Estonia’s leading startups, investors and contributors to the development of the startup ecosystem will be selected this year from a record 506 nominees. The winners will be announced at the Estonian Startup Awards gala on 22 January, 2026.
Elise Sass, co-founder of LIFT99, said the past year had clearly shown that Estonia’s startup scene is no longer defined by a handful of success stories, but has evolved into a mature and diverse ecosystem with a strong pipeline of companies with international potential. “The Estonian startup sector is characterised by a practical, globally oriented mindset, rapid adaptability and close cooperation between founders, investors and the public sector. The Estonian Startup Awards provide a strong overview of the teams that have made the most significant contributions to the sector over the past year, and I am excited to see who the Estonian startup community considers the stand-out performers,” Sass said.
According to Startup Estonia, there are currently 1,544 startups operating in Estonia, with the sector’s turnover exceeding €5 billion in 2025. Experts estimate that startups accounted for around 4% of Estonia’s GDP last year, equivalent to €1.8 billion.
Candidates for the Estonian Startup Awards were nominated by startup founders, employees and organisations contributing to the development of the sector. Members of the wider public who follow developments in the startup ecosystem were also invited to put forward their favourites. The top nominees will be selected by an independent jury, with Estonia’s leading startups recognised across 11 categories this year.
The main categories of the Estonian Startup Awards 2025 are Founder of the Year, Investor of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Revenue Hack of the Year, and Giving Back Powerhouse of the Year. In addition, there are six special categories recognizing outstanding startups in the fields of FinTech, DeepTech, HealthTech, and DefenceTech. The best players in SaaS will also receive recognition. For the first time, the Impact Visionary of 2025 award will be presented.
The winners of all 11 categories will be announced at the annual awards gala on January 22, 2026, taking off at 19:00. The live broadcast can be followed via the Linkedin page of Estonian Startup Awards, Delfi and Estonian World.
The Estonian Startup Awards are organised by LIFT99, the Estonian Founders Society and Startup Estonia. The event’s main sponsors are Bolt, Estonian Ministry of Defence, PayPal, Swedbank and Tallinn City. The awards are also supported by Advizo, Coop Bank, Ellex Raidla, EIS, European Women in VC, Hedman, Karma VC, Nordic Ninja VC, OÜ Slava Käsi, OÜ Viive Sünnipäev, Plural VC, SkipEatNutrition, Sorainen, Specialist VC, TalentHub.
About Estonian Startup Awards
For the seventh year in a row, the Estonian Startup Awards will celebrate the success and growth of Estonia’s vibrant startup ecosystem. The initiative of Estonian Startup Awards is led by Estonian Founders Society, Startup Estonia and LIFT99. The awards aim to recognise Estonia’s most outstanding startups, investors, and community leaders — people who have made remarkable contributions to the development of the startup sector and the economy, and who continue to inspire the next generation of founders.
About Estonia
Estonia is home to the highest concentration of unicorns in Europe, boasting 865 startups per 1M people. For years, Estonia has been a role model in the global tech scene. Estonian tech entrepreneurs have been successful and produced the largest number of unicorns - companies worth over one billion euros - in Europe per capita. Estonia has 10 unicorns: Skype, Playtech, Wise, Bolt, Pipedrive, Zego, ID.me, Gelato, Veriff and Glia.
The team of Startup Estonia - one of the co-organizers of the event - at Estonian Startup Awards 2024. Photos by: Visualency.