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Marketing expert Marelle Ellen on becoming good at marketing, grit and what we can all learn from startups
07.09.2023
Marelle Ellen is the CMO of the influencer marketing tool Promoty, marketing mentor, and Co-host of grit. marketing podcast. Over the last few years, she has interviewed over 30 Estonian startups, aiming to understand how successful startups do their marketing....
Kristen Tamm from Futuclass on innovating education with VR and building an EdTech startup
31.08.2023
Futuclass is a Tartu-based EdTech startup on a mission to make learning more engaging with the help of virtual reality. We talked...
Are you the new head organizer of sTARTUp Day?
29.08.2023
sTARTUp Day, the biggest business festival in the Baltics, is looking for a new Head Organizer to take the lead of sTARTUp...
Head of Program Ida Maria Orula on curating the sTARTUp Day and Digit program
16.08.2023
It’s time to get to know Ida Maria Orula, Head of Program at sTARTUp Day. Her first task: curating the upcoming Digit...
What do you believe yourself to be capable of achieving?
10.08.2023
Personal Power comes from our perception of self and is the key to unlocking our true potential, writes Rein Lemberpuu in an essay...
HOPP design store – your trusted guide into the unknown
03.08.2023
Nestled at the heart of Tartu, HOPP is the design store of Tartu Centre for Creative Industries, launched very much in the...
Health technologies need to overcome a number of barriers to thrive, study says
25.07.2023
Estonia has great potential for developing innovative, science-based health services. However, several challenges still need to be tackled, as highlighted in a...
Marek Alliksoo on the hydrogen revolution and its possibilities for Tartu and Estonia
20.07.2023
Hydrogen is seen to play a key role in reducing global CO2 emissions and transitioning to clean, renewable energy. We discussed the...
CDL Estonia helps to scale science- and technology-based startups
07.07.2023
Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a non-profit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies. In...
Uku Tomikas from Messente on the future of SMS, combating user authentication fraud and effective leadership principles
01.06.2023
Uku Tomikas is the CEO of Messente Communications, the Tartu-based business messaging platform servicing companies worldwide. He is also a father, a...
The Pursuit of Scrappiness: Merging the Baltic startup bubbles
27.05.2023
Janis Zeps and Uldis Teraudkalns are co-hosts of The Pursuit of Scrappiness, the popular English-language startup podcast dedicated to actionable and scrappy...
Kadi Saadlo from Hotelbuddy – A Hotelier Turned Into to a Startup Founder
11.05.2023
Kadi Saadlo never dreamed of becoming a startup founder before the Covid-19 pandemic turned her personal and professional life upside down. Today,...
Rasmus Merirand from DoBu: a 16-year-old founder not afraid of taking the plunge
04.05.2023
When most 14-year-olds spend time playing video games and making silly jokes, Rasmus Merirand chose to spend his time watching Youtube videos...
Petri-Jaan Lahtvee and Nemailla Bonturi from ÄIO on finding similarities between academia and entrepreneurship
26.04.2023
ÄIO is an Estonian biotech company that is employing precision fermentation to valorize side-streams from agriculture, food industry and forestry into high-quality...
sTARTUp Day winner Paul-Tech equips farmers with a smart digital assistant
22.03.2023
It’s time to get to know the heroes of this year’s sTARTUp Pitching competition! First up is Paul-Tech – an Estonian agritech startup...
The winners of sTARTUp Pitching 2023 have been announced!
17.03.2023
Altogether 271 teams started this year’s sTARTUp Pitching competition. After a fierce competition, the winners of sTARTUp Pitching 2023 have been announced....
The TOP 5 startups of sTARTUp Pitching 2023 are…!
16.03.2023
Today, sTARTUp Day attendees could meet the most promising early-stage startups in the region as the semifinalists of sTARTUp Pitching 2023 showcased...
Your must-read guide to sTARTUp Day 2023 or how to have the time of your life
13.03.2023
The most startup-minded business festival is happening already this week. We are excited to welcome you and other startup-minded people to Tartu...
How does Brella help you connect with the right people at the sTARTUp Day festival?
12.03.2023
We all know how important networking is at events like sTARTUp Day. Brella app will help you connect with your future business...
Convertible debt as a temporary alternative to equity?
09.03.2023
In current market environment raising equity capital for a startup has become significantly harder compared to just a few years ago. However,...
Semaphore signals that investors use for navigation in 2023
08.03.2023
Which growth opportunities are hidden in megatrends signaled by public policies and priorities, regulatory frameworks and public spending? Find out from the...
The University of Tartu spin-off company RedoxNRG captures CO2 and revolutionizes the chemical industry
06.03.2023
According to Nadezda Kongi, founder and CEO of RedoxNRG, captured CO2 can be used to manufacture synthetic fuels. This can help ensure energy...
Mari-Liis Lind from VIVITA: "Kids must be given the opportunity to bring their awesome ideas to life."
05.03.2023
Mari-Liis Lind is an innovator and community builder who has been involved in running several tech initiatives and conferences in Estonia. Today,...
Ringo shows the way to the future without single-use packaging
01.03.2023
For the second year, we use only Ringo reusable cups and dishes at the sTARTUp Day festival. The company was also one...
Fast-track your way to corporate innovation at this year's Executive Day
28.02.2023
For many companies, sTARTUp Day is the place to tap into innovation and meet the up-and-coming startups, planting seeds for future cooperation....
From good to great: 4 strategies how founders and leaders amplify their impact and wellbeing
23.02.2023
In this essay for leaders, Ansis Lipenitis, CEO of .Cocoon, explores strategies for making choices that benefit yourself and those around you. .Cocoon is a self-development...
Jay Johnson on behavioral change and creating an organizational culture where people thrive
22.02.2023
Jay Johnson works with people and organizations to empower teams, grow profits, and transform leaders using applied behavioral science. He is the...
Tiina-Mall Vannastu on How to F*ck Up Your (Employer) Brand: Make Your Brand the Hero
16.02.2023
Employer branding is a topic that has been capturing the attention of many startups, especially those in the growth phase, as they...
Let's Talk About Sex Tech, Baby
14.02.2023
It’s been our mission at sTARTUp Day to explore fresh topics. For instance, in 2023, we’ll discuss digital fashion and Sex Tech....
Announcing the TOP 40 of sTARTUp Pitching 2023!
10.02.2023
It’s time to unveil the crème de la crème of the 7th edition of sTARTUp Pitching! Altogether 271 startups entered the race....
Kirke Leinatamm from Scopus Studio on 3D design, digital fashion, and reducing the fashion industry‘s footprint
31.01.2023
A fashion item with a 97% smaller carbon footprint than a regular garment? Yes, it’s possible – in 3D. We explored the...
Pitch coach David Beckett on how to craft and deliver a winning pitch
26.01.2023
This year, the Top 40 teams of sTARTUp Pitching can polish their pitches in a coaching session with the seasoned pitch trainer...
Agnese Veckalne from Longenesis on speeding up medical research and success at sTARTUp Pitching
19.01.2023
Agnese Veckalne is the Chief Operating Officer of the Latvian MedTech startup Longenesis, one of the winning teams of sTARTUp Pitching 2022....
Let’s meet Mait Sooaru – EstBAN lead investor at sTARTUp Pitching
17.01.2023
Mait Sooaru is an entrepreneur, angel investor, and Board Member of the Estonian Business Angels Network. As EstBAN will be awarding a...
Triin Kask from Soulie: "Social media giants must rethink their business models or face the fate of Nokia.”
12.01.2023
Triin Kask is an entrepreneur with over 13 years of experience and a familiar face to the sTARTUp Day audience, particularly from...
Let’s meet Aleksander Tõnnisson – .Cocoon Ventures lead investor at sTARTUp Pitching
10.01.2023
Aleksander Tõnnisson is an investor and lead partner at .Cocoon Ventures, which is awarding a €100k syndicate to one team at sTARTUp...
A Unicorn, a Founder and an Unexpected Guest at sTARTUp Day – a Miniplay by ChatGPT
30.12.2022
Our end-of-the-year blog is brought to you by this year’s celebrity Chat GPT. We hope this miniplay, featuring a founder, a unicorn...
Our most popular interviews from 2022
29.12.2022
Here are the TOP 10 most popular interviews published on the sTARTUp Day blog in 2022 – in random order. Revisit these inspiring...
We must learn to take care of our mental health before times get tough
28.12.2022
Kadri Haljas is a mental health innovator and the founder and CEO of Triumf Health, which was recently awarded the World Summit...
Ilia Gogichaishvili on “The Road to NASDAQ New York”
20.12.2022
Ilia Gogichaishvili is Vice President of Investment Banking at BTIG covering Emerging Technologies globally. Ahead of his talk at sTARTUp Day, we spoke...
