INNOVATE™ Estonia

Innovations of the World

INNOVATE™ Estonia

INNOVATE™ Estonia is more than just a book; it’s a testament to the relentless spirit of Estonian innovators who are pushing boundaries and redefining industries. From transformative tech solutions to sustainable business practices, Estonia has become a hub for ideas that are not only impactful locally but also resonate on a global scale. This edition will delve into the stories behind these innovations, offering readers a glimpse into the dynamic ecosystem that has positioned Estonia as a leader in digital transformation and entrepreneurship.

What sets INNOVATE™ Estonia apart is its focus on the people and companies who are making a difference. By featuring in-depth profiles, insightful interviews, and inspiring success stories, this edition aims to capture the essence of what it means to be an innovator in Estonia today. Whether it’s a startup revolutionizing the healthcare industry, a tech company setting new standards in cybersecurity, or a social enterprise driving positive change, INNOVATE™ Estonia will highlight the diversity and depth of innovation happening across the country.

As part of the INNOVATE™ series, this edition will not only celebrate Estonia’s achievements but also connect its innovators with a global audience. By bridging local ingenuity with international exposure, we hope to inspire collaborations, foster partnerships, and ignite new opportunities for growth. INNOVATE™ Estonia is an invitation to explore the future of innovation in one of the world’s most forward-thinking nations.

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Thought Leaders

Featured Innovators

Featured Innovators

TOOMAS ALTNURME

BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN ART, INNOVATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY

Few artists can claim to move as fluidly between continents, disciplines, and cultures as Dr. Toomas Altnurme. An Estonian sculptor, painter, designer, educator, and cultural ambassador, his creative life is a testament to how art can transcend geography and time. “I’ve always believed art is a universal language,” says Dr....

3PARK

GROWING ADVENTURES IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

What if playgrounds could grow with the forest instead of replacing it? At 3park, the team designs and builds adventure parks that blend safety, creativity, and sustainability. Born in Estonia, 3park believes play should bring people together and strengthen communities. Their parks are more than climbing frames: they are safe...

DIPPERFOX

GRINDING THROUGH THE COMPETITION

Dipperfox, an Estonian-based heavy machinery attachment innovation powerhouse, has transformed the global approach to stump removal with its pioneering range of high-efficiency stump crushers. Designed for speed, durability, and versatility, Dipperfox stump grinders are rapidly becoming the tool of choice for professionals in forestry, landscaping, municipal services, and construction. Launched...

KIUD

TURNING TEXTILE WASTE INTO REUSABLE PACKAGING

The Estonian material technology company KIUD, founded in 2022, is addressing two major global waste problems simultaneously: textile waste and packaging waste. The company has developed a patented mechanical process to transform synthetic and mixed textile waste into rigid, reusable packaging — offering a sustainable alternative to cardboard and plastic....

ITS Estonia

The Driving Force Behind Smart Mobility Solutions

Smart mobility is an interesting field because it concerns everyone. It therefore offers excellent opportunities to work with local authorities, universities and small businesses to develop innovative solutions. ITS Estonia is a transport innovation cooperation network that brings together different stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors. The network...

STARTUP DAY

A COMMUNITY-POWERED FESTIVAL FOR BOLD INNOVATORS

sTARTUp Has ‘Tartu’ in its name – and that’s no coincidence. sTARTUp Day, Northern Europe’s most startup-minded business festival, is a unique event that thrives on the power of its community. Born from a shared vision in a sauna in 2015, it has evolved into a world-class gathering in Tartu,...

PROEKSPERT

BUILDING SMART SOLUTIONS FOR A SMARTER WORLD

“Our engineers today are equipped with can-do attitudes and an ability to create ingenious and secure solutions and integrations.” Estonia’s reputation as a digital powerhouse owes much to its innovative companies, and Proekspert is no exception. Founded in 1993 during a time of economic uncertainty, this software development firm seized...

bikeep

ESTONIA’S SMART SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL MICRO-MOBILITY

ESTONIA’S SMART SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL MICRO-MOBILITY The story of Bikeep begins with a painfully familiar urban problem—bike theft. As the story goes, a group of mechanical engineers, Kustas Kõiv, Meelis Haidak, Ott Reinhold, and Mikk Moses, experienced the frustration of having their bikes stolen. In response, they set out to...

