Thinking in Billions — sTARTUp Day - Most Startup-Minded Business Festival
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Tickets
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109€

Thinking in Billions

Join us on January 28 for an inspiring deep dive into whether—and how—Estonia can create its own deeptech moonshots. What skills and resources do our deeptech founders need to succeed globally? Is Estonia’s small size a barrier or a superpower? And what can we learn from the world’s leading deeptech ecosystems?


Thinking in Billions is coming to sTARTUp Day! Venue: Estonian National Museum, BlackBox, Entrance from B-side

Estonia’s deeptech sector is stronger than ever. According to the Startup Estonia database, we now have 216 deeptech startups as of January 2026. The numbers speak for themselves: in just the first three quarters of 2025, Estonian deeptech companies raised €91 million in investments—over 40% of the entire startup sector’s total. Revenue is climbing too, reaching nearly €300 million.

But despite this momentum, scaling remains a challenge, and our ecosystem is still in its early stages. So how do we unlock the next level?

Thinking in Billions is all about learning from the best. We’ll explore three very different deeptech ecosystems—Cambridge, Singapore, and Finland.

  • What can a young ecosystem like Estonia take away from a global heavyweight like Cambridge?

  • How much can we relate to a fellow small-but-mighty innovator like Singapore?

  • And what lessons can we borrow from our northern neighbors in Finland?



And, of course, we won’t forget to learn from ourselves. We will bring together leading local experts to discuss what Estonia must do next to accelerate deeptech growth.

Thinking in Billions is designed to advance innovative policymaking and to strengthen collaboration between governments, founders, universities, investors, and research institutions. Achieving large‑scale, transformative outcomes requires a collective commitment to ambition, strategic alignment, and long-term vision.

To reach billions, we must be prepared to think in billions.


AGENDA

10:30 Doors open

11:00 Opening Words by moderator Johannes Tralla 

11:05 Opening Words by Erkki Keldo, The Minister of Communication and Economic Affairs

11:15 „From Deep Tech to Global Impact: What It Takes to Build a Billion-Dollar Company“

David Toh (Partner at Mirana Ventures)

11:45 "Turning Big Bets Into Achievable Results" 

David Toh (Partner at Mirana Ventures), Ben Hartley (Director of ideaSpace at the University of Cambridge), Jusso Sainiemit (Partner at Voima Ventures), moderator: Johannes Tralla

12:20 "Moonshots from a Small Country: Can Estonia Lead?" 

Heidi Kakko (Chair of UniTartu Ventures, EIC Ambassador), Maryam Poorafshar (CEO of SampleFacts), Arnaud Castaignet (Vice President of Government Affairs & Strategic Partnerships at Skeleton Technologies), moderator: Johannes Tralla

13:00 Networking

14:00 End of Thinking in Billions


Thinking in Billions is powered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.

See schedule

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Tickets from €159

Tickets

All ticket types grant access to all three festival days on 28-30 January 2026. If you're not sure which ticket to get, check out our FAQ section. 

Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Visitor

179 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.
BUY NOW

Ecosystem

179 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.
BUY NOW

Startup

159 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.
BUY NOW

Investor

259 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.
BUY NOW

Executive

259 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.
BUY NOW

Researcher

179 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.
BUY NOW