Estonian Startup Awards’ Post

This picture is more than just a collection of badges—it’s a testament to a year filled with purpose, progress, and pride. For me, these badges are the modern-day equivalent of medals, much like the ones I used to collect during my sports years. This year, I had the honour of representing the tech ecosystems of CEE—and for the majority of the time, proudly carrying the torch for Bulgaria under the banner of #BreakingGrounds. 🇧🇬✨🏅 What made this year truly special was the collaboration with tech ecosystems across the region. We organized events and joined forces with innovators and leaders from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Cyprus, and of course, Bulgaria. Together, we showcased the strength and potential of CEE on the global stage. 🌍 Over 38,000 kilometres travelled—almost one full lap around the Earth’s equator—to attend some of the world’s biggest and most impactful conferences. From east to west, south to north, it’s been a year of building bridges, expanding networks, and showcasing the incredible talent of our region in Europe. The theme of 2023 was clear: Building Momentum. Together with my colleagues at Storytelling Studio and The Recursive, I believe we succeeded. From connecting innovators to securing opportunities for #CEE startups, we’ve laid a strong foundation. But 2024 brings a new challenge: Turning Tides. 🌊 It’s time to establish credibility and expand networks beyond #Europe. The journey continues, and I couldn’t be more excited about the road ahead. Here’s to progress, partnerships, and breaking new grounds in 2024! 🚀 Irina Obushtarova, Boyko Takov, Iskren Krusteff, Petar Dimov, Konstantin Bezuhanov, Stephane Gantchev, Kristiana Kuneva, Etien Yovchev, Elena Vrabie, Dilyana Haralanova, Amaliya Abbas, Elena Ghiniță, Teodora Atanasova, Ana Marija K., 🇧🇬 Andrey Andonov 🇺🇦, Konstantin Diamandiev, Livia Rusu, Desislava Smokova #BreakingGrounds #CEETech #Innovation #BuildingMomentum #TurningTides #TechEcosystem #TheRecursive #CEE #SEE

The biggest tech event in Mexico is approaching 🇲🇽🔥 Founders, VCs, and Corporations get ready for Mexico Tech Week. It is a week that brings together the most relevant national and international actors in the sector to boost and celebrate the technological powerhouse that is Mexico. See you from October 21 to 27 in Mexico City. 📅 Learn more and register for the events here: https://lnkd.in/erw-3fYE #MexicoTechWeek2024

Glass half full or empty stat of the day - the entire exited value of Europe's entrepreneurial tech ecosystem over the past decade is less than the value of just one of Elon Musk's companies https://lnkd.in/ecGA24rx Musk's Tesla company - rescued by Daimler through an inspired corporate venture capital deal back that the German car maker then failed to capitalise on - has passed its $1 trillion valuation. https://lnkd.in/eP4Z2YYN A total of $925bn value has been released by M&A and IPOs by European startups since 2015. This was a significant step up from $391bn the decade before so half full perhaps. But also half empty given the power law means the world is made by the winners, hence why report authors Tom and Sarah at Atomico call expect (or hope) Europe will create its first $1 trillion company in the decade ahead. Frankly, the best way to achieve this would be the same way Alphabet, Microsoft, Nvidia and the rest of the Americans have done so in the past decade and that's by getting the startups to use their capital raised and free cashflow to reinvest as quickly as possible in the following tier of startups. Europe caps out because its speed of innovation between and among the corporates and startups is weaker than seen in China and the US or Japan or Korea (and arguably Brasil and Argentina where Fabricio's Movile and Marcos' Mercado Libre are poster children). After a few decades, Europe's better but still light years behind its potential. Congrats to Niklas and the other brilliant entrepreneurs and investors for wanting to do better yet H/T Stéphane, Jean-David, Marjut, Louis, Poppy, Stephen, Jeremy, Edmund, Francis, Jonathan, Matthew, Aekta, Gus, Sam

Are you a tech founder looking to enter the Asia Pacific market? Learn more about the upcoming Tech West England Advocates trade mission to Hong Kong in October for the StartmeupHK Festival. Follow links for more info and details on 1st July webinar to learn more: 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 #tech #HongKong #startups #apac