Combat Ready – the training company that makes your team unstoppable
15.12.2022
Combat Ready is a training company whose practical leadership training courses are based on methods used in the special forces units of...
Let's have a sneak peek into sTARTUp Day 2023 program!
07.12.2022
Are you eager to know who will be headlining and which hot trends will be discussed at the next sTARTUp Day festival?...
sTARTUp Day recognized at the European Enterprise Promotion Awards
30.11.2022
sTARTUp Day was shortlisted in the category of supporting the internationalization of business at the European Enterprise Promotion Awards. Our team attended...
sTARTUp Pitching 2023 is coming again with a prize pool of over €350k!
23.11.2022
We are calling all startups to apply for the sTARTUp Pitching competition. Apply before 5 February 2023 to compete for prizes worth...
How to use gamification in your demo area booth?
16.11.2022
How to stand out and get more leads at a business festival? Adact platform allows you to create unique gamified experiences to engage...
Marii Ingriin Saaremäe on bringing back the good old Refresh conference in a whole new way
10.11.2022
In January 2023, Refresh, the biggest product, UX design and front-end conference in Estonia, is returning after a 4-year hiatus. We had...
10 places to visit in Tartu
30.10.2022
Although the best time to visit Tartu is during the sTARTUp Day festival, a trip to the smart city of Tartu is...
How to build a healthy cap table?
26.10.2022
How to build and maintain a cap table that would not hurt the founders’ motivation or your startup’s fundraising ability in the...
Oleksandra Bernatska from Skyworker: The war gave us a push to do things we had been afraid to do before
20.10.2022
Oleksandra Bernatska is Co-founder & Chief Product Officer at Skyworker, one of the fastest-growing recruitment startups in Europe. Founded in Ukraine in...
Kristjan Lind – the Estonian Young Entrepreneur of 2022!
13.10.2022
Kristjan Lind is the CEO and co-founder of Bikeep, the leading smart commercial scooter and bike parking and charging provider. Today, Kristjan...
Will van den Tweel from Those Vegan Cowboys on the path to animal free dairy products
06.10.2022
Those Vegan Cowboys is a Belgian company on a mission to make the best cheese without the use of animals in the...
Nishil Parekh and Flora Somogyi on the launching and scaling journey at Lightyear
29.09.2022
Lightyear is an investment platform targeting European retail investors. Founded in 2020 by Martin Sokk and Mihkel Aamer, both part of the TransferWise...
Juudit Gross: a career change to IT must start with interest and desire to work there
22.09.2022
The career change from sea surveyor to IT developer was a logical step for Juudit (30), but at the same time a well-thought-out...
How to stay on top of your security game as a startup?
14.09.2022
How to operate in the modern cloud environment while being compliant and diligent from day one? The following checklist compiled by our...
Anna Burgués from EIT Urban Mobility on liveable cities, impact investing and a stronger Baltic startup ecosystem
12.09.2022
Anna Burgués, part of the startup investment team at EIT Urban Mobility, shares how the organization is on a mission to create...
sTARTUp Pitching 2022 winner LightCode Photonics changes the way robots see us
06.09.2022
LightCode Photonics picked up a €200k EstBAN-led syndicate investment from the sTARTUp Pitching 2022 competition. The University of Tartu spin-off, founded in...
The winners of sTARTUp Pitching 2022 have been announced!
26.08.2022
A record number of 380 applicants from 47 countries started this year’s sTARTUp Pitching competition. After a fierce competition, the winners have...
The TOP 5 startups of sTARTUp Pitching 2022 are…!
25.08.2022
Today, sTARTUp Day attendees could meet the most promising early-stage startups in the region, as the TOP 40 teams of sTARTUp Pitching...
sTARTUp Day 2022 survival guide aka 10 things you NEED to know to have the time of your life
22.08.2022
sTARTUp Day is almost here. We have compiled this short list of practical information to help you have the best festival experience....
Jõhvi coding school: An ode to Estonian scrappiness and unity
20.08.2022
The biggest cloud hanging over the Estonian tech sector – a shortage of ICT professionals – is being tackled at kood/Jõhvi in...
Three mistakes to avoid as a startup when raising capital
18.08.2022
Our partner TGS Baltic sheds light on three common mistakes they have seen startups commit in the fundraising process.
Five things our Banking-as-a-Service Platform has taught us about launching products
17.08.2022
Monese launched in 2015 with the ambition to offer financial services to those without perfect credit scores or proof of address. To...
Rebecka Löthman Rydå from Inventure VC: Think big and show your ambition
16.08.2022
Rebecka Löthman Rydå is an Investment Director at Inventure VC, one of the most experienced venture funds in the Nordics. Rebecka has...
Woohoo – We f*cked Up! – Beast Rent's expansion
14.08.2022
There's no better way to learn than by listening to the stories of fast-growing startups. Here’s a fabulous first-hand account of our...
Online selling guru Krystel Assi: e-Residency changed my life
11.08.2022
sTARTUp Day seminar host shares 'hacks' on putting your e-commerce business on the fast track.
What do teens and your future employees really want? Wise shares 3 key takeaways from the latest survey
09.08.2022
Wise has been keeping a close eye on the youth for years now and has asked Kantar Emor to survey teens aged...
Announcing the TOP 40 of sTARTUp Pitching 2022!
04.08.2022
We are excited to publish the list of TOP 40 startups of sTARTUp Pitching. This year, we had an astounding number of...
Aleks Koha from Promoty on futurism and turning your interests into a startup
01.08.2022
Aleks Koha is the CEO and co-founder of Promoty, a platform that connects influencer marketing with social media analytics. Having experience in...
Antonius 2022 Showcases Sustainable Everyday Fashion and Forward-Looking Digital Fashion
28.07.2022
For the first time in sTARTUp Day history, we have a fashion show on our side events program! Antonius fashion show, part...
Let's Meet Heidi Kakko and Martin Goroško – EstBAN Syndicate Lead Investors at sTARTUp Pitching
25.07.2022
One of the teams at sTARTUp Pitching 2022 will collect up to €200k early stage funding for their startup from an Estonian...
Catching Up with Cihat Kahraman from VSight One Year After Winning sTARTUp Pitching 2021
21.07.2022
Cihat Kahraman is the Co-founder and CEO at VSight, a Remote Service and Collaboration platform with Augmented Reality, and the winner of...
5 main reasons why early-stage startups fail to get funding
19.07.2022
According to a U.S. Bank study, a whopping 82% of businesses that failed cited cash flow problems as a factor in their...
Gleb Maltsev on The Art and Science of Pitching in Times of Uncertainty
12.07.2022
Gleb Maltsev is a data-driven pitch coach whose training sessions have proved eye-opening for many founders. Each year, he listens to around...
We have unveiled the full sTARTUp Day 2022 program
09.07.2022
The cat is out of the bag – while additions will be made all the way to August, we have unveiled the...
Birds and butterflies: let’s talk about biodiversity
30.06.2022
We need to have a chat about birds and bees. Well, not the kind you had with your parents when you were...
A sTARTUp-minded city
21.06.2022
The city of Tartu, the birthplace and location of sTARTUp Day, has found a special place in the hearts of many startups....
Lauri Reuter: From scientist to launching the first foodtech VC fund in the Nordics and Baltics
15.06.2022
Lauri Reuter is a scientist turned investor and partner at Nordic Foodtech VC. The fund invests in deep foodtech companies based in the...
Marcel Poelker from Taledo: “I'm a firm believer in humans behind the job.”
07.06.2022
Marcel Poelker is the founder and CTO of Taledo, a Berlin-founded innovative recruiting platform that combines a human-centric approach to hiring with...
What's wrong with him!? 5 ways leaders are slowing their business growth
31.05.2022
Rather than focus on the faults of your team members, start the change with yourself and lead by example. You will find...
Head of Program Artur Kamberg on this year's program highlights, freelance life and Tartu vs Tallinn
17.05.2022
You may know Artur Kamberg as a radio voice, podcast and event host but did you know he is also the Head...
ESA expert Gertrud Talvik on the European space industry and becoming an astronaut
12.05.2022
Gertrud Talvik has been working as an expert in the European Space Agency, more precisely, the European Space Research and Technology Centre...
The University of Tartu spin-off company UP Catalyst makes the battery industry greener
10.05.2022
It is estimated that by 2030 around half of the new cars sold are electric. The shift to electric vehicles requires a...
10+1 tested tips how to attract more visitors to your demo booth
05.05.2022
This year’s sTARTUp Day will have the biggest demo area in the history of the festival. How to make your booth attract...
