Below is a month-by-month overview of EstBAN events from September to November. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for registration details and programme updates. Our Luma Calendar is open for members only and where you can’t see a sign up link – look for it in your mailbox.

August

• 12.08 Startup Ecosystem Season Opening Party
  The event is organized by EstBAN, EstVCA, the Estonian Founders Society and Startup Estonia.

• 26.08 EstBAN Monthly Pitch Event

September

• 08.09 Wrong Presumptions on Why Companies Fail to Get or Lose Their Licences in FinTech
  A training session exploring common misconceptions around licensing in the FinTech sector and the reasons companies may fail to obtain or retain their licences.
• 16.09 New Angel Investor Onboarding
  An introductory online session for new and prospective angel investors, covering the fundamentals of angel investing and how to make the most of the EstBAN network.
• 24.09 EstBAN Monthly Pitch Event
  Our monthly pitch event brings together selected startups and EstBAN investors for an evening of new ideas, investment opportunities and networking.
• 16-17.09 Startup Fair, Vilnius, Lithuania Tickets here 

October

• 05.10 Angel Investor Study Trip: Romania & How to Web Conference, Bucharest, Romania
  A curated investor study trip combining ecosystem meetings, networking and participation in the How to Web conference in Bucharest. Sign up
• 15.10 EstBAN x KPMG Monthly Pitch: Defence Tech
  A thematic pitch event focused on defence technology, bringing together investors, industry experts and selected startups working in the sector.

November

• 19.11 EstBAN x Tehnopol Pitch Event
  A joint pitch event with Tehnopol featuring promising startups, investor insights and opportunities to build new connections across the ecosystem.
• 19.-21.11 Investor Tour 2026 Yerevan, Armenia
  The Investor Tour on 19-21 November 2026 is a curated journey through Armenia’s thriving innovation and technology ecosystem – designed to give you an insider’s view of the region’s most dynamic startup scenes. Sign up 

Before you switch off for the summer, secure your spot at our autumn events, we look forward to seeing you there!

The post What’s Ahead for EstBAN: August to November 2026 first appeared on EstBAN.

The post What’s Ahead for EstBAN: August to November 2026 appeared first on EstBAN.

New Team in place

The beginning of 2026 brought two new team members into EstBAN – as Karin Künnapas stepped down from Managing Director position, Jana Saastamoinen became a new CEO of the network. In March we also welcomed a new Deal Flow Manager Darja Ogorodnik as Margret Kanniste continues as an angel investor member.

Latitude59 Syndicate Investments

In spring, EstBAN strengthened cooperation across the New Nordics. Together with LatBAN and FiBAN, the network backed the Latitude59 Pitch Competition with up to €300,000 in angel investment. The final syndicate was divided between Finnish energy-storage startup Granarium Technologies, receiving up to €200,000, and Estonian working-dog technology company DogBase, receiving up to €100,000.

Training New Angels

EstBAN also continued to develop the next generation of investors through training and educational initiatives, including the Female Angel Investor Training Programme, legal seminars and pitch events for angel investors. At the same time, the network published new Investor Talk interviews to share the experiences of active members and make angel investing more accessible to a wider audience. We also held monthly angel luncheons to support members networking opportunities.

Investing Summary and Board Elections

At the Annual General Meeting, EstBAN approved its 2026 action plan, elected and re-elected board members (welcome Peeter P. Mõtsküla as a newly elected Board Member), and recognised outstanding investors and ecosystem partners through the EstBAN Angel Awards. The annual review also showed that members invested €14.1 million into startups in 2025, while syndicates, funds and cross-border investing continued to play an increasingly important role.

Two New Fund Members

The community also expanded through new partnerships, including TooEarly Ventures and M2 Capital Partners joining as fund members. In addition, EstBAN continued supporting existing portfolio companies: Nanordica Medical announced a €1.6 million funding round with participation from an EstBAN syndicate.

sTARTUp Day Syndicates are on hold

The year began with the sTARTUp Day pitching competition, where EstBAN investors selected two deep-tech companies for syndicate investments: Estonian ImpactPCB and Finnish LifeGlue, each eligible to receive up to €150,000. By June 2026 neither of the syndicates have formulated due to follow-up due diligence issues.

Altogether, the first six months of 2026 have reinforced EstBAN’s role as a connector between investors, founders and ecosystem organisations bringing together capital, knowledge and international networks to help ambitious startups grow.

• See the photo gallery of Spring Season End 2026 (photos by Edmond Mäll)

The post EstBAN activities in the first half of 2026 first appeared on EstBAN.

The post EstBAN activities in the first half of 2026 appeared first on EstBAN.

