Foreign Founders Meetup

Hey, foreign founder! Building a startup in Estonia is exciting – but sometimes also a little quirky. An investor might invite you to the sauna before they invite you to their office. Your first meeting could be almost silent, but the next day everyone’s already following you on LinkedIn. And when someone says “let’s see”, it usually means no – just delivered in the polite Estonian way.

Foreign Founders Meetup helps you make sense of local environment and understand the “happy introverts” – Estonians – while moving your startup forward. Each event gives you a hands-on workshop, an honest discussion, and plenty of networking opportunities. Step by step, the Estonian startup ecosystem will feel less mysterious and much more like your own.

What is Foreign Founders Meetup?

Foreign Founders Meetup is a six-part event series created by Enterprise Estonia in cooperation with Tehnopol Startup Incubator to support foreign founders in Estonia. By joining the Foreign Founders Meetup, you’ll get:

• practical knowledge on how to navigate Estonia’s business, legal, and tax environment,

• direct access to experts, mentors, and investors,

• a stronger network of peers and partners in Estonia,

• the confidence and skills to grow faster and expand internationally.

The series runs from October 2025 to March 2026, with most meetups in Tallinn and one in Tartu. Alongside workshops and panel discussions, there’s extended networking time to help you find partners, team members, and investors.

Who should join?

If you’re an international founder or an early team member in Estonia, this series is designed for you. It’s for anyone who wants to better understand the local business environment, build meaningful connections, develop practical skills, and prepare for international growth.

Format

Each of the six meetups lasts up to 4 hours and follows the same structure:

1. Workshop (45–60 min) – practical insights and tools.

2. Panel discussion (30 min) – diverse perspectives from locals and fellow founders.

3. Networking (60–90 min) – meet new people, exchange ideas, and build connections.

Participation is FREE, but registration is required.

Topics

Over six meetups, we’ll dive into the topics that matter most to foreign founders in Estonia:

1. Legal Landscape for Founders in Estonia – how to avoid legal pitfalls and build with confidence. Frist event on October 16, sign up here.

2. Navigating Estonian Tax and Accounting – a practical overview of taxes and accounting. Happening on November 11, sign up here.

3. How to Find Your First Customers in Estonia – strategies for early customer acquisition. Happening on December 3, sign up here.

4. What Investors Are Looking For in 2026 (sTARTUp Day side event in Tartu). Happening on January 28, sign up here.

5. Building Local Networks That Actually Work – how to develop meaningful relationships with local mentors and partners. Happening on February 12, sign up here.

6. Soft Skills & Resilience for Foreign Founders – leadership, balance, and resilience in a new cultural environment.

Join the Foreign Founders Meetup and build the knowledge, contacts, and opportunities you need to grow your startup in Estonia!

Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

See which countries the foreign founders attending our events come from: