Heikki Hiltunen and Mika Pukari

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Class of 2024, Finland
Heikki Hiltunen, CEO of iLOQ; Mika Pukari, Founder of iLOQ

Share the joy of Heikki Hiltunen and Mika Pukari’s winning moment at Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Finland.

Access technology innovators are increasing security one lock at a time. 

Mika Pukari has revolutionized the locking industry with the development of battery- and cable-free smart locks. When he founded iLOQ in 2003, traditional mechanical locking systems were hopelessly inflexible and posed major security threats. Electronic locking systems at the time solved some of the security issues, but they all relied on batteries or an external source of power.

An experienced inventor, Mika set out to disrupt the locking industry with the first electronic locking system that uses the kinetic energy generated by pushing the key into the lock to generate power. The power is used to recognize the key’s digital access rights as assigned by the lock’s owner and then open the lock cylinders — no batteries required. Since that first lock, iLOQ has developed a portfolio of safe, sustainable and self-powered digital locking and mobile security solutions using near-field communication (NFC) technology. These products fulfill the needs of the industrial and utility sectors by transforming mechanical locking with increased functionality and flexibility.

Today, as both a shareholder and advisor, Mika supports iLOQ in commercializing its innovations to help further enhance the company’s product portfolio. As CEO, Heikki Hiltunen leads iLOQ on its growth trajectory and expansion. The company has more than 300 employees and operates in more than 30 countries with over 1,600 partner locations globally. They are dedicated to making life easier by providing smart and secure access to the buildings and spaces we use daily, embodying the company’s brand promise: “Life made limitless.”