A Guide to Burnout and Focus for High Growth Teams
17.04.2022
Most founders and team leaders are familiar with the distractions that prevent us from achieving our goals. E-mails, texts, calls — all...
Kalev Kärpuk from Adact: Founders should learn more from the mistakes of others
12.04.2022
Kalev Kärpuk is the CEO and founder of Adact, a young gamification marketing startup that allows companies to create engaging gamification campaigns...
Designer Liis Tiisvelt from iLLIMOR loves making sustainable apparel for startups
26.03.2022
Liis Tiisvelt is a designer and founder of the clothing brand iLLIMOR, which is characterized by sustainability – all clothes are produced...
Kristo Kraft from Ringy: Sharing your good ideas with others helps you move forward
11.03.2022
Kristo Kraft is the CEO of Ringy, a circular economy company that aims to reduce the waste of natural resources through refurbishing...
Christoph Klink from Antler: Creating the right conditions for building great teams
03.03.2022
Christoph Klink is Partner at Antler, a global early-stage VC firm founded in Singapore in 2017. He is co-leading Antler's operations in...
sTARTUp Day joins forces with Fractory
15.02.2022
The Tartu-founded cloud manufacturing company Fractory joins as one of the co-organizers of sTARTUp Day.
Avely Marjapuu and Toomas Häide from Naine.fit: Success starts with baby steps, both in business and fitness
27.01.2022
Avely Marjapuu and Toomas Häide are founders of Naine.fit, an online fitness platform offering women a variety of training programs, healthy recipes...
Marcel Gasser: "It's impossible to get to know who you truly are without meditation."
03.01.2022
Marcel Gasser is an entrepreneurial nomad, business angel and mentor who helps entrepreneurs and investors in becoming fully aligned with their purpose,...
Our most popular reads in 2021
30.12.2021
Here are the TOP 10 most popular interviews published on sTARTUp Day blog this year - full of interesting insights from investors,...
10 startup terms from 2021 everyone should know
21.12.2021
Part of the holiday routine is looking back and compiling various lists. So here is one from the sTARTUp Day team ‒ of...
Meet our podcast hosts Marleen Aasa and Otto Oliver Olgo
01.12.2021
It’s time to get to know Marleen Aasa and Otto Oliver Olgo, consultants at Miltton New Nordics and the hosts of Season...
Margus Uudam on deep tech investing, raising unicorns and investor-founder partnerships
18.11.2021
Margus Uudam is a founder and partner at Karma Ventures (karma.vc) an early-stage venture capital firm specialized in late seed and A round...
sTARTUp Day 2022 will return as an epic summer festival
16.11.2021
While we hoped to meet everyone already in January, we have to wait a bit longer this year. In light of the...
Mari-Ly Klaats from Auve Tech: "Technology will always be two or three steps ahead of the law."
10.11.2021
Mari-Ly Klaats is the COO of Auve Tech, an Estonian company specialized in the development and deployment of driverless vehicles and autonomous...
Time to join sTARTUp Day 2022 pitching contest with a prize pool of over €350k
03.11.2021
We are calling all startups to apply for the sTARTUp Pitching competition. This is your chance to shine on the stage in...
Volunteering at sTARTUp Day ‒ high energy, awesome people and new skills
29.10.2021
What does it feel like to be part of the team organizing sTARTUp Day and experience the creative chaos behind the scenes?...
Sandra Saarniit on supporting local startup community and personal growth
21.10.2021
This week’s hero is Sandra Saarniit, Startup Community Development Manager at Startup Estonia whose mission is to foster collaboration and learning between...
Investor Kristi Saare: "The goal is to build a portfolio for life."
15.10.2021
Kristi Saare is an investor and entrepreneur who has inspired many Estonians to embark on an investment journey through her popular blog,...
Martin Vares – the Estonian Young Entrepreneur of 2021!
07.10.2021
Martin Vares is the CEO and co-founder of Fractory, a cloud manufacturing company connecting engineers to potential production capacity through an automated...
Ann Runnel: "We all need to wear clothes, so let's do it sustainably!"
05.10.2021
Ann Runnel is the co-founder and CEO of Reverse Resources, a tracking and trading platform for textile waste. Ann has been researching eco-innovation...
We’re ready, are you? The 6th sTARTUp Day season has officially kicked off!
28.09.2021
While the emotions from sTARTUp Day 2021 are still high in the air, it’s time to kick off the next festival season....
Politicians debate at sTARTUp Day – The way forward for a startup nation
24.09.2021
On August 27, politicians from major Estonian parties debated on the topic "The Way Forward for a Startup Nation" at sTARTUp Day....
Martin Kikas: "I scare off laziness with my fears."
20.09.2021
Ö STUDIO is a dynamic form of collaboration between audiovisual companies and artists that offers specialized art-directed multidisciplinary solutions such as video,...
How to grow your business with zero budget? Insights from startup marketing expert Andrew Lee Miller
17.09.2021
How can you grow your business with a minimum or even zero budget as an early-stage startup? If you missed the popular...
Riho Terras: “Fighting lies, whether it is a technological lie or just a simple lie, is important in any society”
09.09.2021
Riho Terras is a retired General and former Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces from 2011 to 2018. In January 2019, Terras...
Overview and numbers of sTARTUp Day 2021 – a crazy journey that ended with a summerfest!
01.09.2021
sTARTUp Day 2021 was definitely a one-of-a-kind event. After 18 months of organization and prepping, the startup community gathered in the Estonian...
sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN – the winners have been announced!
27.08.2021
The fantastic and nerve-racking sTARTUp Pitching powered by EstBAN has reached the finish line! A record number of applicants – 330 startups...
What can we learn from the crisis during the past 20 years?
27.08.2021
During the 21st century, we have already witnessed three global economic crises: the dot-com bubble in 2000–2002, the financial crisis in 2007-2009,...
TOP 7 startups in the Baltics are…!
26.08.2021
sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN brought together the most promising early-stage startups from the region. Today, the TOP 40 were competing for...
Dan Michaeli: “I believe it is crucial to understand that ‘startup’ is just a phase. It’s a temporary stage when an organization is searching for its business model.”
24.08.2021
Dan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Glia – a digital customer service platform that allows businesses to interact with their customers...
sTARTUp Day 2021 survival guide: how to have the time of your life
23.08.2021
To become a true hero and take everything there is to take at sTARTUp Day, come prepared. We believe in the phrase...
"The ideas that made Silicon Valley as powerful and rich as it is now are utopian ones" – interview with writer Adam Fisher
21.08.2021
Adam Fisher is a born and bred Silicon Valley-ite who began writing about technology and culture more than two decades ago. A...
How to deal with lawyers in a time of innovation
21.08.2021
Whereas laws and legal practice might seem rather stoic, recent years have started to challenge that thought. Globalization and technological development have...
Indrek Neivelt on entrepreneurship, modernizing technology from the 16th century, and luck
20.08.2021
Indrek Neivelt is the CEO of Respiray, an Estonian startup creating wearable air purifiers that eliminate over 99% of viruses and bacteria...
Reshma Sohoni: “I don't think startups realize that investors are also customers.”
18.08.2021
Reshma Sohoni is the co-founder and managing partner of Seedcamp. Seedcamp invests in early world-class founders who are dealing with large global...
Traditional versus digital billboard – which one to choose for your next marketing campaign?
17.08.2021
Outdoor advertising is a highly effective form of advertising which includes all types of advertising that target consumers outside their home (usually...
Culture is what separates a great company from an average one
16.08.2021
Finding specialists with certain specific skills can be challenging in Estonia. But widening the search for talent from across borders gives the...
Virtual Business Speed Dating 101: tips & tricks
15.08.2021
A great connection is like a marriage. It all starts with a first date. But before the first date, you might want...
Meelis Kadaja: "We need people, and we need biotechnological solutions to take care of them!"
12.08.2021
Meelis Kadaja has worked as the Chief Business Development Officer of Icosagen Cell Factory for seven years. He returned to Estonia in...
Digital nomads: a community of modern age builders and innovators
11.08.2021
By their very nature, digital nomads are inquisitive thinkers – they left the comfort of their hometown, the familiarity of their nine-to-five...
Few things I learned at a startup and implemented at Microsoft
10.08.2021
Henn Ruukel is a Group Engineering Manager at Microsoft. They provide Fraud and Spam prevention services for Microsoft calling and messaging features...
sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN – TOP 40 announced!
05.08.2021
We are super happy to announce the TOP 40 startups of sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN! But before the big reveal –...
E-Residency of Estonia: The digital key to the perfect base for your growing startup
30.07.2021
Even while travel remains constrained, launching the next global startup means taking a global perspective. Digitally, we are all closer together than...
Chris Hales: "For me, the important thing always is to get it, however clunky, to work."
