Three former Rovio employees recently came together to launch 5th Wave Brands: a new licensing agency designed to create and execute global licensing programs for the 'next wave of mobile games'. 

The idea is to offer studios the benefits of licensing without any of the fuss, with the likes of Frogmind of Badland fame already on its books.

We caught up with one of 5th Wave's founder members - director of licensing and IPR Mari Turhanen - to pick her brains about the new venture, how the trio's experience at Rovio has prepared them for their new move, and the continued vibrancy of the Finnish development scene.

Pocket Gamer: How important is licensing for mobile developers looking to make a mark on the industry?

Mari Turhanen: Well, we definitely see it as a great tool for marketing, brand extension, and gaining brand awareness And, of course, it can be a significant alternative revenue stream as well.

How do the services that you at 5th Wave provide set you apart from other licensing agencies?

The main thing that distinguishes us from other companies is that we used to be on the other side of the table with the game developers, so we know what they're taking about, we understand their concerns, we understand the industry, and how it works.

We also have a global reach, which corresponds very nicely with mobile games as well, because when you put an app on the app store you're reaching people on a global scale, and we have a very good network of people that we've worked with for the past couple of years.

5th Wave founders Khalid Bur, Heikki Laaninen and Mari Turhanen

What also helps us is the fact that we have a very small team, it's just the right size, meaning we can move very quickly and accommodate the needs of our client.

What has coming from Rovio, a company thats seen unparalleled success in recent years, taught you about not only building, but sustaining success?

Rovio is a great company, and it was an amazing experience to have been a part of that.

I definitely think all of us have learned to look into uncapped business prospects, opportunities, and audiences all whilst being innovative, creative, and trying out new approaches.

Did your experiences with Rovio highlight how important licensing can be?

Absolutely. Rovio was one of the first mobile game companies to build a successful and significant business around it's games, and it became apparent that the licensing program was partially responsible for the phenomenal growth and popularity of its brands globally.

So, was moving from Rovio to 5th Wave a natural progression?

Yeah, I think it was. I thinks it's a very natural progression, and having some of these supporting services within the ecosystem of the gaming industry is definitely very important in enabling growth in general.

Looking beyond licensing for a moment, would it be possible to get some thoughts about the current state of the development scene in Finland?

I think everyone knows that the gaming scene is booming in Finland and the Nordic countries in general.

There are some great success stories in the form of Supercell and Rovio, and there are now more developers and companies than ever.

What's also exciting is that a lot of those companies and experienced developers are building bold new things. 

Do you think anyone could have predicted that the area would become such a breeding ground for success?

There were definitely building blocks in place, like the strong development teams from the 1980's and the mobile development influence of Nokia.

We also have a great infrastructure in Finland. There's a great education system, and public financing is available, so it was definitely the perfect environment to succeed in the current mobile gaming market.

Finally, what does the future hold for 5th Wave, are you looking to rise rapidly, or take a more measured approach?

We're taking it one step at a time, focusing on our very strong vision, but at the same time we're keeping our feet on the ground, and being realistic.

Together with our clients we're hoping to grow the business steadily.

Thanks to Mari for her time.