IDA Hub Film accelerator teams shined on the PÖFF Industry stage

The teams of the IDA Hub Film and Multimedia Accelerator made their debut on the PÖFF Industry stage last week — and did so impressively. Presenting for the first time in front of such a large international audience, the teams demonstrated how quickly one can grow when supported by a strong mentor network, a supportive community, and the courage to voice bold ideas.

StudioStack (Vladislav Smigelski) introduced a platform that helps filmmakers and freelancers break free from spreadsheets and paperwork. Their message from the stage was simple and honest: creative people should focus on creating, not on administrative burden.

SyncHub (Alice Pia Kattago and Heidi Reial) showed how music licensing can be made as seamless as booking an Airbnb. They also highlighted a crucial trend: the more music AI produces, the greater the need for something truly unique and deeply human.

FinMind (Ron Luvistsuk and Jekaterina Luzik) presented a financial literacy app designed to support real-life situations: how to manage money, how to get out of debt, and how to teach these skills to children. Their focus is on practical everyday life, not theory.

FilmLink (Sander Lebreht) demonstrated how up to 80% of pre-production work can be done with just a few clicks when teams and service providers operate on a single platform. Their message to producers was clear: FilmLink gives you back time, budget, and control.

The stage also featured Teet Kuusmik (IVIA) and program manager Olga Kurdovskaja, who spoke about the program and the new IDA Hub film technology center. Teet highlighted why Ida-Viru County is rapidly becoming an exciting film production region — its diverse architecture, industrial environment, and the upcoming studio complex offer filmmakers entirely new possibilities. Olga spoke about how innovation truly happens: through collaboration, testing, experimentation, and the courage to turn a creative idea into a working business.

The IDA Hub team was present throughout the week with their booth, where they built new connections, introduced the upcoming studio complex, discussed the Tehnopol film accelerator and the IVEK incubation program, and asked the audience directly what kind of innovation they actually need in their daily work. These conversations provided valuable input for planning the next steps.

Program lead Olga Kurdovskaja said: “This was the accelerator’s first time on the PÖFF Industry stage, and our teams showed how quickly you can grow when the community and mentors truly support you. Beyond creativity and communication skills, every beautiful idea needs a functioning business model — and that’s exactly what we help teams find. Investors look for evidence, not promises: do users stay, do the numbers grow, and is a real competitive advantage emerging? Our role is to help teams build that evidence.”

IDA Hub’s activities are funded by the European Union.