22.07.2021
Since the 1990s media artist Chris Hales has taken a solo DIY approach to create interactive film installations and performances that have...
Kadri Tammai: ”Everything is possible with empowered people!”
08.07.2021
Kadri Tammai runs the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, that helps Estonian early-stage startups conquer the world market. In addition, from this year, Kadri...
Looking at the future of work, and the impact of lockdown on entrepreneurs
05.07.2021
The lockdown changed the working landscape for a huge percentage of workers, including startups and freelancers. For many, the typical office and...
Genia Trofimova: “Everybody wants to believe that they know something well, but it is only our assumption about the world”
17.06.2021
Genia Trofimova is the CEO and co-founder of Introwise, a platform that helps everyday experts easily earn money online. Coaches, consultants, social...
Jin Han – Investors are optional, mentors are a necessity
06.06.2021
Jin Han is the managing partner of Amsterdam-based Globus International, which connects startups with mentors and investors. He is actively mentoring startups...
Triin Kask: "Female founders are catching up!"
02.06.2021
In the most recent episode of the sTARTUp Day podcast, our program manager Triin Kask talked about statistics related to female founders,...
Katrina Laks: “Knowing that we can make people’s lives better inspires us.”
17.05.2021
Migrevention is a young startup that scored a victory at BioHackathon 2020 competition. Despite the challenges of the past year, they have...
The Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Seedcamp, Co-Founder of Synctuition and many more – the program is unveiled!
02.05.2021
Awesome news! The program of sTARTUp Day 2021 is here! On 25–27 of August, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu will become...
Time donation as an effective team building method
25.04.2021
You know that feeling when you come back from a team event and feel really lucky because it was just so nice...
Exciting news from .Cocoon Ventures!
20.04.2021
We have two awesome announcements for you! For their first investment, .Cocoon Ventures joined the investment round for Jobilla with a 100,000€...
Toms Niparts: “If the problem lets you sleep peacefully, you probably should find fulfillment from another place.”
16.04.2021
Toms Niparts is the CEO and Co-Founder of Jeff App, the winner of sTARTUp Pitching 2020. Jeff’s mission is to make financing...
Let's break a world record!
10.04.2021
As we are all about keeping sTARTUp Day fresh and full of surprises, we will be attempting to break the world record...
Gerri Kodres: "Science-based startups could be the next growth engine for Estonia"
26.03.2021
Gerri Kodres is the co-founder of the venture capital fund United Angels VC and an angel investor who has invested in around...
Kalev Kaarna: "The purpose of the first meeting with the investor is to generate interest, not to get the investment."
19.03.2021
Kalev Kaarna is the Venture Development Manager of the Superangel investment fund. Superangel is a pre-seed and seed fund established in the...
10 valuable lessons from a founder of a fast-growing startup and their first investor
08.03.2021
As a founder, choosing a great investor and collecting as much value as possible without losing control can be very tricky. Aleks...
Henri Klemmer: ”We are at the beginning of a significant green transition and digitization trend, which puts us in an ideal position.”
05.03.2021
Henri Klemmer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Hepta Airborne. Established in 2017 and headquartered in Tartu, Hepta Airborne automates the analysis...
Candace Johnson: “It is essential to align anything you do with your core values and make sure that you bring positive change.”
25.02.2021
Candace Johnson is the Co-Founder of SES, the world’s pre-eminent satellite group, and the architect of SES Global. She is EBAN President Emeritus...
Carlos Paniagua: “Take risks that won’t kill you. But take risks!”
04.02.2021
Carlos is the CTO and Co-Founder of Glia – a digital customer service platform that allows consumers to interact with their choice...
Ede and Sten Tamkivi – fearlessly breaking stereotypes
19.01.2021
Both women and men, entrepreneurs and employees in startups and large corporations, are trying to find and improve work-life balance. Although society...
Melissa Sassi: "I turned my worst nightmare into my superpower and you can too!"
16.01.2021
Melissa is the Chief Penguin of IBM Z – Student & Entrepreneur Experience, focused on empowering early-stage startups through technology and business...
Wrapping up the startup year 2020
31.12.2020
This year has been unpredictable, challenging, and demanding for all of us. You could even say that the everyday life of almost...
21 Estonian startups and podcasts that help you become a better version of yourself in 2021!
23.12.2020
With the end of this crazy year approaching, many of us start thinking about the new year and promise to become healthier,...
Marion Teder: “The continuous learning process goes according to what the world has to offer.”
17.12.2020
Marion Teder is the founder and CEO of CareMate – a platform that helps people needing home care assistance meet their personal...
Trust and shared values are fundamental for a thriving community
16.12.2020
The statement “Think globally act locally” has never been more relevant. The restrictions on travel, meetings, and many other areas have not...
Randu Riiberg: “Everything comes down to self-belief.”
10.12.2020
Randu is a partner at Law Office Glimstedt and has 20 years of experience as a legal advisor and management consultant. He...
Jüri Kaljundi: “I expect people and businesses to stop the daily destruction of the world.”
04.12.2020
Jüri is the co-founder of weekly team management service Weekdone, nature conservancy foundation Koosloodus and non-profit startup foundation Garage48. He is a...
sTARTUp Day 2021 will take place in August as an epic summerfest!
01.12.2020
Hey, all of our amazing startups, investors, executives and heroes! Until now, we have been going forward with a hybrid event in...
Remato – this year’s most outstanding startup in Tartu!
26.11.2020
Each year, the City of Tartu awards its best companies, including one noteworthy startup. This year, the title of the Most Outstanding...
Evelin Uibokand: "The task of crisis managers is to give people a sense of security"
25.11.2020
Evelin Uibokand is the crisis management coordinator of the Tartu City Government. Her tasks are to organize the work of the city's...
Get to know the speakers of sTARTUp Day 2021 – world-class experts with alter egos you wouldn't believe!
17.11.2020
There are less than two months left until the end of the year. And probably there are quite a few of us...
Kaarel Holm: “The most significant emotional victory is to see someone use the thing you've created”
13.11.2020
Kaarel Holm is the CEO and co-founder of MeetFrank. MeetFrank is a secret recruitment app for top talent that helps you find...
Andrus Ansip: “Estonia has the opportunity to make digital identity more user-friendly.”
12.11.2020
On November 4, the representatives of the European Parliament and the founders and CEOs of Tartu startups gathered at SPARK Demo to...
7 challenges that make startups fail (and solutions)
09.11.2020
One of our co-organizers, .Contriber has been working with startups since 2014 when they opened offices and co-working spaces in Tartu. They...
Eve Peeterson: “Allow yourself to make mistakes!”
06.11.2020
Eve Peeterson is the Head of Startup Estonia. Startup Estonia is a governmental initiative aimed to boost the Estonian startup ecosystem in...
Andrea Boetti: “Make it or break it!”
04.11.2020
Andrea Boetti, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Fortumo, helps digital merchants, publishers and app stores build out their monetization and user acquisition...
Nils Kajander: “Design is one of the best things to be passionate about!”
03.11.2020
Last week all the marketing and sales experts and enthusiasts gathered in Tartu for Sales&Marketing, an official side event of sTARTUp Day....
The 3rd Female Founders Meetup – great ideas and even better pitches!
26.10.2020
On October 15, female entrepreneurs gathered in Tallinn for the third Female Founders Meetup. On the next day, the event moved to...
Mart Lättekivi: "Maybe the midlife crisis just hit me at the age of 24."
23.10.2020
Mart Lättekivi is our amazing COO! He has been in the sTARTUp Day family for 3 years now. The first year he...
Sille Pettai: "A business is unsustainable when the biggest problem is unfair treatment of employees."
21.10.2020
Sille Pettai shared her thoughts regarding the Female Founders Meetup event series. SmartCap manages an Estonian state-owned venture capital fund that, together...
Aleksander Tõnnisson: “I'm excited that I don't know what's yet to come.”
15.10.2020
Aleksander Tõnnisson is the managing partner of Buildit Pre-Seed and Seed Funds and a co-founder of Buildit Hardware Accelerator that supports hardware...
Nothing to lose, €200k to win!
15.10.2020
Short sentences, one thought at a time, simple words and a lot of practice — this is what sTARTUp Pitching finalists suggest...
Jaan Hendrik Murumets – the Estonian Young Entrepreneur of 2020!
08.10.2020
Jaan Hendrik Murumets is the CEO and one of the owners of Krakul, a company operating in the field of IoT. In...
sTARTUp Gaming 2020 – Gaming as an Engaging Form of Art
30.09.2020
On September 23, about 100 gaming enthusiasts and professionals gathered at SPARK Demo for sTARTUp Gaming 2020. In a cozy environment, developers...
