being part of our
ecosystem
benefits for startups
1
Find your angel
+ High-net-worth individuals who provide financing for startups. Over 250 EstBAN members - the most active “BAN” in Europe (€13M+ invested in 2023)
+ Investment from €5k up to syndicates of €300k
+ Act as mentors (industry expertise, legal, marketing, sales etc.)
+ Network of potential clients, VC investors
+ Limited follow-on investment capacity
2
Find your accelerator
+ Fixed-term, cohort-based programs that include mentorship & educational components and culminate in a public pitch event / demo day
+ Can include an investment (€5k to €300k tickets in the Baltics)
+ Office space / cloud credits / smart capital / POC / other perks
+ Could charge a fee (e.g. €100k investment - €30k fee)
+ May be backed by VC funding or grant money
+ May have a vertical focus
3
Find your grants
+ Estonian Business and Innovation Agency has currently 35 grants and/or programs open – from up to €20k START support with 20% self-financing to the programme for applied research of up to €2M and 20-75% self-financing. Check their website.
+ The Environmental Investment Center has 50 grants with 14 open rounds for environmental projects (not all tech-related) E.g. EIC Accelerator is always open for a non-dilutive grant of up to €2.5M with at least 30% self-financing
+ More funding oportunities for your startup look at e-residency website: funding your business
4
Exceptional visibility among potential investors
+ Become part of the ecosystem database to be discovered by the investor network
+ Attend ecosystem events and witness the easy access due to our compact ecosystem- everyone knows someone you need right now and you might be surprised how kind other startups are - remember, Estonia is (probably) not your market, it's your accelerator
+ Benefit from the strong reputation of local startup scene among investors, we do our duedilligence and we believe in your capability too
5
Access to a vibrant community
+ Attend ecosystem events, either created by Startup Estonia or other ecosystem members- make yourself acquainted with our Facebook and Linkedin newsboard and blend in
6
Opportunities to connect with support organizations and fellow startups
+ Keep an eye on our ecosystem events - there is always something cooking in the kitchen
+ Check out the Dealroom database where all support organizations and other startups "hide" and nest in by creating your profile
+ Being part of the Dealroom database you are under the radar of all service providers
+ Additionally sigining up to Startup Estonia newsletter brings you news and events from all key players on the startup nations' map
7
A wide range of collaboration opportunities with global community partners
+ Every need is different, every solution needs a custom approach. You will probably find the best match where you meet the unknown- among other startuppers and service providers at events
+ For example, have you been to one of our Global Founders Meetup to connect with global community partners? Every event is different so is the menu of contacts there. Follow the white rabbit on socialmedia and newsletter
+ Sign up to the Foreign Founders Community Slack
+ Have a look at the our New Nordic Tech Valley focus area that connects Northern startup ecosystems and main actors to smooth the knowledge transfer and coopeartion opportunities between neighbour ecosystems
+ If you are a Deep Tech - make sure to add yourself to our Dealroom platform as a Deep Tech and be part of the quarterly Deep Tech Pub - it's invite only
8
Access to a library of model documents tailored to startups under Resources
+ Keep you investments for your growth and use the legal documents created by the best law offices in Estonia. Check out the Model Documents under Resources
9
Stay informed about upcoming startup events through our social media platforms and monthly newsletter
+ Sign up, follow up, be informed, be empowered
are you ready to join the network?
You can join the platform if:
- you are running a technology-based business registered in Estonia
- your company is not older than 10 years
- the business model is scalable and has unlimited growth potential
- your company’s goal is to develop and launch an innovative and repeatable business model that offers something that the market does not yet
- your company has fast global growth potential
let's hear the community
Andrew Thompson, Silicon Valley based investor and entrepreneur, co-founder LifeSpeed
Estonia is one of the most prolific tech economies in the world, rivaling Silicon Valley and Israel for both creativity and productivity. It is a great place to connect with motivated innovators who want to build something massively impactful that can deliver spectacular financial returns.
Farid Singh, General Partner, Startup Wise Guys
Estonia makes building your startup an exciting journey, no bureaucracy, you focus on building great things with inspiring people in the ecosystem.
Kadri Tammai, Regional Director NATO DIANA
Due to the reasons that Estonian startups don’t have a significant home market, they have the mindset to build fast-growing global companies from day one.
Nemailla Bonturi, founder of Äio
Estonia is like a mother to startups. They’re focused on nurturing numerous unicorns and will genuinely assist you in becoming one.
Helise Johanson, ReloEst, Relocation service provider
Startup Estonia’s Startup status simplifies the relocation process, empowering founders to tap into Estonia’s business scene and hire global talent more smoothly for their business growth.
Karoli Hindriks, CEO and founder of Jobbatical
With its tight-knit tech community and global outlook, Estonia is an inspiration to Jobbatical and other startups to tackle tough, worldwide challenges.
Emre Tinaztepe, Founder & CEO of Binalyze
Estonia is truly a force-multiplier for any startup that is on a mission to change the world. Why? Simply because, it allows you to focus on your product, and business idea with its unique ‘Startup Visa & Digital Nomad’ concept. You do what you do best, Estonian magic handles the rest.
Lauri Antalainen, President of Estonian Business Angels Network
For an angel investor, the startup ecosystem in Estonia has provided, and still provides, lots of opportunities to invest in highly promising startups. The ratio of successful startups here is unprecendented.
Martin Villig, Co-Founder of Bolt, Good Deed Education Fund founder, angel investor
Estonia is small but dynamic. It’s great to test new concepts and then scale them globally.
Riina Einberg, Consulting seed-A, A-B stage startups & investors
It’s not the big that beats the small; it’s the fast who beats the slow – one of Skype’s values. Working hard, adapting fast, supporting each other, and here we are.
