What ERKO does

Työttömyyskassa Ote is a Finnish statutory unemployment insurance fund (työttömyyskassa) serving highly educated professionals, formed through the 2025 merger of Opetus ja tiede -työttömyyskassa and Erityiskoulutettujen työttömyyskassa Erko. The organization administers earnings-related daily allowances (ansiosidonnainen päiväraha) along with supplemental benefits including mobility allowance (liikkuvuusavustus) and change security allowance (muutosturvaraha) for members navigating unemployment, layoffs, illness, parental leave return, retirement transition, business ownership, and relocation abroad.

The core technology is the Otenetti electronic self-service portal (otenetti.ote-kassa.fi), through which members submit applications, track processing status, and receive notifications. A supplementary Päivärahalaskuri calculator tool allows members to estimate their daily allowance and understand income tapering. Member-facing content is distributed via the ote-kassa.fi website and organic social channels on Facebook and Instagram, with regular guidance articles covering application procedures and seasonal unemployment topics. Operational throughput as disclosed in June-July 2026 included 254-550 new applications received weekly and approximately 880 applications processed weekly, with explicit processing date disclosures signaling transparency around service-level performance.

The business model is a mutual member-funded subscription: members pay recurring membership fees that finance the fund's administration of statutory unemployment insurance, with specific fee amounts not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-consumer and entirely domestic (Finland), with membership eligibility tied to holding a higher-education qualification. The organization operates with a 10-employee headcount, reflecting high operational leverage from the digital self-service platform. As a statutory mutual fund, ownership is member-based with no institutional investors, parent company, or external capital structure indicated.

Name

ERKO

Legal name

Työttömyyskassa Ote

Website

https://erko.fi

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Työttömyyskassa Ote (formerly ERKO) is a Finnish statutory unemployment insurance fund administering earnings-related daily allowances and supplemental benefits for highly educated professionals in Finland, operating via the Otenetti self-service portal on a mutual membership-fee model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unemployment Insurance / Social Security Benefits

NAICS

Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

akta.pro primary industry

Unemployment Insurance & Employment Support Benefits (BPAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Unemployment insurance fund
• Earnings-related unemployment benefits
• Mutual benefit society
• Mobility allowance services
• Daily allowance administration

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Members pay membership fees to the unemployment fund. As a statutory unemployment insurance fund in Finland, ERKO collects membership dues to fund the administration of income-related unemployment benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Työttömyyskassa Ote (formerly ERKO) is a Finnish mutual unemployment fund that administers statutory, earnings-related unemployment daily allowance (ansiosidonnainen päiväraha) for its members. It also handles mobility allowance (liikkuvuusavustus) and change security allowance (muutosturvaraha), and provides members with the Otenetti electronic self-service channel and a daily allowance calculator for managing applications and benefit estimates.

Product overview

ERKO operates as Työttömyyskassa Ote, a unified unemployment fund serving highly educated professionals in Finland. The offering consists of Työttömyyskassa Ote as the core service, supported by the Otenetti electronic self-service portal for digital claim submissions and status tracking. Additional offerings include the Päivärahalaskuri calculator for benefit estimation, along with specialized allowances such as Liikkuvuusavustus (mobility allowance) and Muutosturvaraha (change security allowance) designed to support employment transitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Työttömyyskassa Ote Membership (Unemployment Fund Membership) Voluntary mutual fund membership available to higher-educated graduates (korkeakoulutetut) in Finland, granting entitlement to statutory earnings-related unemployment benefits; approximately 58,000 members.
• Ansiosidonnainen päiväraha (Earnings-related daily allowance)

Quantifiable outcome

• Benefit calculator available to estimate daily allowance amounts

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Yleinen Työttömyyskassa (YTK): YTK is Finland's largest unemployment fund, offering earnings-related daily allowance to a broad membership base. As a statutory Finnish unemployment insurance fund (työttömyyskassa) operating under the same regulatory framework as ERKO/Ote, it is the most directly comparable peer in scale and product offering.
• Akademikernes A-kasse (Denmark): Danish unemployment fund specifically for members of the Akademikerne confederation of university-educated professionals. Highly comparable in target member profile (highly educated), statutory role, and product offering (income-replaced unemployment insurance) to ERKO/Ote.
• Akavan työttömyyskassa: Affiliated with the Akava confederation of professions for university-educated employees, this fund serves an almost identical target segment to ERKO/Ote (highly educated Finnish professionals). It is the most direct head-to-head competitor in the niche ERKO/Ote occupies.
• STTK Työttömyyskassa: STTK's unemployment fund serves salaried employees in white-collar professional roles, a segment closely overlapping with ERKO/Ote's higher education graduate target. Both operate under the Finnish unemployment insurance regime and compete for the same educated professional cohort.

Others

• Työttömyyskassojen Yhteisjärjestö (TYJ): TYJ is the Finnish cooperative body representing the country's unemployment funds, including ERKO/Ote. As an industry association and ecosystem participant, it shapes regulatory dialogue and shared services that directly affect ERKO/Ote's operating environment.

Broad incumbents

• Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland): Kela is the Finnish government's social insurance institution, handling basic unemployment benefits, healthcare, and other statutory welfare. While not a direct competitor (it administers basic, not earnings-related benefits), it is the broader incumbent in Finland's social security landscape and a key reference point for the regulatory environment in which ERKO/Ote operates.

Regional players

• NAV (Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration): Norway's state welfare agency administering unemployment benefits. Operates in a similar Nordic welfare-state context as Finland's Kela and the työttömyyskassat system. Comparable as a regional peer for understanding Nordic unemployment insurance market structure.
• A-kassa (Sweden): Sweden's unemployment insurance system operates through a-kassor affiliated with unions and professions, structurally analogous to Finnish työttömyyskassat. Comparable product (income-related daily allowance), comparable regulatory framework, and similar member-funded mutual model make it a relevant Nordic peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Otekassa
• Instagraminstagram.com/otekassa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erko

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ERKO