Startups from Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Ukraine take the stage at Latitude59, the flagship startup and tech conference of the Baltics and Nordics, held in Tallinn, Estonia. Seven finalists compete for an investment of nearly half a million euros.

The seven finalists are:

The post Startups from Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Ukraine Reach the Finals of Latitude59’s Pitch Competition first appeared on EstBAN.

The post Startups from Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Ukraine Reach the Finals of Latitude59’s Pitch Competition appeared first on EstBAN.

Before the pitches, we get to hear from one of Tartu Science Park’s own success stories, a company that has grown through the ecosystem and made its mark – Pätris Halapuu from CrystalSpace will hold a keynote. A source of inspiration for the founders taking the stage right after. ​In addition to fruitful conversations, we’ll have snacks and drinks to keep the energy going throughout the evening. The best conversations often happen away from the stage.

​​We expect all participants to join us on-site; however, if you’re unable to attend in person, an online link will be shared with you before the event.

• Time: Thursday, 23 April, 16:30-19:30
• Location: Knorringu Aadlimaja, Tartu
• Sign up: https://luma.com/e87lt1dt

The post Open event: EstBAN x Tartu Science Park Pitch Event first appeared on EstBAN.

The post Open event: EstBAN x Tartu Science Park Pitch Event appeared first on EstBAN.

Agenda highlights of the event

Sun, May 31 – Side events, Vilnius exploration & VIP Dinner
Mon, June 1 – Main Conference Day 1: keynotes, panels & EBAN Awards Gala Dinner
Tue, June 2 – Main Conference Day 2: panels, matchmaking & side events
Wed, June 3 – Study tour: Lithuanian startup ecosystem

Why attend?

• Unmatched networking. Connect with co-investors and startups through side events, evening cocktails, a VIP reception, and the iconic EBAN Congress Gala Dinner.
• Invest in Europe’s resilience. Future thinking angels play a key role in investing in Europe’s resilience and this year we focus on defence & space, clean energy, life sciences, and Europe’s strategic sectors.
• Discover Lithuania’s startup ecosystem and enjoy Lithuania’s vibrant culture – including the Pink Soup Festival and meet Lithuanian VCs, angels, founders and ecosystem players, join the ecosystem tour!
• Special BAN Manager Programme. Deep dive and experience sharing for professionals running angel networks, clubs and syndicates

Vilnius is the place to be for angel investors in 2026. Join us!

Secure your spot: www.ebancongress.com Special discount for EBAN members – ask your discount via info@estban.ee

The post EstBAN is part of the EBAN Congress 2026 – the angel investor meetup in Vilnius first appeared on EstBAN.

The post EstBAN is part of the EBAN Congress 2026 – the angel investor meetup in Vilnius appeared first on EstBAN.

Programm annab osalejatele võimaluse hinnata iduettevõtete potentsiaali nii iseseisvalt kui ka koos teiste investoritega ning tutvuda EstBANi kogukonnaga. Koolituste käigus õpitakse looma isiklikku investeerimisstrateegiat ja ehitama tasakaalustatud investeerimisportfelli ning saadud teadmisi saab rakendada kohe praktikas osaledes EstBAN x Latitude59 iduettevõtete pitch-võistluse parima valimisel ja sellele järgnevas sündikaatinvesteeringus.

>>REGISTREERIMINE

Koolituste ajakava

• 2. aprill kell 16.30-19.00 Kuidas alustada investeerimist idufirmadesse? Koolitab Kadi-Ingrid Lilles (Iron Wolf Capital partner, ingelinvestor);
  
• 9. aprill kell 16.30-19.00 Kuidas idufirmasid analüüsida ja luua tasakaalus investeerimisportfell? Koolitab Kärt Siilats (Go Beyond Capital, ettevõtja ja ingelinvestor);
  
• 22. aprill kell 16.30-19.00 Praktiline due diligence (DD) läbimäng Kati Pino (advokaadibüroo Hedman assotsieerunud partner) ja juhtinvestor Jana Budkovskaja juhendamisel;
  
• 7. mai kell 16.30-19.00 Investeerimise juriidilised põhialused Koolitab Kati Pino.
• Lisaks toimub programmi lõpus investorite networking üritus. 

Osalemine koolitustel on tasuta, kuid kohtade arv on piiratud 30 osalejaga. Kandideerimine on avatud kuni 22. märtsini. Pärast seda teavitame kandidaate programmi pääsemisest. Osalejad valime investeerimisprofiili, varasema üldise investeerimiskogemuse ja valmisoleku põhjal, kuid kandideerima on oodatud kõik huvilised. Sessioonid toimuvad eesti keeles.