10 Startup Terms You Need to Know for sTARTUp Day
22.09.2020
Estonia is among the three best countries in Europe to start your startup. The favorable business climate has been creating a fuzz...
Let's Get This Show Going!
18.09.2020
Maybe you've heard that sTARTUp Day is celebrating its 5th anniversary. And we want to make it as mind-boggling and phenomenal as...
Female Founders: Don't be Afraid to Believe in Yourself
10.09.2020
On August 26, Female Founders Meetup brought together 75 female entrepreneurs at Naissaar – the women’s island. Karen K. Burns and Hedi...
Suggest a Speaker for sTARTUp Day 2021
03.08.2020
sTARTUp Day 2021 is celebrating its 5th anniversary in January 2021 and we need your help to make it extraordinary. We’ve been...
Female Founders Meetup Kickstarted a Community
02.07.2020
Despite there are so many powerful women in the startup community, only about 15% of startups in the world are founded by...
The Best UX Advice from UX Tartu 2020
09.06.2020
UX Tartu 2020 took place for the fourth time on 25–29 May 2020, bringing together over 1000 participants from 48 countries with...
How Business Events Have Adapted to the COVID-19 Crisis
29.05.2020
The global COVID-19 pandemic has taken over the whole world, forcing businesses to adapt and innovate to stay afloat in this unprecedented...
Lauri Kinkar: "Key Principles for Effective Sales"
14.05.2020
At sTARTUp Day 2020, CEO and co-founder of Messente Lauri Kinkar talked about the key principles for effective sales – tips and...
sTARTUp Statistics
27.04.2020
sTARTUp Day 2020 brought together over 4400 participants, including 700 entrepreneurs representing 352 startups.
New workforce sharing platform Share Force One emerges to help businesses resolve workforce-related problems during the crisis
23.03.2020
Developed by members of the sTARTUp Community and headed by Lauri Sokk, the first Head Organizer of sTARTUp Day, Share Force One...
Politicians debate at sTARTUp Day: "As a small country we have nothing but our reputation to shake the table"
10.02.2020
January 31, politicians debated on the topic “Estonia's Competitiveness 2020” on the sTARTUp Day stage. The panel featured Riina Sikkut (Social Democratic...
Milda Mitkute, founder of Vinted: “Being a leader and being an expert are two different things”
10.02.2020
Milda Mitkute is the co-founder of the online marketplace Vinted, where people sell and buy second-hand clothes. With more than 13+ million...
Christos Vaitsis: “Innovation in health is not easy to stumble upon”
10.02.2020
Christos is the Manager of the EIT Health Accelerator program for the EIT Health Scandinavian node. The Accelerator provides support throughout the...
Sacha Michaud - Co-founder, Glovo: “We’ve been able to rise to the top by being faster, more focused and more efficient”
10.02.2020
Sacha Michaud is an English entrepreneur who has founded several companies during his career, for example, one of the largest Spanish internet...
Helen Kokk “Be sure to find a balance between health and work”
10.02.2020
Helen is a partner and head of service design/user experience in Nortal. She has created user experience for both public and private...
The future of startup ecosystems as impact creators for the society - Sten-Kristian Saluveer
10.02.2020
Sten-Kristian is an Estonia/Japan based curator, audiovisual producer, and content & technology entrepreneur bridging Asia with Europe. He is the Founder of...
Metallica did not break Tartu!
07.02.2020
At sTARTUp Day, the largest business festival in the Baltics, Tartu's Smart City presented data that was collected during the Metallica concert...
Hero of the week - Urmas Klaas, the Mayor of Tartu
07.02.2020
sTARTUp Day 2020 Hero of the week is Urmas Klaas - the Mayor of Tartu! He has been a great support for...
TOP 10 startups that impressed RIA.com at sTARTUp Day 2020
06.02.2020
This year the sTARTUp Day 2020 event in Tartu gathered hundreds or smart and young people who were telling visitors about their...
sTARTUp Day 2020 in numbers - a record year!
04.02.2020
Baltics’ biggest business festival sTARTUp Day took place for the 4th time on 29-31 January in UT Sports Hall in Tartu with...
sTARTUp Day selected the best early-stage startup - Jeff App
31.01.2020
At sTARTUp Day took place legendary pitching competition with 33 competitors that were selected from 277 applicants. The winner of sTARTUp Pitching...
Jeremy Goldman: "Human beings are people who innovate, and the reason why we innovate is because of a problem we created as part of the last innovation."
31.01.2020
For two decades, futurist Jeremy Goldman has been working with companies looking to modernize, innovate, and disrupt their current business models. Jeremy...
Hermione Way: “If your company doesn't have a story from the beginning, you're not going to survive”
31.01.2020
Hermione Way, the world-renowned brand consultant, and marketeer, joined sTARTUp Day to share her lessons to fellow startups. The following is the...
Laura Dekker: “I feel more lonely in a big city than in the ocean”
31.01.2020
Laura Dekker is the founder of the World Sailing Foundation. Her journey was initiated by the love of sailing. Dekker shared how...
Johan Bergqvist: “The culture might change as you grow as a company"
31.01.2020
Johan Bergqvist, formerly VP of Corporate Finance and Treasury of Spotify, is now CFO of Bolt. During his Spotify career, Johan helped...
sTARTUp Day pitching TOP 7 - the best startups in Estonia at the moment
30.01.2020
sTARTUp Pitching had 32 teams competing for a place in TOP 7 - list of the best business ideas currently in Estonia....
Martti Paatela “Give a chance to the unthinkable ideas and you might win something big”
30.01.2020
Martti Paatela is the co-founder and CEO at Epic Foods – a restaurant that does not exist. It’s a sustainable food delivery...
Andres Schabelman, VP of Expansion, Fiverr: "I use my own life as a model for how to build startups."
28.01.2020
Andres Schabelman believes that creating from the heart is the path to a meaningful life and the creation of movements in business....
Your Survival Guide to sTARTUp Day 2020
27.01.2020
You know what makes hacking sTARTUp Day easy? Coming prepared. Check this list and you have all the information needed to be...
Ivar Kruusenberg, CEO of PowerUp Energy Technologies: “Running a science-based company takes a lot of persistence”
26.01.2020
Ivar Kruusenberg is the CEO and founder of PowerUp Energy Technologies. After a long career as the University of Tartu scientist, he...
State-owned energy company Eesti Energia is collaborating with startups
25.01.2020
Eesti Energia is one of the partners of sTARTUp Day and is represented at the festival both in the demo area and...
sTARTUp Mindset - what does it really mean?
24.01.2020
When we talk about sTARTUp Day, we’re always saying that we’re bringing together people with the startup mindset – not necessarily the...
TOP 32 teams of sTARTUp Pitching 2020
22.01.2020
sTARTUp Pitching is the official pitching competition of sTARTUp Day. In 2020, 248 teams from 30 different countries applied and 32 were...
Marvin Liao, 500 Startups: “Always optimize for the high quality in the people you are around”
22.01.2020
Marvin is a former partner of 500 Startups, with over 19 years of experience in venture capital, technology businesses, and startups. He...
Rein Lemberpuu, CEO of .Cocoon: “Mentoring and coaching are dead?"
21.01.2020
Working daily with startup founders and mentors in .Cocoon Founders Mentoring Program, I have seen the value that can be brought by...
Head organizer of sTARTUp Day Marili Vihmann: “If I can’t do it anymore, I keep on going!”
19.01.2020
Katrin Hinrikus and Mihkel Vetemaa started the Täitsa Pekkis podcast in 2018. They bring you stories from awesome Estonian people, their lives,...
Kadri Tuisk: “Many problems an entrepreneur faces are new even to the world”
17.01.2020
Hero of the Week Kadri Tuisk is the founder and CEO of Clanbeat - a personal growth support tool helping people to...
Patrik Etelävuori, Finnair Digital Transformation Lead: "We are open for innovation"
15.01.2020
sTARTUp Day stands for Tartu! We are always happy when offices are opened and jobs created here. For example, the international airline...
Transactions with startup shares – a few things to keep in mind
13.01.2020
You have an excellent idea and your product is going to change the world. You decide to establish a company to start...
Kaidi Ruusalepp: “Successful people see opportunities where others see risks”
10.01.2020
Hero of the week - Kaidi Ruusalepp is the founder and CEO of Funderbeam, the global funding and trading platform of private...
5 hacks to show up in Google search results for free
08.01.2020
sTARTUp Day asked Convertal about the best tricks for better SEO. They wrote an article with great advice for starting entrepreneurs who...
Lauri Kinkar: “Start selling as the first thing you do.”
