5. Determination of fair value

Basis for determination of fair value for venture capital and private equity investments

The determination of the fair value of the Company’s venture capital and private equity investments is, in accordance with industry practice, based on Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines (IPEVG). Due to the nature of typically illiquid venture capital and private equity investments, the determination of the fair value of investments requires FII’s management to use judgment and make estimates.

According to the fundamental principle of IPEVG, fair value reflects the price that would be received in an orderly arm’s length transaction on an active market between hypothetic participants at the measurement date. Accordingly, fair value does not reflect the price that would be received in a so-called forced sale. Fair value measurement uses either one most suitable valuation technique or several complementary methods that are widely recognised in the industry. When determining fair values, the Company pays special attention to the estimated future profitability and business risks attached to the portfolio companies, especially relating to the financial condition of the companies.

Investments in venture capital and private equity funds

The starting point for the determination of the fair values of the Company’s investments in venture capital and private equity funds, i.e. the fair values of the holdings in the funds, are the values reported by fund managers (so-called net asset value or NAV). Fund managers derive the values for the holdings from the fair values determined by the fund in accordance with IPEVG for its investments in target companies, adding/deducting any other assets/liabilities of the fund. The determination of the fair values of holdings in the funds excludes unpaid fund commitments relating to the holdings, to which the Company is legally committed together with other investors of the funds.

Holdings in funds are typically more illiquid instruments than direct venture capital of private equity investments. The Company’s fundamental investment strategy is not to buy or sell holdings in funds during the term of the funds.

The measurement of the holdings in funds may deviate from the amounts reported by fund managers, if the fair value reported by the managers is not considered to reflect the real fair value of the investments or if the reported fair value refers to a different point of time. Deviation from the value reported by the fund manager is always based on fair value testing performed by the Company. Fair value is always tested for funds classified to a risk listing determined by the Company. The risk listing comprises those funds whose investment operations have, according to a risk review performed, not developed as originally determined and the results of whose investment operations are expected to clearly fall short of the targets set previously.

Direct venture capital and private equity investments

Depending on the varying overall status of the portfolio companies, the determination of the fair value of the Company’s direct venture capital and private equity investments is based on either on the one most suitable valuation techniques or a combination of several complementary methods. The techniques applied comply with IPEVG and include recent transactions in the portfolio companies’ own instruments, valuation multiples of peer companies and discounted cash flows. Both the selection of techniques and the actual valuation performed by using the techniques requires substantial use of estimates and judgment by the management of the Company.

The fair values of the Company’s investments in debt instruments are typically estimated through the viewpoint of the value of the portfolio companies’ businesses (fair value without liabilities), because, in the Company’s venture capital and private equity investments, debt instruments are often an integral part of the total investment in the portfolio companies together with the Company’s investments in equity instruments.

The fair value determination process for venture capital and private equity investments

Fair values of the Company’s venture capital and private equity investments are determined by the responsible investment teams. Thereafter, valuation proposals prepared by investment teams are assessed within a separate risk management function before the valuations are introduced to the Management Group for approval. After the Management Group, the values are considered by the audit committee and finally approved by the Board of Directors.

Fair value hierarchy for financial assets measured at fair value

FII’s venture capital and private equity investments include a minor amount of quoted equity securities. Investments in venture capital and private equity funds classified as financial securities are quoted, their market prices are observable and there is an active secondary market for the fund units. The fair values of all other equity and debt investments as well as investments in venture capital and private equity funds are determined using valuation techniques that to a significant degree rely on company-specific, unobservable inputs.

Fair value hierarchy and related input levels are defined by IFRS 13 as follows:

• Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity can access at the measurement date.

• Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly.

• Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

At the highest level in the fair value hierarchy are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1 inputs), and at the lowest level are unobservable inputs (level 3 inputs). A quoted price in an active market is most reliable evidence of fair value and it shall, as a rule, be used in the determination of fair value whenever available.

When the inputs to be used to measure the fair value of an asset or a liability are categorised within different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the item is categorised in its entirety in the same level of the fair value hierarchy as the lowest level input that is significant to the entire measurement.

The tables below show an analysis of the hierarchy of fair value measurements.