1. #estonianmafia
Andrus Viirg
Enterprise Estonia Silicon Valley
andrus.viirg@eas.ee
www.estonia.eu
www.investinestonia.com
January 23, 2012 @ Stanford Engineering
European Entrepreneurship & Innovation

2. ENTERPRISE ESTONIA
State foundation for Business Support & Development:
 implementing agency of the EU structural funds in Estonia
 budget 1.3 billion USD (2007-2013)
 ca 300 employees
 financing and other support schemes for enterprises, R&D and non-profit
institutions
Investment, Trade & Innovation Promotion
– assisting international companies to estonianize
– assisting Estonian companies to internationalize
– facilitating tech & knowledge transfer
– Foreign Representative Offices:
Helsinki , Hamburg, London, Stockholm
Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev,
Shanghai, Tokyo and
Silicon Valley

3. Estonia Republic of Estonia
(1918-1940) & 1991 .....
Member of EU, NATO
(2004)
Population: 1.36 million
Territory: 17 464 sq mile
Currency board
arrangement (1992-2010)
GDP: 19 billion USD
GDP per capita: 14 000 USD Joined the EURO
(2010) currency Jan.1, 2011
Exports 76% of GDP
transit trade comprising over
80% of the general transport
of goods.

4. TALLINN – one of the oldest
capital cities in Northern Europe
• first mentioned in 1154 (as Kolyvan) by an Arab
geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi (map:Tabula Rogeriana)
• combines new and old: Medievial Old Town (UNESCO
World Heritage Site) and modern City Center

5. Estonia produces a disproportionate
number of startups per capita slide shared by Robin Wauters
during Seedcamp Week in
London (sept.2011), where out
of 20 companies 4 Estonian
startups presented and two 2
became finalists.
GrabCAD, is a mechanical
engineering community and a
marketplace
Sportlyzer is an online
training advisor.

6. Wired European Startups
The Wired Magazine
By Tom Cheshire
16 August 2011
Tallinn has some heavyweight tech credentials, but new companies
are emerging. Garage48, a monthly two-day hackathon, has spawned
several startups

7. Estonia
behind the scenes
integrating into Scandinavia
birthplace of Kazaa & Skype
NATO Cyber Defence Centre
EU IT Agency
e-Estonia

8. Universities & Tech Parks
– Tallinn University of Technology
www.ttu.ee
- 14,000 students
- Tallinn Technology Park: www.tehnopol.ee
– Tartu University (est. 1632)
www.ut.ee
- 17,000 students
- Tartu Biotechnology Park: www.biopark.ee
- Tartu Science Park
www.sciencepark.ee

9. Not only e-Estonia
• Cleantech & energy efficiency
www.crystalsol.ee www.goliath.ee www.elcogen.ee
www.yogasystems.com
• Oil shale mining, chemistry, oil extraction
– www.vkg.ee www.shaleoil.ee www.enefit.com
Enefit acquired 100% of OSEC (Oil Shale Exploration Company) shares and became the owner of the largest
tracts of privately owned oil shale properties in Utah. Enefit is planning to construct an oil shale plant with a
capacity of 57,000 barrels of shale oil per day at full production.
• Metal constructions and antennas of ground
stations for sattellite communication www.vertex.eu
• Rare metals used in high-tech industries
– www.silmet.ee acquired by Molycorp, US April 4 2011
3 000 metric ton of rare earth products annually:
2% of global production (China 97%)

10. 把瑠都 凱斗
Baruto Kaito
Winner of Sumo Hatsu Basho
Jan.22 2012, Tokyo Japan
(top divison championship)

11. Estonia – Silicon Valley/California
• www.egeeninc.com
• www.erply.com
• www.zerply.com
• www.fortumo.com
• www.fotki.com
• www.guardtime.com
• www.modesat.com
• www.programeter.com
• www.oak-biotech.com
• www.spmtips.com
• www.yogasystems.com
• www.300mg.com
• www.pipedrive.com