04.01.2020
I've been building Messente for the past six years, together with our great team and two incredibly talented co-founders - Jaanus Rõõmus...
Taavi Tamkivi: “I was worrying about all the people who were getting hurt”
03.01.2020
Hero of the Week Taavi Tamkivi is the co-founder and CEO of Salv. Salv is an anti-money laundering user-friendly platform for financial...
Throwback to 2019 sTARTUp City highlights
31.12.2019
2019 is over and now it’s time to take a look back to everything that has happened in sTARTUp city! And oh...
Frank Salzgeber: “We need to take more risks!”
30.12.2019
Frank Salzgeber is a serial entrepreneur and the Head of Innovation and Ventures Office at European Space Agency – meaning that he...
Hero of the Week - Martin Jeret: “Fear of not succeeding is never a good reason to say no”
27.12.2019
Our Hero of the Week - Martin Jeret became CEO of Nevercode in September. At the beginning of December Nevercode signed a partnership...
Tartu Wall of Fame has been opened in SPARK Demo
26.12.2019
Since the end of November, the SPARK Demo features Tartu's own Wall of Fame, which currently shows 13 outstanding startups. Companies that...
Hero of the Week - Taniel Põld: “I am inspired by Estonian startup landscape”
20.12.2019
Taniel Põld is the CEO of Degritter, a company specializing in ultrasonic cleaning of vinyl records and is particularly distinguished by its...
Connor Swenson, Mindfulness & Productivity Coach: “People need to understand their goals and how they will be measured”
17.12.2019
Connor Swenson teaches mindfulness and meditation practices that help people be more productive and find greater wellbeing in their lives. He previously...
sTARTUp Day brings Fiverr and Airbnb experience to Tartu - the program is launched!
16.12.2019
Baltics biggest business festival sTARTUp Day just launched its program of the 2020 festival on January 29-31. This year the festival lasts...
The best gift ideas from Estonian startups
15.12.2019
Ho. Ho. Ho. What are the similarities between Christmas and sTARTUp Day? Both are getting closer and closer and bring a lot...
Hero of the Week - Heikki Mägi: “Leadership is about inspiring the people around you.”
13.12.2019
Heikki is an entrepreneur, coach, trainer, active health blogger, and a hobby chef. He’s a co-founder and CEO of Fitlap. The company...
Sorainen: Startup fundraising – how to do it right?
12.12.2019
Building a startup may seem like fun and games at first, but there are quite a few legal things to address when...
Stenver Jerkku: “Even if everything seems to fail, always look for learning opportunities.”
06.12.2019
Stenver Jerkku is a software engineer, a leader, a public speaker and an entrepreneur but most importantly – the co-founder and COO...
TransferWise: How To Teach Technology To Youngsters?
04.12.2019
sTARTUp Day has put together an exciting program for youngsters. Youth Area’s agenda includes idea-generating and prototyping workshops and offers young entrepreneurs...
Hero of the Week - Mari Joller: “I want to reinvent how people search for audio”
29.11.2019
Mari Joller is an Estonian tech entrepreneur living in New York, who builds companies that are enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). She...
Hero of the Week - Kristjan Maruste: “I decided that failing my startup would just equal an MBA"
22.11.2019
Kristjan Maruste is the CEO and co-founder of Comodule that creates a universal operating system to digitize light vehicles such as electric...
James York: Is the US market right for your Startup?
19.11.2019
James York is a native New Yorker, and former stockbroker turned professional entrepreneur and marketer. He has been the Head of SME...
Raine Toss (k u u l design): “Each failure is necessary for growth”
15.11.2019
Raine Toss is the founder and designer of the Estonian clothing brand k u u l. The brand was initially created by...
sTARTUp Day is looking for the next unicorn at the sTARTUp Pitching Competition
13.11.2019
At the business festival sTARTUp Day 2020, startups have the opportunity to present their business idea in front of 4,000 visitors and...
The University of Tartu is ranked in the top 300 in Business and Economics according to the newest Times Higher Education rankings
08.11.2019
The University of Tartu’s ranking has risen in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings! The University of Tartu is ranked 201–250 in...
30 speakers have joined sTARTUp Day – find out who!
05.11.2019
As sTARTUp Day 2020 is getting closer, its schedule is being filled with more and more awesome speakers. Here are a few...
Ivo Remmelg: “The biggest mistake is to invest in emotions”
01.11.2019
Ivo Remmelg is an entrepreneur and one of the founding members of EstBAN. Ivo has over 25 years of experience managing companies....
Priit Alamäe: “Our projects are shown as an example for other institutions in different countries”
29.10.2019
Priit Alamäe has been known in Estonia as an entrepreneurial activist for more than 20 years mainly for being the co-founder and...
Martin Kristerson: "Teamwork makes the dream work"
24.10.2019
Martin Kristerson is the founder and CEO of UpSteam – one of the fastest-growing early-stage startups of Estonia. While he was getting...
Enelin Paas: "Trust only the science, psychology, data, and concrete numbers."
21.10.2019
Enelin Paas is a full-stack strategic marketer. For the last 5 years, she has traveled across more than 40 countries while doing...
Rain Rannu: “I wanted to do something that would not exist unless I do it.”
18.10.2019
Rain Rannu is probably best described as a guy with many talents. He is known as a serial entrepreneur, who is behind...
Laura Dekker: “Fighting for your dreams and goals is always worth it!”
15.10.2019
Laura Dekker is the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone. At the age of 14, while her peers were...
Ardo Kaurit - the Estonian Young Entrepreneur of the Year!
11.10.2019
Ardo Kaurit started building electric bicycles with two friends 5 years ago. At first, it was more of a side-hobby besides motor...
The Best Thoughts from the Business Conference sTARTUp Psychology
07.10.2019
On the 30th of September, sTARTUp Day’s official side event sTARTUp Psychology took place for the first time. The event was held...
Milda Mitkute: “Cultural Fit is More Important than Professional Skills”
04.10.2019
Milda Mitkute is the co-founder of Vinted – the largest pre-loved fashion marketplace. The idea for Vinted came from Milda’s own shopping...
Former Tinder’s Head of European Communications Hermione Way Will Speak at sTARTUp Day
03.10.2019
Hermione Way, dating app’s Tinder former Head of European Communications will be speaking at sTARTUp Day 2020! We asked her about growing...
Marcel Gasser: “My Mission is to Combine the Business and Spiritual World”
23.09.2019
Marcel Gasser is an entrepreneurial nomad who has had the opportunity to work on many amazing projects all over the world. Marcel...
Keith Siilats’ Words of Wisdom to Future Founders: “Start After You’ve Put Aside Enough Money From Your Day Job.”
16.09.2019
Keith Siilats is an entrepreneur, co-founder, and CTO of Bolt Mobility, a company that's developing and renting electric scooters. This spring, Bolt...
sTARTUp Day idea founder Andres Kuusik leaves footprints to Tartu Pioneers' Alley
12.09.2019
This year Andres Kuusik, sTARTUp Day idea founder, was added to Tartu Pioneers' Alley. The purpose of the alley is to recognize...
Kicking Off the Program of sTARTUp Day 2020
05.09.2019
New season means new beginnings! As sTARTUp Day is the most innovative festival in Estonia, we aim to keep our festival fresh....
Swedbank Has Stepped Into the Co-Organizers Circle
23.08.2019
We have some great news – Swedbank is now one of the 9 co-organizers of sTARTUp Day!
First Speakers Revealed: Hermione Way and Marvin Liao will join at sTARTUp Day 2020!
20.08.2019
It’s that time of the year again – we’re going to reveal the very first speakers of sTARTUp Day 2020. But before...
Meet our new Head Organizer Marili Vihmann
15.08.2019
Marili has been with sTARTUp Day since the very beginning. She started as the volunteers’ team lead and was a member of...
Must-Attend Startup and Business Events in the Region
05.08.2019
There is an abundance of startup and business events popping up all across Europe throughout the year. Choosing which ones to attend...
UX Tartu 2019 presents: Cleveron — helping people save time through innovation
17.04.2019
On this Thursday, 18th of April, the event UX Tartu will take place for the third time already! UX Tartu is a...
Kaarel Kotkas: “If you have momentum you have everything.”
31.01.2019
Kaarel Kotkas is a founder and CEO of Veriff. He is the brain and driving power behind Veriff who inspires the team...
Marcus Engman: “IKEA has promised to make all their products parts of a circular economy by 2030.”
31.01.2019
Each year, IKEA sells 3,800 000 products designed by 20 designers and put on display by 1000 interior designers, says Marcus Engman,...
LeapIN – the OS for micro businesses
31.01.2019
LeapIN’s fresh CEO Allan Martinson talked about the challenges of freelancers and micro-businesses and how LeapIN is there to help them thrive....
