Inside information: Canatu announces a leadership transition – Dr. Maximilian Slawinski appointed as CEO and successor to Juha Kokkonen

Canatu Plc Inside information 11 May 2026 at 09:00 a.m. EEST

Inside information: Canatu announces a leadership transition – Dr. Maximilian Slawinski appointed as CEO and successor to Juha Kokkonen

Canatu’s Chief Executive Officer, Juha Kokkonen, has informed the Board that he will step down after leading Canatu for ten years, since its early days, through the IPO, to today. The Board has appointed Dr. Maximilian Slawinski as the next Chief Executive Officer of Canatu. He will start in his new role on 11 May 2026. Juha Kokkonen will continue as an advisor to the new CEO until the end of the year. 

Slawinski joins Canatu with strong experience in semiconductor, automotive and power electronics industry, driving innovation, technology leadership and delivering growth in revenue and profitability. His latest appointment was at Soitec, a global leader in innovative engineered semiconductor materials as Business Unit Head in its Automotive and Industrial Division. Prior to this role, he held leadership roles at Infineon, a leading global semiconductor company. Slawinski will move to Finland and be based at Canatu’s headquarters in Vantaa, Finland.

“I am very happy to welcome Maximilian to Canatu. He brings a rare blend of deep semiconductor expertise, understanding of IP-centered advanced materials platforms, and high clock speed of execution. He has a strong track record of accelerating growth in globally leading technology companies, and has demonstrated in his previous positions and throughout the selection process the strategic insight, leadership and value creation mindset required for a CEO of Canatu,” says Timo Ahopelto, Chair of Canatu’s Board of Directors.

“I am honored by the opportunity to lead Canatu, a leading innovator positioned to capitalise on the company’s unique advanced Carbon Nanotube technology in Semiconductor- Automotive- and Medical sectors. I am excited to get started together with Canatu’s strong team, customers and partners and look forward accelerating Canatu’s journey to maximize its potential for growth and value creation,” says Dr. Maximilian Slawinski.

After leading Canatu since 2016, Canatu’s current CEO, Juha Kokkonen, has decided to step down and move on to the next phase of his career.

“I want to thank Juha for his exceptional contributions to Canatu, leading Canatu from a project capable of manufacturing a stamp-sized CNT piece to a globally-operating company that supplies a critical part of the AI-enabling EUV- chip process, is developing reactors capable to manufacture a wind screen, and is building an effective diagnostics platform to overburdened health care systems,” says Timo Ahopelto.

“Leading Canatu has been a privilege. When I joined in 2016, the company was a promising technology. Today, I am proud of what Canatu’s highly talented team has achieved—growing revenue by nearly 100x, increasing the company’s valuation tenfold, and especially establishing a leadership position in CNT pellicle membranes in these ten years. The company presented its updated strategy and 2030 targets at our Capital Markets Day in March 2026 and has renewed the leadership team to meet company’s next phase of the growth. Canatu is now well positioned to scale and serving leading customers across three industry segments. With this strong foundation in place, I feel it is the right moment for next leadership transition. Maximilian is an excellent choice to lead Canatu forward towards 2030 targets, and I look forward to supporting a smooth transition,” said Canatu’s President and CEO Juha Kokkonen. 

An event for media and financial analysts will be held today at 1:00 p.m. EEST via a webcast. Link to join the webcast: https://youtube.com/live/DlBtIVVBSpQ?feature=share

Maximilian Slawinski, CV

Born: 1985
Nationality: German 

Notable experience:

• General Manager and Head of Business Unit, SOITEC, 2023-2026
• Senior Director Product Marketing and Management, Infineon Technologies, 2017-2023

Education:

• PHD, Semiconductor Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 2014
• Master of Business and Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 2014
• Master of Electrical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University, 2010

CANATU PLC

Board of Directors

Additional information

Timo Ahopelto
Chair of the Board of Directors
timo@lifelineventures.com
tel. +358 40 056 9628

Certified Adviser

DNB Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ)
tel. +46 (0) 8 588 685 70

About Canatu

Canatu (CANATU, Nasdaq First North, Finland) is a fast-growing deep technology company creating advanced carbon nanotubes (Canatu CNTs), related products, and manufacturing equipment for the semiconductor, automotive, and medical diagnostics industries. Canatu partners with forerunner companies, together transforming products for better tomorrows with nano carbon.

Canatu’s versatile platform technology has broad potential applications. Its current core includes CNT membranes for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) processes in the semiconductor industry, enabling more effective manufacturing of the most advanced chips, as well as film heaters for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in the automotive industry. Additionally, electrochemical sensors for medical diagnostics are in the development phase. Canatu’s patented CNT reactors and Dry Deposition^TM method yield clean and pristine CNTs. The company operates through two business models: selling CNT products directly, as well as selling CNT reactors and licensing the related technology so that customers can produce CNT products under a limited license.

Headquartered in Finland, Canatu also operates in the US, Japan and Taiwan. Founded in 2004 as a spin-off from Aalto University’s Nanomaterials Group, Canatu currently has 145 full-time equivalent employees representing over 35 nationalities, with nearly 20% holding or pursuing doctorates. Discover more at www.canatu.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

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