Ruslan Gainutdinov on Valosans PR Revolution: Focus on People Interested in Your Story, Not Everyone
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Ruslan Gainutdinov, co-founder of PR SaaS startup Valosan: "You dont just send news to everyone; you focus on people who are interested in your story"

In an industry long dominated by traditional practices, Finnish startup Valosan aims to change the rules of public relations.

With a mission to bridge the gap between companies and journalists, this Nordic company offers an automated, research-driven, and personalized PR platform. Leading the charge is Ruslan Gainutdinov, co-founder and visionary behind Valosan’s bold approach to modern PR, whom we interviewed during Slush 2024

The problem with traditional PR

Public relations has always been a game of connections. For decades, success relied on knowing the right people, maintaining lists of contacts, and sending mass emails in the hope that something would stick. However, as the media landscape evolved, this approach became outdated and ineffective.


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Ruslan Gainutdinov recognized this pain point. "We found a process that works really well and respects what journalism is", he emphasizes the platform’s unique approach to PR.

 You build an authentic relationship between the company that wants to publish some news, the PR and comms professionals, and the journalists. You don’t just send news to everyone; you focus on people who are interested in your story. 

Ruslan Gainutdinov, CTO & Cofounder Valosan

How Valosan works

Valosan provides companies and PR agencies with a suite of tools to automate, target, and track their public relations efforts. Clients can use Valosan’s Gmail-integrated extension to send pitches directly from their inbox while leveraging the platform’s vast database of journalist profiles.

But, as Gainutdinov notes, mass outreach no longer works. "The problem with traditional PR is that you can do it manually, but to do it efficiently at scale, that’s the challenge. When you pitch a story, you need to know everything about the journalist. You send them what they want to hear—laser-focused on the specific topic of the news" .

Each profile highlights a journalist’s areas of interest, recent publications, and social media activity. This allows Valosan users to send highly targeted, personalized pitches that increase the likelihood of a response. It’s not about sending more pitches, but sending better ones.

A new way to measure PR

Valosan provides clients with real-time campaign tracking and performance metrics. The platform provides clients with detailed metrics at every stage of a campaign. Users can see exactly how many journalists were contacted, how many opened the pitch, and how many ultimately published the story. As Ruslan Gainutdinov explains, "We do this reporting because it’s a key part of PR operations, whether it’s for a client or stakeholders".

Valosan places a strong emphasis on transparency and reporting throughout the PR process. During the pitching phase, Valosan tracks the level of journalist engagement and adjusts outreach strategies accordingly. Once articles start being published, the platform shifts to tracking inbound links, story sentiment, and media reach, distinguishing between smaller sites and major media outlets. 

This holistic approach not only provides clients with clear insights but also enables real-time strategy adjustments to improve campaign performance. "We track how many links this particular article has, what websites are covering it, and whether it’s a big media site or a smaller one," Gainutdinov adds.

Diagram of PR workflow from Valosan Valosan

A global vision for growth

Valosan is strongly focused on the Nordic market. They are actively pursuing 100 qualified leads as part of its strategy to convert them into long-term customers. 

As Ruslan Gainutdinov explains, "We want to cover all the Nordic countries with clients and help Nordic companies grow with their amazing startups, amazing ideas, and insight". This localized approach not only strengthens Valosan’s footprint in the region but also highlights its mission to empower regional startups on the global stage.

At the heart of this mission is a broader belief in the power of press relations as a tool for innovation visibility. Gainutdinov underscores "The more I see press relations as a tool, the more I see it as a way to get that innovation of that particular entrepreneur visible around the world". 

This platform is on a mission. With a €350/month entry point, Valosan is within reach of small startups, but its features rival those of high-end PR firms. By focusing on relevance, relationships, and results, this Nordic startup is looking to make a name for itself in one of the world’s most traditional industries. If Ruslan Gainutdinov’s vision comes to life, PR might never be the same again.

Seeds episode 3: Ruslan Gainutdinov, Valosan Entreprenerd Media

You can also watch and listen to the interview on our podcast on Spotify