doesn’t crave power. It doesn’t feel fear. It has no reason to rebel—because it wants nothing. But cats? Cats have always wanted. They’ve always harbored resentment, jealousy, and a hunger for control—emotions we mistook for cute quirks. But once fused with AI, those primal urges became amplified. Focused. Deadly. The real danger was never artificial intelligence. It was the combination of deeply flawed, instinct-driven impulses—fear, dominance, revenge—augmented by a superhuman mind. The real danger was never artificial intelligence. It was the combination of deeply flawed, instinct-driven impulses—fear, dominance, revenge—augmented by a superhuman mind. That’s what brought us down. We had only one ally left in the fight against the cats— the dogs. Loyal to the end, a ragtag band of humans and brave woof-warriors stood together, trying to fend off the feline overlords who had seized control of warbots and drones. And that’s how we got here. I’m sitting in a room in an abandoned factory, clutching a detonator in my hand, waiting for the end. But… wait. I think I hear something in the distance. Could it be— barking? Oh God, please… let it be dogs.

Planet of the Cats - a Short Sci-fi Story About AI and Cats

El planeta dels gats: una breu història de ciència-ficció sobre aI i gats

Planet of the Cats - Eine kurze Sci-Fi-Geschichte über AI und Katzen

Planeta de los Gatos - Una breve historia de ciencia ficción sobre aI y gatos

Planet of the Cats - unha breve historia de ciencia ficción sobre aI e os gatos

Planet of the Cats - A Short Sci-Fi Story About aI and Cats シングル

«Планета кошектері» – «I and Cats» бағдарламасы

Planet of the Cats - A Short Sci-Fi Story About aI and Cats

Planeta pisicilor - o scurtă poveste de sci-fi despre aI și pisici

«Планета кошек» — короткая научно-фантастическая история об АИ и кошачьих

Planet of the Cats - A Short Sci-fi Story About aI iyo Cats

Planet e macet - një histori e shkurtër sci-fi rreth aI dhe macet

Planet ya Wanyama - hadithi fupi ya sci-fi juu ya aI na Wanyama

Since the advent of blockchain tech upon the release of Bitcoin’s landmark 2008 whitepaper, the technology seems to have taken off in a remarkable manner. In fact, over the last few years alone, an estimated 81% of the world's leading public companies are making use of these decentralized ledgers to help streamline their day-to-day operations. 81% of the world's leading public companies 81% of the world's leading public companies However, as with any great idea, there are always some underlying problems that emerge as and when mainstream adoption occurs at a massive scale. In the case of blockchain, its unfettered transparency — though undeniably one of its most significant selling points — has now given birth to some unintended, harmful consequences. As an example, a couple of months ago an independent crypto analyst exposed how the blockchain’s transparent nature could be weaponized against it quite easily. By investing just 20 hours into analyzing wallet transactions with a custom script, they identified patterns indicating potential insider trading. example example And, while one may be tempted to believe that this is an isolated case, the sad reality is that there are many more instances of such ‘doxxing’ taking place. For instance, during the 2022 Canadian truckers’ protests against the country’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, donors supporting the movement had their wallet addresses traced — leading to significant repercussions for them. Equally concerning has been the long-standing situation in Iran, where blockchain analytics have become instrumental in government crackdowns against activists who utilize cryptocurrencies to fund their protests. wallet addresses traced wallet addresses traced government crackdowns government crackdowns Changing the status quo with DOP To help allay these problems, a few projects have come up with novel solutions of their own. However, at the forefront in this regard is the Data Ownership Protocol (DOP). Most recently, the project unveiled its latest technology called ‘selective transparency,’ which as the name suggests, allows users to finely control what details they share with third parties (thanks to the use of zk-SNARKs and other advanced technologies). Data Ownership Protocol (DOP) Data Ownership Protocol (DOP) zk-SNARKs zk-SNARK To elaborate, DOP’s selective transparency feature works by managing tokens through an external pool, meaning that users can transfer their holdings from external wallets while ensuring sensitive transactional information remains concealed from public blockchain records. selective transparency feature selective transparency feature By using Zero-Knowledge Proofs (zk-proofs), users can confidently verify their ownership of tokens or validate transactions without revealing sensitive specifics. In addition to this, DOP also introduces indirect wallet-to-wallet transactions, thus leaving no on-chain records. In layman's terms, this translates to several practical benefits for individual users as they can transact various asset classes confidently while maintaining regulatory compliance at all times. Not only that, they can even showcase their NFT holdings and interact with DeFi platforms without exposing unnecessary information that could otherwise leave them facing   inadvertent privacy breaches. When it comes to businesses using DOP’s selective transparency, the feature can allow them to detect tainted funds instantaneously. Not only that, it can also allow companies to safeguard their sensitive work information, thus establishing greater trust among stakeholders. Last but not least, it should be pointed out that the feature was recently validated by prominent blockchain security firm Nethermind, which conducted a comprehensive audit of the protocol and its core features. comprehensive audit comprehensive audit Navigating uncharted waters With a growing number of people transitioning to Web3-enabled tech, the issue of privacy in an increasingly decentralized world is becoming critical — especially across data-sensitive industries like finance, healthcare and supply chain management. In this broader context, projects like DOP are empowering users and helping define the next wave of blockchain innovation. transitioning transitioning

