Meet the Founder: Marko Oolo
Building wealth isn’t about luck—it’s about discipline, strategy, and making smart decisions consistently over time. My name is Marko Oolo, and my investment journey started in 2014 with €3,000—the amount I got from selling my car. Fast forward to today, my portfolio has grown past €1 million, and investing has become more than just a side project—it’s a way of life.
But how did I get here? Let me take you through my journey—from my first small investments to becoming a partner at Superangel, co-founding Portfellow, and my biggest lessons along the way.
From First Investments to Financial Independence
Like many, I started my investing journey in university. Money was tight, and I wanted to find a way to create income beyond just a salary. Living in Portugal at the time, I sold my car, freeing up €3,000—money that I decided to invest rather than spend.
My first investments were in Baltic stocks and peer-to-peer lending, specifically Olympic Entertainment Group shares and early crowdfunding platforms like IsePankur and Omaraha. While my portfolio was small, I tracked every investment, every expense, and every financial goal from day one. I knew that in order to reach financial freedom, I had to be disciplined and commit to long-term growth.
The Mindset Shift: From Side Project to Full Commitment
At first, investing was just a way to save and grow my money, but as my portfolio grew, I realized it could be a path to financial independence.
I started setting clear goals—one of the biggest being to achieve financial freedom by 30. I knew this meant saving and investing aggressively, keeping my lifestyle costs low, and continuously increasing my income.
Over the years, I explored almost every asset class and investment opportunity available. Some worked, some didn’t. But the key takeaway was this: to achieve above-average returns, you need an edge. That edge can come from:
Experience – Personal long-term experience in a field can put you ahead of others
Information – having access to the right information and a wide network can be a competitive edge
Access to capital – leverage can be a useful tool when used right
Through trial and error, I found my strengths in real estate, fixed-income instruments, and venture capital — a strategy that continues to shape my portfolio today.
How I Built My Portfolio from €3,000 to €1,000,000+
Investing wasn’t just about putting money into stocks—it was also about maximizing income. While growing my portfolio, I worked long hours in demanding roles:
- Balancing full-time university studies while working full-time at Wise (then TransferWise)
- Learning SQL, Excel, statistics, and financial analysis to advance my career
- Organizing 200+ investment events with Investeerimisklubi, meeting top investors and founders
- Building side projects and starting my own business ventures
My portfolio growth came from a combination of increasing my monthly income, saving as much as possible and investing wisely. Even during market downturns, I stuck to the plan—buying when others hesitated and staying consistent.
By 2021, my portfolio officially passed €1 million, proving that discipline, long-term vision, and taking calculated risks pay off.
My Portfolio Today
My investing philosophy has always been about balancing growth with stability while maintaining enough liquidity to adapt to new opportunities and market cycles.
Here’s how my portfolio looked in early 2023:
- 48% – Real Estate
- 19% – Venture Capital
- 16% – Loans, Bonds & Crowdfunding
- 14% – Stocks and Index Funds (Baltic & Foreign Markets)
- 3% – Cash & Equivalents
Unlike many investors, I have a strong focus on startups, as I believe in the potential of high-growth companies to drive outsized returns. My portfolio has evolved significantly over time—from starting with stocks and crowdfunding to a more diverse mix, incorporating real estate for stability and cash reserves to remain flexible.
Biggest Lessons Learned
Start small, but start now – Your first investment doesn’t have to be big; what matters is building the habit.
Keep track of everything – If you don’t measure your finances, you can’t improve them.
Surround yourself with the right people – The biggest game-changer for me was meeting experienced investors and founders from whom I could learn from
Increase your income – Cutting expenses is essential, but growing your earning potential makes a much bigger difference in the long run
Be patient and stay disciplined – The best returns come over years, not months.
Why I Co-Founded Portfellow
One thing that always frustrated me was how hard it was to get a clear, real-time view of my investments. I had been tracking my portfolio with a self-made Excel spreadsheet for 10 years. It worked well, but taking into account the time spent on keeping the spreadsheet up to date, it was not really a scalable long-term solution.
That’s why I co-founded Portfellow—a tool designed to give investors a clear, structured way to track and manage their portfolios. It brings together stocks, bonds, real estate, startups, and alternative investments into one platform, helping investors make smarter decisions backed by real data.
Final Thoughts
The biggest financial asset you have is not your money—it’s your mindset. If you develop the right habits, surround yourself with the right people, and stay disciplined, financial independence is just a matter of time.
I hope my journey inspires more people to start investing, set bigger financial goals, and take control of their future. And if you’re looking for a better way to track your investments, check out Portfellow—it was built for investors, by investors.
Happy investing! 🚀
