GreenEST Summit brings together the European greentech community

The largest greentech conference in the region, GreenEST Summit, took place for the fourth time last week at Kultuurikatel (the Creative Hub) in Tallinn. The main topics this year were the raw materials’ crisis, green business models and investors, bioeconomy, smart city solutions, energetics and just transition. The hybrid event brought together local and international public and private sector experts, greentech start-ups and large corporations, and investors.

Vivian Loonela from the European Commission and Massimo Gasparon from the European Raw Materials Alliance gave the opening speeches. Vivian Loonela gave a brief overview of the European green deal and how Europe plans to reach climate neutrality by 2050. Loonela said that although the necessary changes might seem financially costly, it will be even more costly in the long run if we do nothing.

Ragmar Saksing, one of the main organisers of GreenEST Summit and the manager of greentech cluster at Tehnopol Science and Business Park, said that this year’s conference was very successful and a record number of tickets was sold: there were more than 300 participants, most of them watched the conference online. “Next year, GreenEST Summit will take place for the fifth time and I am sure that we’ll have even more participants then,” said Saksing, who came up with the idea of GreenEST Summit four years ago.

In addition to presentations and panels, there was a pitching competition where greentech start-ups presented their innovative solutions. Participants were Bisly, Põhuplaat, Hauseco, BugBox, Solaride, Fusebox, UP Catalyst, E-pavement, ACDC, Humico, Muon Solutions, ELMO Rent, Ubik Solutions and EyeVi. Technologies. Thanks to the public voting, the winner was ELMO Rent who received a prize from Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN and law firm Triniti.

“EstBAN’s prize came as a positive surprise and at the right time, since we are currently preparing for the next round of entering Nasdaq and the experience of EstBAN and their network helps us surely make better decisions when it comes to financing,” said the founder and chairman of the board of ELMO Rent, Enn Laansoo jr.

GreenEST Summit 2021 was organised by EIT RawMaterials, TalTech, Tehnopol Business and Science Park, Center for Environmental Investments, Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia, Cleantech Estonia, PAKRI Science and Industrial Park.

Supporters: The City of Tallinn, Ministry of Environment, Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN, Triniti, Acento, Forgreenerlife.com.

The next GreenEST Summit will take place in autumn 2022. Get your tickets for the next year!