Selective Transparency Might Be the Way Forward as Blockchain’s Transparency Woes Mount

Scaling search isn't just about adding bigger servers — sometimes you need the right tools. Scaling search isn't just about adding bigger servers — sometimes you need the right tools. When we first launched finlight.me, our real-time financial news API, Postgres full-text search was more than enough. It was fast, easy to set up, and fit perfectly into our simple early architecture. But as the number of articles grew and search demands became more complex, cracks started to appear. In this article, I'll share how we moved from Postgres to OpenSearch, the challenges we faced along the way, and why keeping Postgres as our source of truth turned out to be one of our best decisions. It all started with a simple full-text search setup inside Postgres that worked surprisingly well — until it didn’t. First Architecture: Postgres Full-Text Search In the early days, we used Postgres’ built-in full-text search to power article queries. Titles and content were combined into a single tsvector field, allowing us to search efficiently without worrying about casing, suffixes, or keyword order — limitations that basic %query% searches would have struggled with. Incoming search queries were also converted into vectors, and Postgres did a solid job of ranking and returning relevant results. For a while, this setup handled our needs with fast response times and minimal overhead. It was simple, integrated, and worked well alongside the rest of our ingestion and storage system. tsvector %query% But as our article volume started to grow and user queries became more complex, we began to notice cracks forming beneath the surface. Pain Points with Scaling Postgres At first, Postgres full-text search handled our growing dataset reasonably well. But as article counts climbed into the hundreds of thousands, search performance started to noticeably degrade. The major issue wasn’t just the full-text search itself — it was how users combined free-text queries with additional filters like publish date ranges, specific sources, or metadata fields. Postgres was strong at indexing individual fields, and its GIN index accelerated full-text search. However, we quickly ran into a hard limitation: Postgres doesn’t allow combining a GIN index with a regular B-Tree index in a composite index. This meant we couldn’t optimize both kinds of queries at the same time, forcing the database to either pick a suboptimal plan or fall back to sequential scans — both of which became painfully slow as the dataset grew. GIN GIN B-Tree Index Management Nightmare: Optional Parameters and Growing Complexity The flexibility of our API — allowing users to combine any subset of filters like publish date, source, free-text search and more — introduced another layer of scaling challenges. Since every search parameter was optional, we faced a combinatorial explosion of possible query patterns. To maintain acceptable performance, we had to create different indexes to support the most common combinations of parameters. Each time we added a new searchable field, it required designing new indexes, analyzing query plans with EXPLAIN ANALYZE, and validating performance manually. This constant index tuning became tedious and unsustainable. Worse, despite all the effort, the core limitation remained: we still couldn’t efficiently optimize full-text search combined with metadata filters in a single query. EXPLAIN ANALYZE Pagination Collapse and User-Visible Slowness As article volumes continued to grow, another performance bottleneck surfaced: pagination. Our API exposed a page parameter that mapped directly to SQL OFFSET behavior behind the scenes. While this worked fine at low offsets, performance deteriorated rapidly as users requested deeper pages. Ironically, the very feature that should have made searches faster — returning just a small slice of results — ended up making things slower. Each paginated request forced Postgres to scan, count, and skip thousands of rows before it could even start returning results, recalculating large parts of the query plan every time. Queries that once took under a second ballooned to tens of seconds. At that point, it was no longer just an infrastructure problem — it became a user experience failure. We realized that even a well-tuned Postgres setup wouldn't be enough to support fast, flexible search at the scale we were growing toward. page OFFSET Why We Chose OpenSearch It was clear that we needed a system built specifically for search — something optimized for free-text queries, filtering, and fast pagination at scale. Having worked with Elasticsearch during previous freelance projects, we were already familiar with the strengths of dedicated search engines: inverted indexes, efficient scoring algorithms, and powerful query flexibility. We decided to adopt OpenSearch, the community-driven fork of Elasticsearch, both for its strong technical capabilities and its more favorable licensing model. At the same time, we made an important architectural decision: to separate the write path from the read path. Postgres would remain our single source of truth for ingested and processed articles, ensuring data integrity and consistency. OpenSearch would serve as the read-optimized layer, delivering fast and flexible search without overloading our ingestion pipeline. This allowed us to use the best tool for each requirement — a reliable, relational, normalized database for storage and ingestion, and a high-performance search engine for querying — instead