W3N

WHAT BEGAN AS AN EXPERIMENT QUICKLY GREW INTO ESTONIA’S LEADING EMERGING TECH FESTIVAL.

When Alexander Bitskov left Estonia at 12, he never imagined that nearly two decades later he would return to turn his hometown into a stage for global innovation. Narva, a city on the country’s eastern border long defined by smokestacks and heavy industry, was the last place most would associate...

TARTU

IT’S TIME TO sTARTUp

Don’t tell anyone, but Tartu is like a Steve Jobs’ garage for business. If you have innovative ideas or want to be part of the next great venture, Tartu is the place to be. It is a city that supports innovations with an effective ecosystem, a savvy talent pool, and...

ESTONIAN WEB3 CHAMBER

FROM CRYPTOCURRENCY PIONEERS TO GLOBAL WEB3 ADVOCATES

The story of the Estonian Web3 Chamber reflects the turbulent yet transformative journey of the digital asset industry in Estonia and beyond. Established more than a decade ago, the organisation has been at the heart of regulatory dialogue, industry representation, and international knowledge-sharing. Its evolution from the Estonian Cryptocurrency Association...

ESTONIAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

A UNIVERSITY BORN OF A VISION

When Estonia regained independence in the early 1990s, its economy was in flux. The country was moving rapidly from a socialist system into the unpredictable, high-speed world of open markets. At that critical juncture, one man – Ülo Pärnits – saw a gap that urgently needed filling. Estonia had bright...

DATAVIE

EFFORTLESS GDPR FOR MODERN BUSINESSES

MEET DATAVIE – GO FROM ZERO TO COMPLIANT IN JUST A FEW HOURS In today’s rapidly digitizing world, the burden of data protection compliance often falls on already overstretched employees. Hiring a full-time Data Protection Officer (hereafter referred to as DPO) is a luxury many small and mid-sized businesses either...

DATEL

EMPOWERING SMART COMMUNITIES

PIONEERING SPACE TECHNOLOGY FOR SMARTER INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Datel AS, an Estonian IT powerhouse with over three decades of expertise, stands out as a leader in geo-informatics, infrastructure solutions, and pioneering space-based technology. Since its establishment in 1990, Datel has consistently driven innovation and development in IT and communication...

NORTAL

THE FUTURE DELIVERED. SEAMLESSLY.

THE FUTURE DELIVERED. SEAMLESSLY. Founded in 2000, Nortal has established itself as a global leader in digital transformation, blending local expertise with an international footprint. As an employee-owned company operating across 26 offices worldwide, Nortal partners with some of the world’s most impactful organizations and governments, architecting a future defined...

Saunum

Revolution in Sauna Technology

SAUNUM’S UNIQUE BENEFITS SAUNUM’S UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION: HEALTH, INNOVATION, AND MARKET DIFFERENTIATION The Story of Saunum Andrus Vare, Thermal Engineer and The Creator of Saunum: “Inspired by the experience of my grandparents’ 100-year-old smoke sauna, I set out to create an innovative solution that combines the best features of a...

INNOSTEPS

ESTONIA’S INNOVATION COMPASS

Innosteps is a tool for increasing the innovation capacity of Estonian companies and developing a common culture of innovation. Innovation steps (innosteps) is an Estonian public–private initiative designed to enhance innovation capabilities across businesses and organisations by providing a structured assessment framework, targeted guidance, and access to a network of...

CLEANTECH

ESTONIA’S CLEAN TECHNOLOGY POWERHOUSE

The Estonian Cleantech Association (Cleantech Estonia) is the driving force behind Estonia’s clean technology sector. Founded in 2016, the organization has been supporting clean technology innovation and entrepreneurship since its early days. Over the years, Cleantech Estonia has accompanied a growing number of companies in building a key economic sector...

ESTBAN

ESTONIAN BUSINESS ANGELS NETWORK IS A ROLE MODEL FOR EUROPEAN ANGEL CLUBS

The Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN) has been connecting and educating startup investors and providing a platform for innovation in Estonia and beyond since 2012. EstBAN has become one of Europe’s most respected and well-managed angel investor networks. With nearly 260 members and a growing track record of syndicated and...

