Estonian Startup
Awards
For half a decade, the Estonian Startup Awards has been here to count the brightest stars on our local startup horizon, celebrate the achievements of the local community, and inspire the next generation of founders to take over the world. The public nomination round was open until December 20, 2024. The final voting took place in January, carried out by a 200+ member jury of Estonian startup founders, in collaboration with the Estonian Founders Society and Startup Estonia.
Made possible by
"Given the results are based purely on a survey of founder peers in the community, these awards are always really meaningful recognition."
– Sten Tamkivi, former President of Estonian Founders Society
"It happens every year that I can’t wait for the list of nominees - it allows me to get to know companies that I haven’t heard of before."
– Kaidi Puusepp, President of the Estonian Founders Society 2022-2023
Past awards
About Startup Awards
Discover Estonia's Startup Superstars
The Estonian Startup Awards, launched in 2019 with LIFT99, Estonian Founders Society, and Startup Estonia, celebrates the year’s top startups, unites our community, and inspires future founders.
A Global Startup Powerhouse
Estonia’s startup scene is booming:
1,500 active startups employ over 14,000 people.
World leader in startups, unicorns, and funds raised per capita.
€2.7B in turnover in 2024, up 10% from 2023.
How We Find the Best
Each November, we launch public nominations to uncover rising stars. A rigorous shortlist is crafted based on growth metrics, followed by voting from 200+ Estonian founders. The invite-only Awards Gala in January, broadcast live on social media, crowns the winners.
Let's partner up!
Shape the future of Estonia’s startup ecosystem by partnering with the Estonian Startup Awards. Your industry expertise can make an impact—whether guiding nominations, announcing winners at the January gala, or contributing insights to our trend reports.
Why Partner with Us?
Showcase Your Expertise: Be featured in social media, press, and our industry reports, reaching 10,000+ startup enthusiasts. Network with Leaders: Connect with founders, investors, and innovators at the exclusive gala (two VIP invitations included). Inspire the Next Generation: Empower entrepreneurs to dream big and build the next unicorn.
Limited Spots Available!
Email awards@lift99.co (mailto:awards@lift99.co) by December 15 to explore partnership opportunities. Join us at the Estonian Startup Awards Gala in January to celebrate innovation and unite our thriving startup community!
The team
Kadri Barclay
Marketing
Marina Bachmann
Public Relations
Eili Mändul
Project Manager
Eliizabeth Mändul
Operations Manager
Hello. We are the core team behind Estonian Startup Awards. We've been on the Estonian startup scene for years - working within startups, organizing events, managing projects, supporting organizations, freelancing in various roles, and simply being passionate about our tight-knit community. We love seeing our ecosystem grow, expand into the world and make Estonia bigger!