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

7SENSE

TELEHAPTIC TECHNOLOGY: REDEFINING SIGHT THROUGH A REMOTE SENSE OF TOUCH

7Sense is a deep-tech and life science start-up developing telehaptic technology for the blind. It allows users to feel their surrounding environment through a sense of touch on the forehead. In simple words, the user feels surrounding objects—their shape, size, motion, speed, and distance. Traditionally, haptics has meant small vibrating...

ÜLEMISTE CITY

THE CITY THAT INNOVATES WITH YOU

Ülemiste City is one of Europe’s most forward-looking urban districts where innovation is built on long-term vision, data and daily collaboration. From self-driving buses and delivery robots to AI-powered energy tools, Ülemiste is the place where new solutions meet real complexity and context. The challenge of building an agile smart...

C2GRID

TURNING VIDEO INTO REAL-TIME 3D INTELLIGENCE

C2GRID didn’t start life as a company with a polished business plan or venture capital pitch. It began at Estonia’s Darkstar Defence Hackathon – an event uniting innovators, veterans, and investors to build technologies that strengthen NATO and its allies. The founders, originally exploring human–robot integration at Tallinn University of...

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...

THE ESTONIAN CANCER SOCIETY (EESTI VÄHILIIT)

A COMMUNITY UNITED AGAINST CANCER

The Estonian Cancer Society (Eesti Vähiliit) is not just an organization – it’s a lifeline. Since its founding in 1992, it has become the largest umbrella group for cancer patients and associations in Estonia, uniting 14 member organizations and nearly 2,000 members across the country. Its purpose is simple yet...

TFTAK

PIONEERING FOOD INNOVATION

The Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK), a multidisciplinary CRO based in Estonia, has been a driving force in the advancement of food science and biotechnology since its establishment in 2004. With a mission to support companies in refining bio processes and developing groundbreaking food products, TFTAK has established...

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...

GLOBEDRY

SOLAR-DRIED FOODS FOR A RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

In many rural regions, fresh harvests are lost before they ever reach a market — not because of poor quality, but due to heat, humidity, and lack of proper preservation. GlobeDry, a family-owned Estonian company, is tackling this challenge with solar-powered food dryers that allow communities and food entrepreneurs to...

MARIMO

INNOVATING LUXURY FASHION THROUGH EDUCATION AND CONSCIOUS CRAFTSMANSHIP

Marimo’s innovation is not just in delivering a personal luxury experience, but in educating the customer toward a new mindset: one that embraces intentionality, sustainability, and long-term value in fashion. Marimo is a small Estonian luxury fashion brand quietly leading a mindset shift in how fashion is worn, understood, and...

RAY FOIL

FROM ESTONIA’S INNOVATION ROOTS TO THE FUTURE OF EFOILING

In the quiet tech landscape of Estonia, a bold idea was born—one that would soon reshape the way people move on water. Andres Nöps, an electrical engineer with a background in elite athletics and a passion for clean energy, began designing a new kind of electric hydrofoil. It had to...

ROOFIT.SOLAR

INNOVATING FOR A COOLER PLANET

A Global Mission for Sustainability Roofit.Solar, an Estonia-based company, is transforming the global energy landscape with its mission: “For a cooler planet.” Founded on the principles of sustainability and innovation, Roofit.Solar seamlessly combines cutting-edge solar technology with high-quality metal roofing to offer a visually appealing and energy-efficient solution. Global Reach...

ITL

ESTONIAN ASSOCIATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS – AN EXAMPLE THAT COOPERATION IS A KEY TO SUCCESS

Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITL) is an association of Estonian most innovative technology companies, it is a community that speaks for the innovation of the digital society. It seems that our tech-sector is by its nature ahead of its time, with technology companies playing the role of...

STARTUP GARAGE

PUTTING STUDENTS IN CHARGE TO LEAD ESTONIA’S NEXT TECH WAVE

We hear more and more talks about the scarcity of startups and the risk-averseness of young people who will be responsible for a future that seems ever more uncertain. However, there are vast opportunities everywhere, especially in Estonia. Whether it be defence, cleantech or deeptech as a whole, we possess...

ICOSAGEN

ESTONIA’S INDEPENDENT BIOTECH PIONEER WITH GLOBAL REACH

On Northern Europe’s digital frontier, Icosagen stands out in the biotechnology landscape. Based in Tartu, Estonia’s second‑largest city, it is not only the country’s largest biotech company but also one of the most agile Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CRDMOs) operating globally. What truly sets Icosagen apart is its...

MIFUNDO

THE VERIFIED AND PASSPORTABLE FINANCIAL IDENTITY CONNECTING EUROPE’S CREDIT MARKETS

EUROPE’S FIRST INTEGRATED CREDIT INFRASTRUCTURE Mifundo provides European banks with cross-border credit data that allows consumer credit histories to move between countries. This technology removes one of the last remaining barriers to financial mobility in the European Union: fragmented data locked within national borders. For millions of people who live,...

SHROOMWELL

HOW SHROOMWELL IS REDEFINING GLOBAL HEALTH AND FORESTRY THROUGH MYCOTECHNOLOGY

Operating out of Estonia, a nation known for its deep connection to nature and a rapidly developing technology sector, Shroomwell stands as a pioneer in the global mycotechnology landscape. The company’s core mission transcends the production of traditional supplements; it aims to bring greater health to both people and the...

FIBENOL

DEFOSSILIZING THE FUTURE OF MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS

In Estonia, where wood has shaped livelihoods for centuries, one company is reimagining its potential for the next industrial era. Fibenol is transforming undervalued hardwood and plywood industry residues into high-purity biomaterials that offer sustainable alternatives to fossil-based inputs. Its mission is both simple and bold: To help industries defossilize...

LIFT99

AT THE HEART OF ESTONIA’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

A startup usually starts with a simple vision. So did LIFT99, meant as a hub where startups take shape and founders can grow, connect and inspire one another. And like a startup itself, LIFT99 has grown to something much more powerful. LIFT99 stands today as one of the most influential...

GLOBAL ESTONIAN

BRIDGING BORDERS, BUILDING THE FUTURE

When a nation of just over a million people finds nearly 200,000 of its own scattered across the globe, the question of how to maintain bonds becomes both practical and existential. Estonia’s answer to that challenge is Global Estonian, a government-backed initiative designed to serve as a bridge between Estonia...

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...

ALPA KIDS

LOCALISED E-LEARNING GAMES FOR CHILDREN ACROSS THE GLOBE

Founded in 2018, ALPA Kids creates digital learning games for children aged 3–8, developed in close collaboration with local teachers and researchers to ensure pedagogically sound, age-appropriate content in each child’s native language. ALPA Kids mission is to turn children’s screen time into a safe, enriching learning experience by offering...

Brand Estonia

Succeeding at change is Estonia’s superpower.

In just three decades, Estonia has built a thriving liberal democracy and the world’s most advanced digital society. Estonia gives the world in flux an example to follow. Succeeding at change is Estonia’s superpower. 100% digital. 0% bureaucracy. Known globally for e-governance and the e-Residency programme, Estonia also boasts the...

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...

ESTX

E-RESIDENCY IS MORE THAN JUST A TOOL – IT’S A LIFESTYLE.

“Our clients are global players with a big vision,” says Angela Ventsel, founder and CEO of estx. She and her team aim to make starting a business in Estonia as smooth as possible for every e-resident, regardless of their background or location. “When someone entrusts their business to us, it...

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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