The Estonian Startup Awards 2020 organised by Estonian Founders Society, LIFT99 and Startup Estonia, has announced winners in 9 categories among which fintech startup Veriff bagged The B2B Saas Startup of 2020 award.
Launched in 2019, the award recognises the achievements of Estonian founders, startups and community initiatives.
The search for nominees began in autumn 2020 with a public nomination round. 230 people from the community nominated almost 300 inspiring founders, startups, and initiatives.
After a thorough background check around 80 candidates made it to the shortlist. The final voting took place from 31st Dec to 6th Jan and was carried out by 159 Estonian startup founders, the grand jury of experts.
The Winners of Estonian Startup Awards 2020
1. The B2B Saas Startup of 2020 (Startup Sector of the Year)
Winner: Kaarel Kotkas, founder of Veriff
2. The Foreign Founder of 2020
“Their Estonian might not be perfect yet, but they are hungry for success when it comes to startups.”
Winner: Vishen Lakhiani, Founder of Mindvalley
3. The Stereotype Crusher of 2020
“A female road-paver leading the way to more equality and inclusiveness.”
Winner: Anna-Liisa Palatu, Founder of Woola
4. The Wise Wallet of 2020
“The best investors are team-players, gate-openers, and bridge-builders. Made minimum 5 investments in 2020.”
Winner: Ragnar Sass
5. The Bootstrap Badger of 2020
“A startup that has raised under $200k, rising to the top with extra creativity, boldness and a low budget.”
Winner: Vishen Lakhiani, founder of Mindvalley
6. The Big Bang of 2020
“A newcomer whose loud arrival impressed & inspired us all.”
Winner: Anna Liisa Palatu, founder of Woola
7. The Revenue Hack of 2020
“The revenue-making machines! Startups with massive €€ growth in 2020 is what we seek.”
Winner: Taavi Madiberk, founder of Skeleton Technologies
8. The Giving Back Powerhouse of 2020
“Passion, dedication, humbleness – a person, event, or organisation that gives back without asking.”
Winner: Jõhvi Coding School
9. The Founder of the Year 2020
“This founder deserves a VERY big applause by the end of 2020. Who impressed & inspired us the most?”
Winners: Timo Ren, Martin Tajur, Martin Henk, Urmas Purde, Ragnar Sass – founders of Pipedrive
Featured image: Startup Estonia
