Zebra ScaleUp Pitching Day introduced 14 sustainably scaling startups for a wide audience in Tartu
The Zebra ScaleUp Pitching Day, held on January 28th, 2026, brought together founders, investors, mentors, and potential collaborators for a full day of early-stage inspiration and entrepreneurial storytelling.
Organised as a side event for the international sTARTUp Day event, Zebra ScaleUp Pitching Day showcased 14 ambitious companies with sustainable future ambitions in various sectors.
The morning began with informal networking over coffee, allowing participants to reconnect with familiar faces and meet up with new connections. Participants also got a chance to meet the esteemed panel of judges for the day, Fredrik Sirén from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Tanja Piha from Greenstep, sustainability expert Toomas Toodu and Supercomms CEO Tauri Kärson.
The first presentation block featured five startups representing diverse sectors and perspectives. Spiiker opened the session, followed by Rarehero and Seamy Side Quest, each sharing insights into their growth journey. Test2Deploy and WiseClean completed the morning segment.
After a short networking break, the programme resumed with another series of pitches. Kulg introduced its vision for a comprehensive running app to the audience, setting the stage for AVOLVE Nordic Finland and Urban Farm, whose presentations reflected the international growth possibilities of sustainable technologies and products. Akuvool and Claricy closed the midday block, outlining the strategic milestones guiding their next phases of growth.
The afternoon sessions continued the momentum. WAB Electronics presented first, followed by Explore Visuals, Ambalco, and Almo Consulting. Together, these final pitches highlighted the scale of innovation emerging from the Central Baltic region, spanning security, visual marketing, accounting and beyond. Across all presentations, recurring themes included cross-border collaboration and sustainable growth.
The event attracted a diverse audience that included entrepreneurs who sought insight, investors who explored emerging opportunities, mentors who shared experience, and visitors who wanted to learn more about startup activity. This range of participants created an environment that supported open discussion and knowledge exchange.
The Zebra ScaleUp Pitching Day also highlighted the role of Tartu as a centre for innovation and entrepreneurship. Events of this kind support visibility for early-stage ventures and strengthen collaboration within the Central Baltic region. The gathering demonstrated continued interest in sustainable business models that balance growth with long-term value creation.
Next, Zebra ScaleUp will continue onto the 1-on-1 mentoring phase. 10 selected companies will be announced on February 9th.