Xplora Mobile scaled with BDO's Nordic tax support

Challenge

Xplora Mobile, a Norwegian innovator producing wrist-worn smartwatches for children, needed to establish its Finnish operations in January 2019. The company's leadership wanted to focus on core business activities: world-class customer service, sales, and marketing. However, they needed to handle complex financial and tax matters across multiple Nordic countries, including import/export within the Nordic region, local resale in Finland, and e-commerce operations. Critical VAT and tax registration issues needed to be resolved before business operations could even begin. The company required a professional partner who could manage all accounting, reporting, VAT, and tax compliance matters while the business scaled from startup to growth stage.

I got the opportunity in January 2019 to bring a positive alternative to smartphones for families with children. I knew the challenges of launching such a product in 'Nokialand,' but the whole concept felt right in my heart and I wanted to do good. I immediately wanted to focus on what matters: world-class customer service, sales, and marketing. I wanted to outsource everything else. BDO had a service offering broad enough for our needs. BDO was perhaps even too big for our early stage, but it was important to find a partner we could grow with. The quality and expertise, especially in understanding international tax matters, was very important. I wanted to outsource the entire accounting to the right partner. — Timo Vaskio, CEO and Finland Business Lead, Xplora Mobile Oy. For example, if we ask something, we get an answer quickly and we get an answer that helps us right away. BDO has good expertise in tax matters and knowledge of international business taxation. BDO has a good background team that figures everything out on my behalf. It's reassuring to be able to trust that BDO's information is legal and verified information. I can trust the correctness of the information I receive. It's nice that we can share positivity in the partnership with BDO. Communication between us works seamlessly and it shows directly in the quality of work and reports. Xplora is genuinely interested in the numbers and development, issues are tackled without delay and necessary information is provided on time. Efficient and positive attitude is visible throughout the organisation and it makes dealing with them very pleasant and easy. — Carita Holmgren, Accounting and Tax Team Lead, BDO. Difficult things are explained in plain language and we are not bombarded with super technical terms. With BDO, you don't have to feel stupid. Development suggestions from our side are also received very constructively and welcomingly. Some time ago Xplora suggested modifying the invoice template to be more in line with Xplora's brand image. The development idea was received enthusiastically by BDO and was advanced immediately. This is a small thing in the big picture, but it tells a lot about the partnership. I think we made a good partner choice. — Timo Vaskio, CEO and Finland Business Lead, Xplora Mobile Oy

Xplora Mobile BDO Suomi

Solution

BDO provided comprehensive financial management services starting from company formation in January 2019. The solution included: company establishment and registration support; VAT registration and compliance across Nordic countries; full accounting setup including bookkeeping, reporting, VAT, income taxes, financial statements, and meeting minutes; payroll processing; and ongoing tax advisory services as needed. BDO handled all technical tax matters, allowing Xplora Mobile's leadership to focus on business development. The partnership was built on BDO's broad service portfolio, international tax expertise (particularly for cross-border e-commerce and Nordic operations), and ability to grow with the company from startup phase through expansion. BDO provided clear, non-technical explanations of complex matters and welcomed development suggestions from the client.

Results

Over the partnership period, Xplora Mobile grew significantly: the company expanded from startup status to employing six people in Finland; revenue grew 220% over a two-year period; the company successfully navigated VAT registration and compliance across multiple Nordic jurisdictions; and Xplora Mobile established a solid financial foundation for continued growth. The company now requires even more of BDO's financial management partnership services as it scales. Xplora Mobile benefits from fast response times to questions, reliable and verified information from BDO, and a professional organisation that understands international business taxation. The partnership demonstrates successful scaling from startup to growth-stage company with professional financial management support.