DOTS

TURNING UNCERTAINTY INTO GROWTH FROM EUROPE’S EDGE

On the border city of Narva, Estonia – where Europe literally meets its edge – a bold experiment is reshaping how young people grow. DOTS isn’t another youth program or after-school club. It’s an operating system for life: a commitment-based “gym for personal development” where members train through real responsibilities,...

ENTERPRISE ESTONIA

INNOVATING FOR A FUTURE-PROOF TOMORROW

Known for its vast forests, thousands of islands, and strong traditions, Estonia has, in just thirty years, built a thriving liberal democracy and become one of the world’s most advanced digital societies. As Estonia continues to innovate, Enterprise Estonia plays a key role in supporting the country’s business environment by...

.Contriber

THE ENTREPRENEUR WAY BY . CONTRIBER UNLOCKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PERSONAL GROWTH AND BUSINESS SUCCESS

THE ENTREPRENEUR WAY BY . CONTRIBER UNLOCKING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PERSONAL GROWTH AND BUSINESS SUCCESS In the world of entrepreneurship, challenges are inevitable. From scaling sales to perfecting your business model or finding the right talent, every problem seems to have a solution just out of reach. The Entrepreneur Way...

AUVE TECH

DRIVING ESTONIA’S AUTONOMOUS FUTURE, ONE SHORT ROUTE AT A TIME

Cities are stitched together by infrastructure – roads, rails, sidewalks, and transit routes. Yet for many, that final stretch between a transit stop and the destination is the hardest to bridge. Often, commuters surrender to convenience, hailing a car instead and adding congestion and emissions to already-strained streets. Estonia’s Auve...

SENSOWELL

TRANSFORMING SLEEP INTO A LIFE-SAVING SCIENCE

Modern medicine is extraordinary – but it often arrives too late. By the time patients enter a hospital, many health conditions have already compromised their quality of life. Sensowell was created to turn this model on its head, leading a shift from reactive treatments to proactive prevention. The company’s mission...

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The Publisher

Jüri Siilivask

Jüri Siilivask

Jüri Siilivask is a passionate founder, angel investor, and startup advisor with a deep commitment to building services and products that genuinely add value to people’s work and lives. With over 15 years of experience in business development, product leadership, team building, and executive coaching, Jüri has become a prominent figure in Estonia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.... click to read more

Daniel Esterhuyse

Daniel is the Head of International Publishing Partnerships at Innovations of the World. Born and raised in South Africa, he currently resides in Johannesburg with his wife of 19 years, their 12-year-old daughter, and three cats—FluffPuff, Roxy, and Gizmo, all girls.  An entrepreneur since his school days, Daniel has co-founded various small and large businesses.... click to read more

Sven Boermeester

Founder and CEO of Global Village Ventures LLC (USA) and Global Village Publishing Inc (Canada), an international publishing house producing, amongst other projects, the successful “Best of “series in over 60 countries around the world. With so much excitement around Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we launched the INNOVATE Series, a project showcasing success stories from innovation... click to read more

The Publisher

Jüri Siilivask

Jüri Siilivask

Jüri Siilivask is a passionate founder, angel investor, and startup advisor with a deep commitment to building services and products that genuinely add value to people’s work and lives. With over 15 years of experience in business development, product leadership, team building, and executive coaching, Jüri has become a prominent figure in Estonia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.... click to read more

Daniel Esterhuyse

Daniel is the Head of International Publishing Partnerships at Innovations of the World. Born and raised in South Africa, he currently resides in Johannesburg with his wife of 19 years, their 12-year-old daughter, and three cats—FluffPuff, Roxy, and Gizmo, all girls.  An entrepreneur since his school days, Daniel has co-founded various small and large businesses.... click to read more

Sven Boermeester

Founder and CEO of Global Village Ventures LLC (USA) and Global Village Publishing Inc (Canada), an international publishing house producing, amongst other projects, the successful “Best of “series in over 60 countries around the world. With so much excitement around Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we launched the INNOVATE Series, a project showcasing success stories from innovation... click to read more

Other Ecosystems