People around the world may know Estonia for its digital society and e-government, but it’s also becoming known as a place where new ideas about sustainability are born. A lot of Estonian startups are working on some of the biggest environmental problems of our time.
They are making bio-alternatives, circular materials, smart energy solutions and sustainable agriculture platforms. Many of these businesses are growing in Europe and beyond, thanks to venture capital, EU grants and partnerships with companies around the world.
Why Estonia Is a Great Place for New Ideas in Sustainability
Even though Estonia is small, it has a lot of new businesses in the cleantech and sustainability fields. Groups like Cleantech Estonia have helped dozens of early-stage green and clean technology businesses, which has led to new ideas in renewable energy, materials and circular solutions.
More and more Estonian startups are getting EU funding, forming global partnerships and selling their products abroad. This shows that tech and sustainability go hand in hand in the area. Beamline Accelerator and other similar programs help cleantech businesses grow by providing them with funding and guidance.
Trends to Watch
The sustainability startup scene has exploded over the last few years and thus there are a few trends to keep track of.
Food And Environmental Sustainability
Estonia is part of the global shift towards more ethical and climate-friendly food systems by supporting startups that make alternatives to traditional industrial ingredients.
Circular Economy Platforms
New recycling technologies and software solutions like Reverse Resources and Gridio are making it possible to use resources more wisely and emit less.
Technologies For The Transition To Clean Energy
Solar, EV charging and hydrogen-supporting technologies show how Estonian startups are helping to make the energy and transportation sectors less carbon-intensive.
Top 8 Sustainability Startups In Estonia In 2025
These startups are all working together to change the way we eat, make things and recycle in a world with limited resources.
These companies are not only building businesses, but they are also helping to change what a sustainable economy looks like in practice. They are doing this by using bio-based alternatives, smarter energy systems and new circular business models.
Arbonics
Arbonics uses data and digital mapping to help landowners and businesses get the most carbon sequestration out of sustainable forestry practices. The platform uses advanced analytics to find the best places for forests to grow that will have the least negative effect on the climate. This helps businesses meet their environmental goals and make money through carbon credits.
Arbonics is growing beyond Estonia, with dozens of landowners signing up in different markets. This shows that more and more people are interested in nature-based climate solutions.
VOOL
Estonia’s VOOL is working on one of the biggest problems in the transport sector when it comes to sustainability: how to charge electric vehicles (EVs) quickly and cheaply. Their charging solution uses both hardware and software that work with the current grid infrastructure to get the most out of power without having to make expensive upgrades.
RAIKU
RAIKU is leading the way in circular economy innovations with packaging that is 100% compostable and goes back to nature without leaving behind harmful chemicals. Its packaging that absorbs shocks has attracted big global brands and is backed by a lot of money from the European Innovation Council.
RAIKU shows that sustainable materials can replace plastics without losing performance. The company already sells its products in many countries.
Jälle Technologies
As more and more people around the world buy electric cars, the problem of getting rid of old batteries gets worse. Jälle Technologies has come up with better ways to recycle batteries that get important materials back more quickly than traditional methods.
Jälle helps the environment by turning old batteries into metals and graphene-like materials that can be used again. This supports circular supply chains and cuts down on the environmental effects of making and throwing away batteries.
Roofit.Solar
Roof it.Solar combines solar energy and architecture by making metal roofs that have photovoltaic systems built into them. This design makes roofs that look good and produce energy, which means less reliance on fossil fuels and lower electricity bills.
Roofit.Solar is growing internationally and helping homeowners and businesses switch to distributed renewable power. The company has won awards for its designs and has received millions of dollars in funding.
Woola
Woola is a certified B Corporation that makes biodegradable packaging materials out of sheep wool waste to help reduce plastic waste. Woola’s products protect things while they are being shipped and replace bubble wrap.
They also help local farmers. They save tonnes of wool from going to waste and make a long-lasting alternative to plastics made from fossil fuels.
Gridio
Gridio is a smart charging platform that uses software to automatically charge electric vehicles based on the current prices of electricity and the availability of renewable energy. Gridio is different from hardware-dependent solutions because it uses apps that connect to cars and energy systems to charge them when energy is cheapest and greenest.
Reverse Resources
Reverse Resources wants to make textile-to-textile recycling bigger by making a digital marketplace that connects manufacturers, recyclers and waste handlers. The goal is to use fibres for longer and make fashion less wasteful.
As sustainability becomes more important in the global fashion and materials industries, this kind of SaaS-enabled circular platform is very important.
