Explore and follow profiles from this article to get timely updates:
Canatu is entering a new phase of growth. After a decade leading the Finnish carbon nanotube company, CEO Juha Kokkonen stepped down today as the board appointed Dr. Maximilian Slawinski as his successor, effective immediately.
The leadership transition, disclosed as inside information, marks the end of a transformative chapter for the Nasdaq First North Helsinki-listed deep tech company. Kokkonen will remain as an advisor through the end of 2026 to support the handover.
“Leading Canatu has been a privilege,” Kokkonen said in the company release. “When I joined in 2016, the company was a promising technology. Today, I am proud of what Canatu's highly talented team has achieved—growing revenue by nearly 100x, increasing the company's valuation tenfold, and especially establishing a leadership position in CNT pellicle membranes in these ten years.”
Under Kokkonen, Canatu evolved from an early-stage university spin-off into a commercial supplier serving semiconductor, automotive, and medical diagnostics markets. Its CNT pellicle membranes are now used in the EUV lithography process behind advanced AI chips, placing the company inside one of the world’s most strategically important technology supply chains.
From research project to AI infrastructure supplier
Chair Timo Ahopelto framed the achievement in unusually direct terms.
“I want to thank Juha for his exceptional contributions to Canatu, leading Canatu from a project capable of manufacturing a stamp sized CNT piece to a globally operating company that supplies a critical part of the AI enabling EUV chip process,” Ahopelto said.
The timing of the transition appears deliberate. At its Capital Markets Day in March, Canatu presented updated strategy targets extending to 2030 and refreshed its leadership structure for what it describes as the company’s scaling phase.
That next phase now falls to Slawinski, a German semiconductor executive whose background closely mirrors Canatu’s strategic priorities. He joins from French semiconductor materials company Soitec, where he led the automotive and industrial division. Earlier, he spent six years at German chip manufacturer Infineon Technologies in senior product and marketing leadership roles.
Ahopelto described the appointment as a strategic fit for an IP-driven materials company operating across semiconductors and automotive technology.
“He brings a rare blend of deep semiconductor expertise, understanding of IP-centered advanced materials platforms, and high clock speed of execution,” Ahopelto said.
What investors should watch next
Recent investments suggest Canatu is preparing aggressively for scale. In recent months, the company expanded its long-standing collaboration with Japanese automotive supplier DENSO through a new joint development program focused on larger transparent CNT film manufacturing equipment. The move signals that automotive applications, particularly ADAS film heaters, remain a major growth priority alongside semiconductor materials.
What investors will watch next is whether Slawinski can accelerate commercial execution without disrupting momentum. The semiconductor business is currently Canatu’s most mature growth engine, but the company’s medical diagnostics platform remains an important long-term wildcard. Analysts will also monitor whether the new CEO pursues additional partnerships, licensing deals, or manufacturing investments as Canatu pushes toward its 2030 targets.
Slawinski struck an ambitious tone in his first statement as CEO. “I am honored by the opportunity to lead Canatu,” he said, adding that he looks forward to working closely with Canatu’s team, customers, and partners to accelerate the company’s next phase of growth and value creation.
For Canatu, the next decade now begins with a different challenge: scaling from a promising Nordic deep tech success story into a globally significant advanced materials company.
Follow moves like this on the Listeds Executive Intelligence Platform.
Other top stories to read next
Stay on the pulse, catch the signals
Subscribe to Listeds Leadership Intelligence Platform:
leader and company database access
email alerts
career, boards and interim opportunities