From Stratospheric Balloons to Defense Tech: VAAL Technologies Reaches for New Heights
VAAL Technologies is a startup founded in 2021 that joined ESA BIC Estonia in 2024. The company develops and operates high-altitude platforms, or pseudo-satellites (HAPS), that provide internet connectivity and capture imagery. Its technology offers a more affordable alternative to satellites with a smaller environmental footprint. The company is currently focusing on defense applications, including […]
From the Baltics’ first space incubator to the global stage: ESA BIC Estonia celebrates nine years
On November 7, 2017, ESA BIC Estonia, the first European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre in the Baltics, opened in Tartu at a time when Estonia’s space technology sector was only taking its first steps. Nine years later, the program has become an important launchpad for companies whose technologies help solve challenges both in space […]
Where do the technologies of the future come from? Scientists and entrepreneurs need to find a common language
Future technologies are not born overnight, nor only in laboratories. At a panel discussion held on October 22 at the University of Tartu Museum on Toome Hill, speakers explored how research becomes a company and why that journey so often stalls halfway. The room was full, with entrepreneurs from different fields, public sector representatives and […]
Startup Story: FireSand x Sparkup Incubator
Clean-Burning Fire in Any Conditions The FireSand fuel tablet ignites instantly in cold, windy, and damp weather, burns cleanly, and leaves behind only a small amount of harmless sand. The tablet burns like a candle, so you don’t need a separate burner. It is suitable for boiling water and heating meals during outdoor activities, hiking […]
If the power goes out, who helps the people of Tartu? Crisis preparedness begins before the outage
If the electricity goes out for several days and mobile communication is cut off, everyday questions quickly become vital: where can you get water and warmth, will shops stay open, and whom should you turn to for help? At the discussion “When a crisis comes, who is responsible?” held in Tartu on 6 October, participants […]
Sparkup Tartu Science Park and South Korea’s Gangwon Technopark Create a Soft Landing Opportunity for Health Startups
A delegation from South Korea’s Gangwon Technopark visited Tartu again to turn the memorandum of cooperation signed in June 2024 into practical action. The delegation’s first visit to Tartu was followed last year by a return visit from Andrus Kurvits, a member of the management board of Sparkup Tartu Science Park, to explore local opportunities […]
Drone Companies Can Apply for International Growth Support
Drone companies from Estonia, Finland and Sweden can apply to IAS Business Academy, an international growth program that offers up to €15,000 in support, international mentoring and the opportunity to test their solutions together with end users. The application deadline for the program’s second batch is November 19, 2026. The first batch of the program […]
From Defence Business Lab to NATO DIANA: one stage, different steps in the defence innovation journey
On 24 September, 13 defence and dual-use companies presented their solutions at the Defence Business Lab Demo Day: ten startups completing the three-month pre-accelerator and 3 alumni of the NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator. Organised by Tehnopol, Sparkup Tartu Science Park and EstBAN, the event brought together around 100 participants from armed forces, defence acquisition and […]
Celvia Is Sparkup Tartu Science Park’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2026
At the Tartu Entrepreneur Awards on October 8, Sparkup Tartu Science Park named precision medicine company Celvia, based on the science park’s business campus, its Entrepreneur of the Year 2026. Celvia’s tests help doctors and families find answers to questions about reproductive health, pregnancy, and fetal health. The company is a great example of how […]
DeepTech Accelerator opened second round: science-based startups can once again apply for up to €170,000 in funding
Applications are now open for the DeepTech Accelerator run by Sparkup Tartu Science Park and Tehnopol, which is looking for startups and teams developing science- and technology-based solutions. Companies selected for the accelerator will receive up to €170,000 in business development funding, plus support over 18 months to develop their solutions, enter the market, acquire […]