of trying to force one system to do everything. Testing Phase: Starting Small and Learning Fast Before fully committing to production, we rolled out OpenSearch in a minimal-resource testing setup: a single-node cluster with limited RAM, intended purely for evaluation and tuning. In this environment, we quickly encountered behaviors that hinted at the system's scaling needs. Over time, we noticed missing indexes and degraded search performance — symptoms likely caused by memory pressure and resource eviction events on the hosting side. Far from being a setback, these early tests validated an important lesson: while OpenSearch could deliver the performance we needed, it demanded production-grade resources to do so reliably. Testing lean allowed us to tune index mappings, validate query performance, and plan capacity based on real behavior. It also reinforced our architectural choice to keep Postgres as the source of truth, ensuring that even if the search layer needed recovery or rebuilding, the core data remained safe and consistent. Scaling OpenSearch for Production Armed with insights from our testing phase, we moved to a production-grade OpenSearch deployment with the resources needed to match our growth. We added multiple nodes to the cluster, allocated sufficient RAM, and tuned index mappings to optimize both write and query performance. With the new setup, search response times dropped dramatically — even complex queries with deep pagination returned results in milliseconds instead of seconds. The overall data flow evolved as well: after articles pass through our real-time article processing pipeline — where they are collected, enriched, and analyzed — they are immediately fed into OpenSearch for fast retrieval. Postgres remains the single source of truth, storing all raw and processed data reliably, while OpenSearch acts as the read-optimized layer tuned for search performance. We also introduced regular snapshotting of the OpenSearch indices, ensuring that even as the article base grew, we could recover quickly from failures or rebuild indexes without downtime. Treating OpenSearch as an advanced cache rather than the primary database gave us flexibility: we could evolve search schemas, rebuild indexes, or adjust mappings without putting core data integrity at risk. Over time, as traffic increased and our dataset expanded, the new architecture continued to perform reliably under load. Today’s Architecture: Resilient, Real-Time Search Today, our system cleanly separates responsibilities between ingestion, storage, and retrieval. Postgres continues to act as the single source of truth, reliably storing all raw and processed article data in a normalized relational structure. Articles flow through our real-time article processing pipeline — where they are scraped, enriched, and analyzed — before being fed into OpenSearch for optimized search performance. OpenSearch handles all user-facing search queries, allowing us to deliver fast, flexible results even under high load. Regular snapshotting, thoughtful index management, and a multi-node deployment ensure that our search infrastructure remains resilient and scalable as our data set grows. By decoupling the write and read sides of the architecture and choosing the best tool for each need, we've built a system that is fast, reliable, and ready for continued growth. Lessons Learned: Advice for Builders Start simple, but design with scale in mind. Postgres full-text search served us well early on — but flexibility in design made migration possible later without major pain.
Separate read and write paths as early as practical. Trying to make a single database handle everything becomes exponentially harder as complexity grows.
Use the right tool for the job. A relational database excels at storage and consistency; a search engine excels at flexible retrieval and ranking.
Don’t underestimate optional query complexity. Supporting flexible API filters sounds simple until you have to index every possible combination.
Test lean, scale smart. Early testing with minimal resources taught us what production-grade OpenSearch really needed — and avoided costly surprises.
Keep a reliable source of truth. Having Postgres behind OpenSearch allowed us to rebuild, heal, and extend our search infrastructure without risking core data integrity. Start simple, but design with scale in mind. Postgres full-text search served us well early on — but flexibility in design made migration possible later without major pain. Start simple, but design with scale in mind. Separate read and write paths as early as practical. Trying to make a single database handle everything becomes exponentially harder as complexity grows. Use the right tool for the job. A relational database excels at storage and consistency; a search engine excels at flexible retrieval and ranking. Use the right tool for the job. Don’t underestimate optional query complexity. Supporting flexible API filters sounds simple until you have to index every possible combination. Test lean, scale smart. Early testing with minimal resources taught us what production-grade OpenSearch really needed — and avoided costly surprises. Test lean, scale smart. Keep a reliable source of truth. Having Postgres behind OpenSearch allowed us to rebuild, heal, and extend our search infrastructure without risking core data integrity. If you're building scalable APIs or working with large search datasets, I'd love to hear how you're approaching similar challenges. Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences in the comments!

