Why COVID-19 is Making Estonia the New Haven for Businesses

This article will take about 3 minutes to read
How did a country in the Baltics manage to host 5 unicorn companies while holding a population of only 1.5 million? With the entire business world turning to digital, Estonia’s 20 years of betting on innovation finally seem to be paying off.
It’s not news to anyone that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing a mass digital revolution. Although the past decade has seen tremendous growth in the global digital technology space, even the most optimistic experts predicted that it would be several years more before the acceptance of tools such as video conferencing and virtual file-sharing became widespread in the business sector.
Instead, the last 8 months have seen remote work and virtual collaboration become our new reality. Governments, businesses, and individuals alike have been scrambling to adapt, putting pressure on local and global economies.
In Estonia however, the pandemic has had a much less substantial effect. A country of only 1.3 million people, the formerly Soviet-controlled nation boasts one of the most technologically advanced economies in the world. From bus tickets to healthcare, publicly accessible wifi, Estonia has spent the past two decades investing in digital tools with which to increase the ease and transparency of day-to-day activities.
It’s this established infrastructure that makes Estonia an enticing destination for expanding businesses in the post-pandemic era.

Digitally Driven, Hassle-Free
Having gained independence from Soviet control in the 1990s, Estonia’s new government was determining how to best cultivate an advanced and modern society. In the end, they decided to embrace the emerging technology of the decade, the internet.
Almost 20 years later, the decision has paid off. Estonia has one of the least bureaucratic and most transparent governmental structures in the world. By prioritizing flexibility, and transparency the country’s hassle-free infrastructure has made it a haven for startups, venture funding, and global technology companies.
The entire project also worked to cultivate a strong national IT sector. By partnering with smaller private companies, the government was able to move faster and stay at the forefront of technological innovation in the space. Additionally, the scale of the work pumped money into the growing national software sector and cultivated the competitiveness of the space on a global platform.
The country has since seen four “unicorn” valued startups emerge from the sector, shining the spotlight on Estonia and attracting the attention of global investors.
The 4 companies, Bolt (previously known as Taxify), Skype, Transferwise, and Playtech were each recently valued at over USD $1Billion and remain privately owned. And the most recent and the 5th one – Pipedrive – joined the group of Unicorns just a week ago. Coming from a country with a population of less than 1.3 million, this is an incredible achievement. To put it in perspective, Estonia’s population is less than that of Barcelona, yet the entirety of Spain only has one unicorn company.
How Can Your Business Thrive in Estonia?
Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency, a government-issued digital identity, and status that provides access to Estonia’s transparent digital business environment. It allows digital entrepreneurs to manage their businesses from anywhere, entirely online.
Since the beginning of the program, Estonia has gained more than 73,000 e-residents from 173 different countries in the world and these e-residents founded 13,000 companies and created more than 1800 jobs.

Why Now?
“I haven’t physically signed a document in over 10 years. We have digital tools for that.”
“Where other companies are just now learning how to leverage digital tools, Estonian businesses have been perfecting them over decades,” shares Julge.
Accelerate your growth with the right business partners.
Tell us what your business need is. We'll show you how to discover the best counterpart.
Related Articles
How the Pandemic Has Created a Foundation for a Decade of Growth in SME Financing
Through digital platforms, small and medium-sized businesses can now access and service the same international clientele as multinational companies.
Revenue Vs. Growth: How COVID-19 is Affecting Startup Strategy
The profit vs. growth question has never had an easy answer. Explore how the effects of COVID-19 have impacted that choice.
How a Traditional Retailer Began Making 70% of its Profits Through E-commerce
Spanish fashion retailer Venca demonstrates how companies can leverage the best of both e-commerce and traditional methods.

Get the latest insights delivered to your inbox