Meet Tehnopol at sTARTUp Day: our guide for the event

This week, business festival sTARTUp Day takes place in Tartu, which is always one of the highlights of the year for startups. Tehnopol Science and Business Park will be at the demo area, we have invested our time and energy into several (side) events and the startups of Tehnpol Startup Incubator will take the stage.

If you have a startup and would like to pitch your idea on the sTARTUp Day stage perhaps next year, apply to the Startup Accelerator. We are currently accepting applications from early-stage tech startups. Not sure if you are ready for an Accelerator? Let us help you decide:

🔍 You have validated your idea. Don’t guess—make sure the problem you’re trying to solve actually exists for real users and someone needs it. Talk to potential customers about your idea and find out whether they’d be willing to pay for it.

💪 You have a dream team. If you don’t have a team yet, start building one! Look for potential team members at events and within your network—collaboration brings the best results. By the way, strong teams are also one important factor that the investors look for.

📑 Your paperwork is in order. Start with a private limited company and make sure everything is properly documented. Make agreements within the team on how the company’s ownership will be divided.

🛠️ You have built your MVP. Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test the market demand. It’s better to move fast than to aim for perfection—everything doesn’t have to be flawless, but is must be functional.

🎯 You have set goals and are staying focused. Create an action plan and identify the goals you want to achieve. Working towards a shared objective helps to avoid distractions and keeps you focused on what really matters.

🚀 You should apply to the Accelerator! If you have all these points covered, you are more than ready to join the Accelerator! Read more here.

Where to find us at sTARTUp Day

If you want to discuss your ideas with us before sending your application, feel free to find us in Tartu. Here are some hints as to where we’ll be.

We kick off the week in Tartu on January 29 with Zebra ScaleUp Bootcamp Pitching. This is a closed event, only companies that are participating in Zebra ScaleUp project are expected.

The same day, all health tech enthusiasts are welcome at Gutenberg Club to take part in “Entrepreneurs meet researchers—matchmaking for R&D collaboration in health technologies”. If you are interested, see more information and register here.

On January 30 at 15:50, we will gather at the Pitching Stage where Tehnopol Demo Day takes place and our hard-working startups take the stage to pitch their ideas. Come join us and find out what the startups are up to. On the stage: Eetos (Startup Accelerator), Wayren (NATO DIANA Accelerator), GaltTec (NATO DIANA Accelerator), Kindel.AI (Startup Accelerator), GaasAI (Startup Accelerator), TeleArmy (NATO DIANA Accelerator), TraynMe (Startup Accelerator), VisioTag (Film and Multimedia Accelerator), Bebo (Startup Accelerator).

On January 30, Wayren will talk about their experience with different funds and accelerator programs at Starlight Stage. They have received funding from Prototron, attended the Startup Accelerator and last year, Wayren was one of the startups selected from thousands of applicants to the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator. So, find “Accelerate or Stagnate: The Role of Growth Programs in Startup Success” from the program and come listen with us.  

In addition, here are some additional recommendations:

• January 30 11:00 Prorotron x Swedbank: The Insider’s Guide to Secure Your First Funding (Seminar Room 3)
• January 30 14:45 Prototron Open Mic (Pitching Stage)

Last, but not least—come by our booth at the demo area. You can find out more about our accelerator programs, projects, services for scaleups and simply have a chat with us. And since we still have your attention here, we can reveal a little secret about our booth: You can take photos enhanced by AI as a keepsake from sTARTUp Day 2025!