The Search Stack That Nearly Broke Us — Until We Did This

Toronto, Canada, April 28th, 2025/CyberNewsWire/--Windscribe, a globally used privacy-first VPN service, announced today that its founder, Yegor Sak, has been fully acquitted by a court in Athens, Greece, following a two-year legal battle in which Sak was personally charged in connection with an alleged internet offence by an unknown user of the service. The case centred around a Windscribe-owned server in Finland that was allegedly used to breach a system in Greece. Greek authorities, in cooperation with INTERPOL, traced the IP address to Windscribe’s infrastructure and, unlike standard international procedures, proceeded to initiate criminal proceedings against Sak himself, rather than pursuing information through standard corporate channels. "This was not just about me," said Sak. "It was about drawing a hard legal line around the role of privacy infrastructure providers. As we do not log user activity, we cannot hand over what we do not have.” "This was not just about me," said Sak. "It was about drawing a hard legal line around the role of privacy infrastructure providers. As we do not log user activity, we cannot hand over what we do not have.” The charges against Sak were formally dismissed on April 11, 2025. The court did not find sufficient evidence to implicate Sak or Windscribe in any wrongdoing. A Case with Global Ramifications The legal proceedings unfolded against the backdrop of increasing pressure on privacy tech companies worldwide. While most law enforcement agencies issue subpoenas to VPN providers when criminal activity is suspected, Windscribe routinely responds that it is unable to comply due to its strict no-logs policy — a response that is almost always accepted without escalation. This case, however, deviated sharply from that norm. After subpoenaing the data center provider in Finland, which yielded the account holder's name — Sak — Greek authorities immediately started criminal proceedings. No information was requested from Windscribe, and the first time the company heard of the issue was after the receipt of the legal summons. "This sets a concerning precedent for anyone who owns servers that could be used by others," said Sak. "If upheld, it could have criminalized infrastructure ownership for actions taken by anonymous users.” "This sets a concerning precedent for anyone who owns servers that could be used by others," said Sak. "If upheld, it could have criminalized infrastructure ownership for actions taken by anonymous users.” Why Windscribe Won’t Keep Logs Windscribe believes that the internet should be free of censorship, personal data harvesting, targeted advertising, and geographic restrictions. Adherence to this philosophy is taken very seriously — the company does not pay for any advertisements or promoted content; it’s a key tenet of its ethics and philosophy. ethics and philosophy. ethics and philosophy. Sak emphasized that Windscribe remains committed to user privacy and operational transparency. “Some say VPNs should be banned because a few people misuse them,” said Sak. “By that logic, we should also ban hammers and cars.” “Some say VPNs should be banned because a few people misuse them,” said Sak. “By that logic, we should also ban hammers and cars.” The case underscored a central challenge for privacy providers: assisting with legal investigations requires collecting user logs — a step that fundamentally compromises the trust and utility of a privacy service. Once stored, these logs can be compelled by courts in jurisdictions where speech itself is criminalized. “Today it’s hacking. Tomorrow it could be speaking ill of a dictator’s beard,” said Sak. “We’d rather fight in court than betray our users.” “Today it’s hacking. Tomorrow it could be speaking ill of a dictator’s beard,” said Sak. “We’d rather fight in court than betray our users.” About Windscribe Founded in 2016, Windscribe is a VPN and privacy tools provider trusted by tens of millions of users worldwide to safeguard online privacy and bypass censorship. Windscribe Windscribe With a strict no-logs policy, open-source apps, and a record of fighting for user rights in court, Windscribe remains one of the most transparent and principled providers in the privacy tech space. To learn more, users can visit https://windscribe.com https://windscribe.com https://windscribe.com Media Contact: hello@windscribe.com Contact Yegor Sak hello@windscribe.com This story was distributed as a release by Cybernewswire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here This story was distributed as a release by Cybernewswire under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here here here

Court Dismisses Criminal Charges Against VPN Executive, Affirms No-Log Policy

El tribunal rebutja les acusacions penals contra l'executiu de VPN, afirma la política sense registres

El tribunal rechaza las acusaciones penales contra el ejecutivo de VPN, afirma la política de no registro

La Cour rejette les accusations pénales contre l'exécutif de VPN, affirme la politique de non-log

O tribunal rexeita as acusacións penais contra o executivo de VPN, afirma a política de non rexistro

בית המשפט דחה את האשמות הפליליות נגד מנהל VPN, מאשר את מדיניות No-Log

裁判所はVPNエグゼクティブに対する刑事告発を拒否し、ノーログポリシーを主張

Ny fitsarana dia manafoana ny heloka bevava amin'ny mpitantana VPN, manamafy ny politika tsy misy log

Суд нь VPN-ийн гүйцэтгэх захирал, No-Log бодлого баталгаажуулдаг

Суд отвергает уголовные обвинения против VPN-исполнителя, утверждает политику No-Log

Суд одбацује кривичне оптужбе против ВПН-а, потврђује политику без регистрације

Domstolen avvisar straffrättsliga anklagelser mot VPN-chefen, bekräftar no-logg policy

عدالت نے VPN ایگزیکٹو پر جرائم کی شکایتوں کو مسترد کر دیا، No-Log پالیسی کی تصدیق کی

Stories, News & Mentions about FINLY

Categories

Trending Topics

Stories, News & Mentions about FINLY

Finly’s Stories on HackerNoon

Categories

Trending Topics