Releases
Kempower releases book: “Impossible” tells the DC charging company’s story from startup growing pains to unicorn rocket growth
LAHTI – Kempower is releasing the story of its first six years as a book. ” Impossible – How Kempower Changed the Game in EV Charging” tells the company’s story from the growing pains of a startup to the rocket growth of a unicorn, openly and with the authentic voices of the people involved. The book covers the years 2018–2023 and is based on interviews conducted in 2023 with Kempower employees, board members, customers, and other stakeholders.
“In Kempower’s early years, a lot happened in a very short time. We felt that the story needed to be put into a book now, not in 10 years. We hope that our experiences will serve as an example for other growth companies and help our stakeholders understand the company’s roots and culture, and what happened behind the scenes during the most intense growth period. ‘Impossible’ is a bold story, too great a tale to be left hidden,” says Kempower CEO Tomi Ristimäki.
The book is written by entrepreneur and non-fiction author Terho Puustinen. The writing process took place in 2024.
“Lightning-fast growth is not always pretty to watch, but one year in those conditions can teach more than an entire career in a sleepy work environment. Kempower’s story shows that people can achieve miracles in a culture that favors courage and humility. I did my best to provide an unsweetened view of the pains and joys of a young public company’s leadership, technology, and ownership for anyone who is interested of those topics,” says Puustinen.
Terho Puustinen interviewed 28 people to gather background material for the book. Among the interviewees are Kempower board members and company owner representatives Antti Kemppi and Teresa Kemppi-Vasama, as well as the company’s first employee, current VP, Research & Innovations, Mikko Veikkolainen. In addition to Kempower employees and customers, background interviews were also conducted with other stakeholders, adding a unique flavor to the story, including one of the world’s most-followed EV YouTubers, Bjørn Nyland. Besides interviews, Kempower employees searched photos and other memories from their phones and archives for the book.
“The idea for the book came from the company’s owner representatives shortly after the First North listing. A big thank you to all the interviewees for their trust and courage to participate! Thanks also to Kempowerians for the photos and memories we were able to collect for the book. Building growth requires a lot of work and is sometimes even brutal, but at the same time educational, rewarding, and fun. I hope the book also gives other companies the courage to drive a growth company, aiming for international markets,” says Kempower VP, Communications Paula Savonen.
Written by Terho Puustinen and published by Kempower, “Impossible – How Kempower Changed the Game in EV Charging” is available in bookstores and audiobook platforms, as well as on Kempower’s website on 18 February 2025 in Finnish and in English.
Kempower, media:
Paula Savonen, VP, Communications, Kempower
Tel. +358 400 343 851
Author Terho Puustinen:
Terho Puustinen is an entrepreneur and non-fiction author who has written the business stories of several well-known family businesses and “Taivas+Helvetti,” one of Finland’s most famous and successful entrepreneurship books. Puustinen has previously worked as a journalist at Kauppalehti and Talouselämä and as editor-in-chief at Tekniikka&Talous.
About Kempower:
We design and manufacture reliable and user-friendly DC fast charging solutions for electric vehicles. Our vision is to create the world’s most desired charging solutions for everyone, everywhere. Our R&D and production are located in Finland and the USA, and most of the materials and components are sourced locally. We focus on all areas of electric mobility, from electric cars to trucks and buses, as well as machines and marine. Kempower’s modular and scalable charging system and world-class software are designed by electric vehicle drivers for electric vehicle drivers, enabling the best user experience for our customers worldwide. Kempower’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy. www.kempower.com