Marc Sands: you have to trust the people you work with
31.01.2019
Marc Sands has done a remarkable marketing career. He’s a former The Guardian marketing director, director of Media and Audience at TATE...
Tõnu Esko – the Success Story of Estonian Genome Project
30.01.2019
Estonian Biobank is a success story: they have collected biosamples from almost 170 000 Estonians, which is a very big customer base...
From drifting to Alpine House, Superangel keeps putting startups to the test (videos!)
30.01.2019
Superangel fund is known for putting startups to the test. You might find yourself jumping out of an airplane 4km high in...
TRIT won 11th Kaleidoskoop Finals at sTARTUp Day
29.01.2019
sTARTUp Day Pitching Stage was opened by business ideas competition Kaleidoskoop 11th Finals. Team TRIT that develops a solution for the translation...
Adam Rang | The e-Residency programme is continually gathering popularity
25.01.2019
Adam Rang works as Chief Evangelist at the e-Residency programme, Estonia's first government startup, to help create a valuable network of friends...
Adrian Kaehler: “Once you could only spy on someone, now we can spy on everyone.”
25.01.2019
Adrian Kaehler has been an avid scientist from a really young age, enrolling in university at the age of 14. His main...
Startup visa gives an access to Estonian tight startup ecosystem
25.01.2019
The Estonian startup ecosystem is in the process of rapid growth. Past two years have shown that the Estonian ecosystem is competitive...
Day 2 done & some changes in the program
25.01.2019
We had an amazing second day of the festival – many many many super inspirational keynotes, panels, surprises rolled out and came...
Lauri Sokk – TARTU: SMART CITY SINCE 1632
24.01.2019
Lauri Sokk finds that the smart city concept is a way of thinking. It's not a big goal you have to achieve...
Jevgeni Kabanov shared his lessons learned on building a great product
24.01.2019
Jevgeni Kabanov built his first company at an early age of 16. Already then he made thousands of dollars building software. Unlike...
Rain Sepp & Dmitri Sarle about mentorship: “A good mentor should not give you an easy time but should challenge you instead.”
24.01.2019
Rain Sepp, CEO & Co-Founder of askRobin and Dmitri Sarle, CEO of ArcticStartup discussed the benefits of mentorship programs from both mentors...
Jonathan Raper: “transportAPI.com is a growth story from zero to a million.”
24.01.2019
TransportAPI was started in 2012 and has been up and running ever since. At the moment, 25% of bus and rail apps...
Eeva Tianen – innovating food industry through collaboration
24.01.2019
Disruption is seen in every industry. But what does transformation mean for food companies and industry? Eeva Tiainen, Fazer’s senior manager of...
Roger Dickey: “Culture can get you through tough times.”
24.01.2019
Roger Dickey is a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor and founder of Gigster. He gave us 22 sharp lessons from his life...
Patrick Mork: “Good stories are like good cocktails – they release awareness and excitement.”
24.01.2019
Patrick Mork is Chief Storyteller who for example has built and led the marketing team that launched Google play and helped scale...
The Festival has kicked off & ex-Tinder Hermione Way canceled
23.01.2019
Now we can proudly say that Day 1 of sTARTUp Day is done!
Your Survival Guide to sTARTUp Day 2019
22.01.2019
It’s finally here! Long-waited sTARTUp Day 2019 “From Zero to Hero” festival kicks off already tomorrow! Three days of community-organized awesome events...
Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang: “You have to trust your crew but also admit your own mistakes.”
21.01.2019
Christer Fuglesang is a Swedish first and only astronaut. His career is truly inspirational – he has worked in European Space Agency’s (ESA)...
Hero of the Week: Rein Lemberpuu, CEO and Founder of .Contriber: “You Often Have to Work on Balancing the Opposites.”
17.01.2019
Rein Lemberpuu – a man who needs no further introduction. Though if you do – he is one of the Tartu startup...
The Successful sTARTUp Year 2018
16.01.2019
Tartu is the only city in the world which is in the word ‘sTARTUp’. 2018 was a remarkably successful year for Tartu’s...
sTARTUp Day program is fulfilled with versatile side events
15.01.2019
sTARTUp Day is a festival with many different side events. Visitors can participate in workshops, seminars, discussions, parties, meetups and so on...
Future unicorns hit the stage in sTARTUp Pitching finals
15.01.2019
sTARTUp Pitching has reached to its finals where the jury has chosen 21 teams to participate in. Almost 250 startups applied for...
sTARTUp Day is born from synergy of the community
14.01.2019
sTARTUp Day, which has now grown to be the biggest business festival in the Baltics, was brought to life two years ago...
Ex-Google Play marketing manager Patrick Mork: “Only the paranoid survive.”
13.01.2019
Patrick Mork is a highly respected marketing expert with over 25 years of experience of which 18 years in technology field. Patrick...
The amazing world of female entrepreneurship
13.01.2019
How to succeed in the business world? How to make your ideas come to life? We had a chat with four Estonian female...
Oliver Leisalu, CTO & Co-Founder of Bolt: “Be passionate about what you’re doing.”
10.01.2019
Oliver Leisalu is the CTO and the third co-founder of Bolt (previously Taxify) of whom we yet don’t know much. Oliver will...
Sirla, Co-Founder of SprayPrinter: “The value of street art is in creative freedom.”
10.01.2019
Who would be a better person to discuss the essence and future and street art with, than street art specialist Sirla, who...
From community to the world – how did sTARTUp Day begin?
07.01.2019
sTARTUp Day 2019 is in about two weeks, can you believe it? But before we move on by introducing the current year’s...
Cameron Manwaring, Co-Founder of Shareability: “Companies should focus on sharing.”
07.01.2019
Forbes 30 Under 30. Helped to win an Oscar. Have worked with Cristiano Ronaldo, Turkish Airlines, Pizza Hut, Sony, Pepsi, Youtube. Those...
Peter Vesterbacka, Co-Founder of Lightneer: ”I Always Knew That I Wanted to do My Own Thing.”
04.01.2019
Peter Vesterbacka is a Finnish entrepreneur and mobile game developer who is most famous for being part of wildly successful Angry Birds....
Dr. Ben Miles, Founder of Spin Up Science: “Science is One of the Pinnacle Activities in Which a Society Can Engage.”
03.01.2019
Dr. Ben Miles is the founder of Spin Up Science which goal is to connect scientist and engineers across academic institutions with...
Sten Tamkivi, Chief Product Officer of Topia: “Don’t say a bad word about anything you're not ready to do better yourself.”
28.12.2018
Sten Tamkivi is the Chief Product Officer of Topia and the President of Estonian Startup Leaders Club. He is a true hero...
Fashion Designer Reet Aus: “For Some Reason, Our Society Doesn’t Value Failures.”
21.12.2018
Reet Aus is a fashion, theatre and film artist, with a goal to focus on environmentally friendly and sustainable creation. That is...
Marketing Entrepreneur James York Is Advising What’s Hot in Social Media Marketing in 2019
19.12.2018
James York is a native New Yorker and former stockbroker turned professional entrepreneur and marketer. He has been the Head of SME...
Laurie Louvet, CEO of LEEVE: “Being an Entrepreneur Means Facing New Adventures and Challenges Every Day.”
17.12.2018
Laurie Louvet is a true traveller who believes that learning new languages opens doors and makes people to become more understanding about...
Andrus Purde, Co-Founder of Outfunnel: “One can only hope that people have the patience not to take one marshmallow now but wait for two.”
14.12.2018
Andrus Purde is an Estonian marketing guru with over 20 years of experience in marketing. After working at Skype and Pipedrive, he...
Almost There! Revealing Some More Speakers of sTARTUp Day 2019
13.12.2018
It’s time to reveal this month’s selection of some speakers of sTARTUp Day 2019 “From Zero to Hero”. We’re proudly announcing some...
Chief Street Debater Tomo Kihara: “We should be cautious about how we teach AI to make decisions.”
12.12.2018
AI is something that everybody is always talking about. Why AI is such a big deal? What's the hype and the future...
Time To Have an Open Conversation About Investing And the Role of Executives in Corporate Innovation
11.12.2018
On January 23 at business festival sTARTUp Day a lot of side events happening, biggest of them are Investor day for investors...
Kadri Bussov, CEO of ESTCube: “Failing Is One of the Greatest Things That Can Happen in Life.”
07.12.2018
Kadri Bussov is the CEO of Estonian Student Satellite Foundation ESTCube – she is coordinating the construction of the ESTCube-2 satellite. The...
5 Tips On How To Pitch Like a Professional
06.12.2018
Pitching is a good tool for gaining attention for your ideas, finding investors and challenging yourself. In addition, it helps you to...
