THE NEXT SKYPE There’s no doubt that the success story that thrust Estonian ICT into the international spotlight was Skype, the product that brought VoIP communication to the masses. It’s a story that continues to resonate in the local ecosystem and it’s a brand that has almost become synonymous with the country itself. But by 2020, that role could be taken over by another company, or by several companies, if the number of wellestablished ICT companies continues to multiply. There are already several good candidates. TransferWise, the peer-to-peer money transfer system, is rapidly becoming a household name. Mobile payment systems provider Fortumo may not be far behind. Not to mention GrabCAD, the online community for mechanical engineers that helps them build great products faster. GrabCAD was recently bought by The world’s largest 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys with the great sum that will fertilise Estonian start-up landscape.
LED lighting and Marinexplore, a company that provides a user-friendly way to upload marine data. The list goes on. As the number of Estonian startups that become established, international companies grows, perhaps to three times its current number by 2020, the nation’s ICT environment will become unrecognizable from what it is today. Likewise, as global tech trends develop to incorporate innovations such as contact-less payment solutions, robotics and integrated household devices, Estonian companies will be forced to change their focus to stay at the front of the latest wave.
Other up-and-coming stars are Digital Sputnik, which is revolutionizing the film industry with cooler, more efficient
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