Located in Northern Europe, Estonia has emerged as a proven testbed for innovation and entrepreneurship. FoodTech is no exception, and local startups are leveraging technology to optimise various aspects of it, from production to delivery. Here are 10 startups from Estonian Startup database making powerful waves in the industry and worth keeping an eye on.
Bolt Food
Bolt CEO Markus Villig
Bolt needs no introduction, as it is the world leader in smart transportation platforms and is the go-to for convenient food delivery in tens of markets. It brings together food providers, transportation, and consumers. All while prioritising sustainability and novel solutions, such as collaborating with autonomous vehicles’ provider Starship. “Bolt has become one of the largest companies in Europe, ” says its co-founder Markus Villig, which is especially apparent in the FoodTech sector.
Click and Grow
Click and Grow reinvented edible plant-growing with their Smart Garden system. All you have to do is add pods, water, and plug it in – and you’ll have fresh vegetables that ripen year-round right on your kitchen counter. People took the bait, and Click and Grow became a trendsetter in the industry, inspiring many others to follow in their footsteps.
VitalFields
Estonian FoodTech startup VitalFields had an impressive success story. Specialising in cloud-based farm management software, the startup was able to turn unproductive Excel tables and papers into manageable and informative materials on farming. This innovative approach led to recognition and eventual sale to Bayer (formerly Monsanto) in 2016, yielding a profitable exit for the startup, and solidifying Estonia’s position as an investment magnet.
Yummy
Are you short on time but still enjoy cooking? Yummy, operating as Clean Kitchen, is an Estonian food tech startup that delivers ingredients and recipes to your home. They provide personalised meal schedules and help you avoid the hassle of grocery shopping. In less than three years, Yummy has sold nearly one million meals. Plus, no food waste – their portion sizes are designed to fit the right amount of people.
eAgronom
eAgronom is a vital agricultural technology company in an era of climate change. It supplies knowledge and financial aid to farmers committed to sustainability, using an all-in-one software that simplifies carbon emission tracking. eAgronom is the only agriculture carbon program in CEE that follows the Verra Verified Carbon Standard methodology. Investors take notice — eAgronom has already harvested a new €5M round in 2023.
Yorso
This online platform specialises in buying and selling quality seafood. Choose from a variety of suppliers and species; each product comes with thorough descriptions and a picture. If you want the fish without the hustle, Yorso will help you out, while following the strict quality standards implemented in Estonia.
FoodDocs
FoodDocs founders Katrin Liivat and Karin Repp
FoodDocs is a startup that helps businesses save time, money, energy, and paper through a cloud-based platform that ensures regulatory compliance, simplifies documentation, and maintains food safety standards. By digitising and automating processes, FoodDocs has made food safety management as easy and straightforward as it should be.
Gelatex Technologies
Gelatex co-founder Märt-Erik Martens
Gelatex is producing highly valued industrial products with immense potential for sustainability and health industries. They specialise in fabricating nanofibres faster and at a lower cost than other competitors. Those small particles have big implications and could be used in cultured meat, which provides the same delicious taste and texture while addressing climate change.
Paul-Tech
If only soil could tell us what we need to do to make crops grow better… This startup has enabled automated, real-time suggestions for fieldwork that can greatly improve crop yields. Through their solution, an array of high-tech sensors are placed in the soil. Combined with 30 years’ worth of research data, this enables much better crops and could be a game-changer for farming companies.
Äio
ÄIO transforms Estonia’s largest source of production waste into edible fats and oils. This breakthrough took six years of research to develop the “red bug” microbe. With 51% of Estonia covered in forests, the opportunity to consume trees is now a reality. ÄIO’s RedOil is also suitable for cosmetics and household chemicals, opening possibilities worth billions.
Want to know more about the Estonian FoodTech business environment? To look up investment possibilities, talk to your personal advisor through e-Consulting.