Boonusena saavad osalejad kutsed EstBANi startup pitch-sündmustele aprillist juunini 2026, võimaluse osaleda Latitude59 sündikaatinvesteeringus ning ligipääsu kogenud ingelinvestorite ja startup-ökosüsteemi võrgustikule. Koolitusprogrammi toetavad advokaadibüroo Hedman ja SEB Eesti.

Lisainfo ja küsimused: jana@estban.ee
Info varasemate koolituste kohta: https://estban.ee/naisinvestorid/

>>REGISTREERIMINE

The post Kandideeri naisinvestorite kevadisse koolitusprogrammi first appeared on EstBAN.

The post Kandideeri naisinvestorite kevadisse koolitusprogrammi appeared first on EstBAN.

Due to the very strong competition, the EstBAN syndicate will be divided between two promising deep tech startups: ImpactPCB gets up to €150k, and LifeGlue (FIN) gets up to €150k.

EstBAN syndicate co-lead Martin Goroško commented that the startups were impressive, and it wasn’t an easy task to pick the winners. “All the top 30 companies that made it to the sTARTUp Day pitching stage are investable, and I believe investors will pick them up sooner or later. Regarding the angel investor syndicate, we were weighing the decision pretty intensely until the last minute,” Goroško mentioned.

Lead investor Heidi Kakko said that the winners were the strongest in all aspects that investors are looking for. “They know how to validate a problem early enough in a complex field and create a corresponding solution. For investors, it’s also important to understand their specific markets,” Kakko said.

How are the investment winners going to change the world?

ImpactPCB offers a validated, revenue-generating deep-tech solution for chemical-free e-waste recycling, addressing a critical EU resource challenge. Strong founder expertise, early customer traction, and scalable modular technology support an attractive growth opportunity.

• Founders: Artur Klauson, Deniss Klauson
• Read more: https://www.impactpcb.com/our-solutions

LifeGlue is developing a scalable biomaterial platform with strong scientific foundations and broad application potential. Early validation and a clear value proposition position the company well for long-term impact and growth.

• Founders: Laura Kuittinen, Paula Puistola, Anni Mörö
• Read more: https://www.glue4life.com/

Rest of the TOP5 startups of the sTARTUp Day 2026 Pitching Competition

These companies made it to the finals together with two winners from a pool of over 200 promising ventures:

• Thistle and Gerda-Annika Laager (EST)
• EsaDres and Karin Kogermann (EST)
• BabAI Orbital and Roman Karpenko (UKR-EST).

More on the same topic

• Read more about the sTARTUp Day 2026 syndicate
• Take a look at former EstBAN syndicates too.

The post EstBAN syndicate winners of sTARTUp Day Pitching Competition are deep tech companies ImpactPCB (EST) and LifeGlue (FIN) first appeared on EstBAN.

The post EstBAN syndicate winners of sTARTUp Day Pitching Competition are deep tech companies ImpactPCB (EST) and LifeGlue (FIN) appeared first on EstBAN.

At the Estonian Startup Ecosystem Fireside Chat panel discussion, Allan Martinson, President of the Estonian Founders Society and an entrepreneur, described the year as the best so far for the local startup sector.

“It certainly wasn’t an easy year, but our founders have done excellent work. The added value of Estonia’s startup sector this year is €1.8 billion, or 4.3% of Estonia’s GDP, which is three times more than five years ago. What’s remarkable, however, is that the number of employees in the sector has not grown over the past four years. We have built an extremely efficient sector that generates 2.5 times more added value per employee,” Martinson said.

The turnover of Estonia’s startup sector is forecast to exceed €5.1 billion this year, about a fifth higher than last year. “At the same time, the Estonian economy has grown by about 1%, and unlike the rest of the economy, the startup sector has not contracted even once,” Martinson noted.

Kärt Klein, representing Invest Estonia, highlighted growing interest from international investors in Estonian startups as a positive trend. “We work with international investors every day and see very strong interest in the defense industry and deep tech. At the moment, 40 to 50 foreign funds are looking for opportunities to invest in Estonia, and the interest is coming from new countries. So we are in a good place and moving in the right direction,” she said.

The Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN), which represents Estonia’s angel investors, also views this year positively. “Private investors are investing actively, both directly and through syndicates and funds, and this year we have seen a record number of three angel syndicate exits, which adds optimism and brings money back into the market,” said EstBAN CEO Karin Künnapas. “At the same time, we see that angel investors have become more mature and that it is harder to secure early stage investment. In the past, a good idea and a strong team were enough, but today, to raise your first investment, you need to have something real to show,” Künnapas emphasized.

A concern raised was that Estonia’s startup sector could be held back by a declining number of new startups. Several factors were cited, from economic conditions to demographics. “Today we have far fewer people in their thirties than five years ago, yet historically they have been the most active startup founders,” Martinson noted.

Hendrik Reimand, Chairman of the Board of the Estonian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EstVCA), agreed that the shortage of founders is a concern that needs to be addressed. “We need to think about how to make Estonia even more attractive to foreign founders, encourage more experienced and somewhat older professionals to enter the startup sector, and engage universities to better commercialize scientific discoveries,” Reimand said.

Head of Startup Estonia Vaido Mikheim drew attention to the fact that globally, entrepreneurial activity is higher than ever. “Every day, 137,000 new startups are founded worldwide, so entrepreneurship has not disappeared. This is the global context in which we find ourselves today,” Mikheim stressed.

The discussion also noted that private equity and venture capital investment has declined across Europe and globally. “European venture capital funds have raised a total of €9 billion this year, which is the lowest number in the last ten years. The problem of lower investment activity is certainly wider then in Estonia. Today’s biggest challenge is attracting investors from foreign fund of funds into Estonian venture capital,” Kärt Klein said.

However, the numbers show that Estonian startups have learned to grow even without massive funding rounds. “Estonia’s startup sector is profitable today, and rising profits are replacing investor funding. This is a dramatic change that will strongly shape the sector’s development in the coming years. Estonia’s startup sector is entering a new era,” Martinson concluded.

Estonian Startup Ecosystem Annual Fireside Chat 2025 was organised by the Estonian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association EstVCA, the Estonian Founders Society, the Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN, Startup Estonia, and Invest Estonia. The event was supported by Swedbank Estonia. The panel was led by Vaido Mikheim, the head of Startup Estonia.

• Gallery (photos by Tiit Tamme)
• The recording of the chat is up on YouTube
• Read about the thoughts on 2024
• Read about the thoughts on 2023

The post Experts: Estonia’s startup sector is entering a new era first appeared on EstBAN.

The post Experts: Estonia’s startup sector is entering a new era appeared first on EstBAN.

Wednesday, December 10 at 17:45 (Estonian time)
→ Chat on YouTube

Estonian Startup Ecosystem representatives and Annual Fireside Chat panelists, Karin Künnapas, Allan Martinson, Hendrik Reimand, Kärt Klein, and Vaido Mikheim, are geared up to dive into the state of the sector, from the rise of new founders and access to capital, to startup mortality and the real sources of optimism.

​The Estonian Startup Ecosystem Annual Fireside Chat 2025 is powered by Swedbank Estonia and organized by Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN) and Connect2Scale project, Estonian Founders Society, Estonian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EstVCA), Invest in Estonia & Startup Estonia. 

Previoulsy on the same topic:

• 16.01.2025 Estonian Startup Ecosystem Annual Fireside Chat 2024 

• 19.01.2024 Estonian Startup Ecosystem says we need more superfounders

The post Watch the Estonian Startup Ecosystem Annual Fireside Chat LIVE broadcast first appeared on EstBAN.

The post Watch the Estonian Startup Ecosystem Annual Fireside Chat LIVE broadcast appeared first on EstBAN.

Applications for sTARTUp Pitching are open until 7 November. If you have a startup in your portfolio or you are building one yourself – take action and apply ASAP.

The best startups will compete for:

• Up to €200k syndicate investment from EstBAN
• €200k deep tech investment from Baltic Sandbox Ventures
• €10k equity-free cash from Swedbank
• €10k legal support from Sorainen
• Pitch deck legal proofing & 6000€ legal support from Triniti
• Up to $25k in AWS credits for participants from Spendbase!
• Mentorship and advisory worth €120k from Values360Ventures
• Pitching training for TOP30

 Find all the information: www.startupday.ee/program/pitching

This year, sTARTUp Pitching takes place in two parts

In the first round, you’ll first need to assess your startup’s current development status on a scale of 1-9 across six areas using The KTH Innovation Readiness Level model:

– Customer Readiness Level (CRL)
– Technology Readiness Level (TRL)
– Business Model Readiness Level (BRL)
– IPR Readiness Level (IPRL)
– Team Readiness Level (TMRL)
– Funding Readiness Level (FRL)

You can find detailed information about how to score your startup on each aspect HERE. Be honest! We don’t expect you to score high on any aspect, but our investors do need a realistic overview of your current state.

• Explore EstBAN’s previous syndicates and see the impact of collective investing on the EstBAN website.

See you all in January at the sTARTUp Day!

The post sTARTUp Day Pitching Competition winner gets up to €200k syndicate investment from EstBAN investors first appeared on EstBAN.

The post sTARTUp Day Pitching Competition winner gets up to €200k syndicate investment from EstBAN investors appeared first on EstBAN.