New Owners Emerge: Jolla Transfers Ownership to a Consortium of Founders and Executives, Acquired Assets from Russian Shareholders

Jolla, the Finnish company that was founded by former Nokia MeeGo operating system team in 2012, has undergone several transformations to sustain its business. Initially, Jolla attempted to develop the Sailfish OS for smartphones, but it did not find success. Subsequently, it shifted its focus to AppSupport, a container system that enables Android apps to run on Linux. Additionally, Jolla entered into partnerships with car manufacturers to further its survival in the market, albeit on a smaller scale.

However, the structure of the company faced financial challenges during the period of 2017-2018. To overcome these problems, Jolla sought investments from certain Russian entities, including Rostelecom, a state-owned telecommunications company in Russia. Furthermore, the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in early 2022 caused difficulties for Jolla in conducting business with customers in other countries.

Recently, the original management and founders of Jolla, led by Antti Saarnio, the former chairman of the board of Jolla (2012-2018), announced that they have become the new owners of Jolla. The new ownership group established a new company called New Jolla to acquire the assets of the original Jolla. This was done as an alternative to repurchasing shares, due to legal reasons. The announcement stated that Jolla will continue to focus on the further development of Sailfish OS. Meanwhile, the software business for automotive purposes will be separated into a subsidiary company named Seararix.

It remains to be seen how successful these two new companies will be in the long term. Exciting times lie ahead for Jolla and its endeavors in the ever-evolving technology landscape.

TLDR: Jolla, the Finnish company known for its Sailfish OS, has gone through various changes in its pursuit of success. After experiencing financial difficulties and facing challenges in conducting business with international customers, the original management and founders have reclaimed ownership of Jolla. A new company called New Jolla has been established to acquire the assets of the original Jolla, while the software business for automotive purposes will be spun off into a subsidiary called Seararix. The future success of these new ventures remains to be seen.