Estonian Startup Nevercode Partners with Google and Launches a Dedicated CI/CD Tool for Flutter Apps
04.12.2018
Today at the Flutter Live event held in London, Google announced the release of Flutter 1.0, an open-source mobile SDK for building...
Tõnu Runnel, Co-Founder of Sixfold: “Be Ready to Let Go of the Status Quo No Matter What the Question Is.”
29.11.2018
Tõnu Runnel is a true multi-talent – he is an entrepreneur, a designer, and a photographer.
Marili Vihmann, Head Organizer of sTARTUp Talks: “It’s truly a blessing to be a human being with one’s emotions."
23.11.2018
Marili Vihmann is the Head Organizer of sTARTUp Talks, the official side event series of sTARTUp Day. Her daily challenge is to...
Time to Reveal Some More Speakers of sTARTUp Day 2019!
21.11.2018
It’s been a while, so it’s time to introduce some more speakers of sTARTUp Day 2019! As you already know, we have...
Alissa Vassilkova, Co-Founder and CEO of Estelon: “You Just Have to Believe in Yourself and Try.”
16.11.2018
Alissa Vassilkova is the CEO and the Co-Founder of Estelon, which is one of the world’s most luxurious speaker brands. Recently she...
sTARTUp AI Will Cut Through The Hype of AI
14.11.2018
On 13th December sTARTUp Talks, the official side events series of sTARTUp Day will continue – the second event is an inspirational...
Andres Kuusik: How Can Traditional Companies Collaborate with Startups?
13.11.2018
Business festival sTARTUp Day will continue with its mission to change a widespread belief in traditional companies about startups pouring money down...
Kaarel Kotkas, CEO & Founder of Veriff: “We Are Creating Trust in a World That is Otherwise Considered Anonymous.”
09.11.2018
Kaarel Kotkas might be young but definitely not inexperienced. His company Veriff has completed the Y Combinator program, which is one of...
.Cocoon Offers a Mentorship Program That Focuses on the Psychology of Startup Founders
07.11.2018
Next to numerous business incubators and accelerators, there’s now a new program called .Cocoon. Its innovative and unique approach focuses on founders’ personal...
sTARTUp Day Gives a Possibility to Be Part of the International Festival Organizing Team
06.11.2018
Volunteers have always been in the epicenter of a successful festival – they are responsible for the image of the festival but...
Martin Vares, Co-Founder & CEO of Fractory.co: “You Have to Celebrate Even the Smallest of Victories.”
02.11.2018
Martin Vares is the CEO & co-founder of an on-demand manufacturing platform Fractory.co, which has been an astoundingly successful startup – recently...
Must-Read: What Startup Psychologist Noa Matz Suggests to Win Investors
29.10.2018
Is founding a startup with your best friend really a good idea? How to succeed in business without going crazy? Being a...
Hero of the Week: Kei Karlson, Co-Founder of GoWorkaBit Where Fun Factor is a Serious KPI
25.10.2018
Year: 2013, location: the legendary Garage48 hackathon. An idea which would change the whole job market was born – it’s called GoWorkaBit....
10 Tips to Get the Most out of a Business Festival
23.10.2018
Business events are a great place to gather inspiration and practical knowledge, to network or to raise investments. With good planning, a...
Hero of the Week: Märt Aro, Co-Founder of DreamApply: “You Can Be Stupid, But Be Stubborn.”
19.10.2018
Märt Aro has taken a mission upon himself – to develop the field of education by the educational software DreamApply which co-founder...
sTARTUp Day Announces the Competition sTARTUp Pitching
17.10.2018
Do you know what Fractory.co and Guestjoy have in common? Both of them have raised investments from the Nordic business angels through...
Hero of the Week: Richard Murutar, Founder & CEO of SprayPrinter: “My Goal is to Have World Peace by 2021.”
12.10.2018
Richard Murutar is a man with a vision of making our planet a better environment for us and our children. He does...
Hero of the Week: Young Entrepreneur of the Year, CEO of eAgronom, Robin Saluoks
05.10.2018
Robin Saluoks - co-Founder and CEO of eAgronom, Hero of the week. And yesterday the title of the Young Entrepreneur of the...
Game Producer Edvin Aedma Suggests: How To create a Successful Computer Game?
30.09.2018
The new Estonian computer game Circle Empires enjoys its international success as the earnings are already 15 times the size of development...
Hero of the Week: Triin Kask, Co-Founder & CEO of Nevercode
28.09.2018
“Believing in yourself is the most crucial asset that you have. Trust life and trust that everything turns out good in the...
Estonian Marketing Guru Andrus Purde Gives Advice About Dogs And Sugar Gliders
25.09.2018
There are lots of people who call themselves marketing gurus but few who really are. Andrus Purde is a man who definitely...
Hero of the Week: Kristel Kruustük, Founder & CEO of Testlio
20.09.2018
Kristel Kruustük is the Co-Founder and CEO of Testlio, software testing and QA management platform that has become one of the most successful...
Martin Vares: Tartu has a better business environment than Silicon Valley
19.09.2018
“Without a specific goal there’s no point in going to Silicon Valley – nobody will wait for you there. There are plenty...
Hero of the Week: Kelly Kangur, Co-Founder & CBO of Decomer Technology
14.09.2018
Decomer Technology is developing a novel water-soluble and edible packaging material. Our next Hero of the Week is Kelly Kangur, Co-Founder and Chief...
First 10 speakers of sTARTUp Day 2019 revealed
13.09.2018
As you already know, this year’s sTARTUp Day will be bigger than ever. It’s time to announce the first 10 speakers!
About last year: the best early-stage start-up GuestJoy is moving towards a global footprint
07.09.2018
Remember the amazing hotels guest communication tool GuestJoy? That’s right – it’s the best early stage start-up from our last year festival’s...
Hero of the Week: Ermo Tikk, Head Organizer of sTARTUp Day
30.08.2018
It’s the kickoff of our brand new column – Hero of the Week. Our first hero is Ermo Tikk – head organizer...
sTARTUp Day 2019 - What's New This Year?
22.05.2018
On 23th to 25th January 2019, sTARTUp Day takes place for the third time. Being chosen to be the most innovative conference...
sTARTUp Day 2017 – a bubbling universe in the center of Tartu
09.12.2017
sTARTUp Day 2017 was simply amazing – sold out event with over 2600 attendees, 100+ speakers on four stages, different pitching competitions...
Kertu Kriisk: "Startups and Companies are More Productive When Working Together"
04.12.2017
Product development is an unending process, starting with studying the market, continued by creating the product, testing and also then tearing it...
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THE 7 GOOD REASONS WHY STARTUP DAY 2017 IS A ROCKETSHIP FOR STARTUPS
21.11.2017
Launching your own startup might seem a risky deal: only 1 out of 10 start-ups survive, that is a statistic you may...
The Coolest Stage at sTARTUp Day 2017 - the UT IdeaLab Pitching Stage
17.11.2017
The IdeaLab of the University of Tartu, which has 1 of the 4 sTARTUp Day 2017 stages, will host a series of pitching...
Enterprise Estonia has approved sTARTUp Day 2017 with the grant for international conferences
15.11.2017
Enterprise Estonia has approved our request to support sTARTUp Day 2017 with the grant for international conferences. The grant will help us...
Tartu’s ambition: to become the top centre for startups in the Nordic countries
07.11.2017
Thanks to an international university community, rapidly developing research, inspired citizens and venturesome startups, Tartu now has all the factors needed to...
Peter Kentie Offers Tartu The Smartu Brand
01.11.2017
Peter Kentie managed to get into people's hearts by introducing the overly popular "Just Estonishing" campaign with the easily used -est concept. As...
For 3 days, sTARTUp Day 2017 will turn Tartu into the busiest place in Europe
23.10.2017
sTARTUp Day 2017 is a busy day fulfilled with motivation and inspiration to all guests. The business festival will be packed with...
Andrus Viirg: If you want something done, do it yourself!
08.10.2017
Getting investors in Silicon Valley interested in one country's startups is not an easy job. Why would they care? It turns out...
7 reasons why you should attend sTARTUp Day 2017
28.09.2017
Last year, we held the sTARTUp Day business festival for the first time. With almost 3000 participants and 45 speakers from all...
Looking back at sTARTUp Day 2016: the first-time business festival that exceeded all the expectations!
19.09.2017
Last year, for the first time, Tartu was turned into a business megafest. Thousands of start-ups, professionals, corporates, students, academics and media...
The biggest business festival in Estonia sTARTUp Day – From Zero to Hero!
24.05.2017
The idea for sTARTUp Day was born just a year ago. Now we can proudly say that we are the biggest business...