Sanoma News has entered into a co-operation agreement with Etua Oy and acquired a 20% holding in the company.The aim of Etua Oy, an independent broker of banking and financial services, is to make people's everyday life easier with regard to home and household finances."The Etua.fi service is an excellent example of the kind of Finnish innovative services with which Sanoma News wants to engage in mutually beneficial co-operation. Partnership in the company supports Sanoma News' strategy of increasing its digital media offering and co-operating with promising start-up companies that are growing strongly," says Pekka Soini, President of Sanoma News.With the Etua.fi service, consumers can effortlessly receive several offers for, say, a housing mortgage or personal loan they need and choose the most suitable option. The use of the service is completely free of charge to the consumers, and the aim is to expand it to cover several other financial products.Etua.fi pre-processes applications automatically using external databases, such as Suomen Asiakastieto and the Population Register Centre. Etua.fi submits the applications to its partners who thereby receive applications that match their customer profiles and an extremely cost-efficient way of acquiring new customers.Established in 2008, Etua Oy is a pioneer in the field in Finland and co-operates with the leading players in the Finnish financial sector.Etua will be integrated into the Oikotie housing service concept, making it easier for a buyer of a new home to compare the financing alternatives. It has also been planned to develop the service in co-operation with the Taloussanomat online financial newspaper by providing the service with various calculators and advisory services concerning personal finances."Sanoma News, the leader in digital media in Finland, is an excellent partner for us, providing the company with strong consumer market competence as a partner. In co-operation with Sanoma's professionals in digital media, we will be able to offer our customers even better service. With strong visitor forwarding from one of the most popular Finnish online services, we will also significantly increase awareness of our service," says Jari Pennanen, Etua Oy's Managing Director.Additional informationSanoma News Ltd, President Pekka Soini, +358 400 427 835Etua Oy, Managing Director Jari Pennanen, +358 40 545 9388Sanoma News is the leading newspaper publisher in Finland, and its products in both print and digital format have a strong presence in the lives of their readers. In addition to Helsingin Sanomat, the largest daily in the Nordic region, the Division publishes Ilta-Sanomat, Finland's largest quality tabloid as well as regional newspapers. Sanoma News is also among the most significant digital actors in Finland. Sanoma News is part of the Sanoma Group, a strong European media group operating in diverse fields of media in 20 countries.Etua Oy, established in 2008, is a broker of banking and financial services. Our aim is to make the everyday life of consumers easier with regard to household finances. We cooperate with the leading companies in the Finnish financial sector and are therefore able to offer the consumers the best products in the market.