🇪🇺𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙨! 𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮. 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙐-𝙄𝙣𝙘-𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙! 🇪🇺 I just joined more than 7500 other founders and investors and signed the petition the EU Inc and continue to kickstart Europe. The petition calls for European policymakers to unite the fragmented European startup ecosystem by creating a standardized, pan-European corporate structure called 'EU Inc.' The goal is to reduce legal and regulatory barriers that currently hinder cross-border collaboration, investment, and scaling for startups across Europe. By doing so, Europe could unlock its potential to become a global leader in tech, with a thriving ecosystem that attracts talent and investment. The vision is to simplify key processes, like investment, employee stock options, and operations across borders, making Europe the best place to build and scale innovative businesses. With new EU commissioners set to take office soon, this is a critical moment to push for these changes, ensuring Europe’s future as a global tech leader. Key founders and investors have already joined the cause, and the petition urges others to support this vision for Europe's tech renaissance. Link is found in the comment section. The link is shared in the comments.

Rise Europe is coming to Brussels on 2 October to discuss how we can make Europe a global leader in tech and innovation 🌍 Check it out if you're around! #RiseEurope #TechInnovation

📢⚡️Dear friends, I invite you to participate in Ukraine Tech Meeting 2024 in Warsaw! 📅 When? June 18, 2024 📍 Where? Google for Startups Campus, Warsaw Ukraine Tech Meeting, a unique event that brings together the key players of Ukraine's tech industry: startups, established companies, government officials, investors, and industry experts. The event is partnered with IT Ukraine Association, the largest Ukrainian association of IT companies. It represents the interests of more than 85 thousand IT professionals. 🔹 The goals of the Ukraine Tech Meeting are: 1️⃣ Showcase the potential of Ukraine's IT sector as a catalyst for the country's post-war rebuilding; 2️⃣ Revitalize Ukraine's tech ecosystem despite migration challenges; 3️⃣ Foster new business partnerships supporting the growth of Ukrainian tech companies. 4️⃣ Aid the integration of Ukrainian firms into global tech ecosystems. Don't miss this unique opportunity to see the latest technological achievements of Ukraine, make valuable connections, and contribute to a future full of innovation! ✅ To register: https://lnkd.in/dRGy8gTe See you in Warsaw! 🚀🇺🇦 #UkrainianTechMeeting #TechConference #Ukraine #Poland #EuropeanUnion #TechEcosystem #EconomicRecovery #ITsector

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's #SpecialMeeting24, DCO Secretary-General, Deemah AlYahya, met with H.E. Tiit Riisalo, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology. With 10 unicorns, the country is building a strong digital economy and a thriving startup scene. The DCO is looking forward to partnering with the Republic of Estonia to further develop its startup ecosystem and digital economy, enabling #DigitalProsperity4All Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia

Europe’s got a pretty bad rep for founders. But there’s a new community working to change that. The goal? To remove friction for founders, and help Europe accelerate. Enter European Acceleratorism (eu/acc). The new community-led movement that’s amassed 1300+ discord members this past weekend. Producthunt co-founder and angel investor Andreas Klinger is starting to provoke an important debate on why the EU tech ecosystem struggles to compete with the US. His view? Well, it isn’t Europe's lack of ambition, taxes, or sunny beaches… It’s fragmentation. Following some viral posts, memes, and more on X, he’s rallying support to change Europe’s narrative. (I haven’t seen so much here on LinkedIn, so I'm sharing for awareness). But the group’s first project is no small task—creating a standardized legal entity for Europe. “In the US, as an investor you receive an email from an ambitious founder that leads you to a website with a contract. You press a button. You just invested. You are done.” – via eu/acc website. The goal is to bring this kind of simplicity to Europe. I'm down with that. Working groups are forming to start to break down this massive task. Join one, or get involved via the link in the comments. #accelerateeurope P.S. How can the EU improve its tech and innovation ecosystem? Is the eu/acc vision too ambitious? What do you think?