This blog is always buzzing about Facebook, Friendfeed (acquired this summery by Facebook), Twitter, and now Google Wave.

But go back 3 years ago : what was the real innovative company in the micro-blogging space ? Twitter existed and was called Twtr, but Jaiku (like Haiku, but Jaiku) was already there, started by Petteri Koponen and Jyri Engestrom in Finland. They should be considered the fathers of micro-blogging.

3 years laters, Twitter is still independent, valued at $1 billion, and Jaiku was acquired by Google in October 2007, and is now an open-source project. As rumors surfaced, it is now official that the 2 founders left Google after 2 years in Mountain View (for Jyri) and London (for Petteri).

Ironically, they both announced their departure on… Twitter (here and here) ! As Techcrunch announces it, Jyri is leaving and “aiming to make a meaning”, going back to Finland. Petteri announced he will be co-creating life-sciences and mobile startups at Lifeline Ventures (with Timo Ahopelto, ex-head of strategy at Blyk, and Jarkko Joki-Tokola, another Finnish serial entrepreneur).

Best of luck to the fathers of micro-blogging in their new ventures !