Ajujaht
Ajujaht is the largest competition of business ideas in Estonia that was initiated by Enterprise Estonia in 2007.
It is an opportunity for people to challenge themselves in trying to start a business in a highly supportive environment. The pool of funding of the competition is 150 000 €.
Winners through the years
Timey (2019)
Timey produces chemical indicators for monitoring the shelf life of food.
FoodDocs (2018)
FoodDocs helps companies handling food to ensure, that food safety documents are always according to the law and all necessary requirements are done.
TempID (2017)
TempID is low cost, sticker‐style patient ID, body temperature monitoring and logging solution.
SprayPrinter (2016)
SprayPrinter is a cordless printer which allows to print images from smartphone onto a wall.
Jiffi (2015)
Jiffi provides a mobile ticketing system for public transport.
Timbeter (2014)
Timbeter allows to measure the amount and diameter of timber accurately and quickly.
Kids OS (2013)
Kids OS helps parents monitor their children’s movements and activities. (Business no longer active.)
RayBike (2012)
Raybike is a three-wheeled folding scooter which can be operated with just one hand. Steering a RayBike requires less physical effort than an ordinary scooter.
Virtual Garden (2011)
The company’s website allows people to receive freshly grown produce without having their own garden patch.
Click & Grow (2010)
Click & Grow offers an automated watering system for house plants.
Growfish (2009)
Growfish developed a fish farming system that operated with support of sensors. (Business no longer active.)
CellTells (2008)
CellTells allowed to enter notes and reminders in a calendar by speaking into the microphone of a mobile device. (Business no longer active.)
Over the years, Ajujaht has received
4827 ideas
Between 2012 and 2019, our business development programme has hosted
225 teams
708 team members
Success stories
Click & Grow
Click & Grow (2010)
Click & Grow produces ‘Smartpots’ for plants, equipped with an automated cultivation system. The company has participated in the world’s most renowned startup accelerator Y Combinator and raised millions of euros in investments. Click & Grow has so far sold over 300,000 pots, with the company’s primary markets comprising the US, Western Europe, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. At the moment, Click & Grow is developing an offering to enter the food industry. According to Liina Ilves, the company’s Marketing Project Manager, taking part in Ajujaht saves you time by putting your idea into practice and setting it in perspective. It helps to bring out the strengths and weaknesses of your product.
Minukleeps
Minukleeps (2012)
MinuKleeps offers personalised iron-on and adhesive name tags for labelling children’s clothes, sports equipments and toys. Their products are mostly targeted on parents. The company is primarily active in the German market, however, it also runs an online shop in Estonia, Finland and the US. The CEO, Martin Saumann advises participants, “When entering a foreign market, leave the impression that you are a local provider. Localising matters – it made us succeed in Germany.”
Bikeep
Bikeep (2013)
Bikeep helps to lock up bikes simply and securely. During cycling season, Bikeep’s parking spots were used by over 3,000 users a month already in 2015. The company made an important deal in 2016 by which BART (a public transport company used by 126 million people in San Fransisco Bay Area) starts using Bikeep solutions. Kristjan Lind, Marketing Manager at Bikeep, recommends that incoming Ajujaht participants follow their innermost passions. “In addition to theoretical lessons, Ajujaht gave our team the motivation to carry on working even when the company had to cross its first hurdles,” says Lind.
Timbeter
Timbeter (2014)
The Timbeter app makes it possible to measure timber quickly and accurately, the measurements for digital processing. It is a B2B company with a global client base, and customers ranging from Belgium to New Zealand. They sealed a major deal in 2016 by which the Estonian State Forest Management Centre starts using Timbeter for measuring timber quantity. According to the founder of the startup, Anna Greta-Tsahkna, Ajujaht is a great opportunity for testing and developing your idea. She adds, “I cannot think of a single reason why not to participate. You have practically nothing to lose.”
GoWorkaBit
GoWorkaBit (2014)
GoWorkaBit brings together employers looking for temporary workforce at a short notice. In 2015, the company’s turnover was nearly a half million euros. However, in 2015, the estimated sales will be over a million euros. The company is now active on international market. According to the spokesperson from GoWorkaBit, the greatest advantage of Ajujaht is visibility – especially if you plan to launch in the Estonian market.
Taxify / Bolt
Taxify / Bolt (2014)
The Taxify / Bolt app helps to order a ride more quickly and conveniently with a competitive fare. The platform has over 25 million users and is operating in over 30 countries. The company’s CEO Markus Villig offers participants the following advice: “Focus on growing your business rather than just fulfilling the requirements of the competition.” He adds that Ajujaht gave his team knowledge, contacts, and a great marketing outlet for the Estonian market.
Huntloc
Huntloc (2015)
Huntloc enables users to follow other hunters and hunting dogs live, making hunting more efficient and reducing the likelihood of hunting accidents. For example, in the US, thousands of people die each year as a result of hunting accidents. Huntloc has raised over 100,000€ in capital. Today, it has over a thousand active users, with 20% of them living abroad. Huntloc’s short-term goal is to expand to Scandinavia and reach 10,000 clients. The founder of the startup Herko Sunts emphasises Ajujaht’s role in increasing visibility, which in turn grants access to capital.
SprayPrinter
SprayPrinter (2016)
SprayPrinter is a handheld printer that works with spray paint. With the help of a mobile app and SprayPrinter device, one can easily transfer images from smartphone onto a wall. The company has raised over 400 000 euros and first shipment has already been delivered to costumers. Serial production starts in 2017. SprayPrinter has been constituted internationally newsworthy, as it has been reflected by TechCrunch, Discovery Channel, The Next Web, Digital Trends and many others. “Ajujaht made us famous in Estonia and equipped us with strong network. Being victorious at Ajujaht is also an argument overseas,” said Richard Murutar, CEO at SprayPrinter.
Participants
% men
% women
Participants
average age
% employed
% degree-educated
% with experience in entrepreneurship
What does Ajujaht offer?
Our prize fund offers the opportunity to secure seed capital. Our mentors ensure first-class expertise. Our workshops give the necessary know-how on how to create a startup. You also couldn’t overestimate the value of making useful contacts: Anna-Greta Tsahkna, Founder of Timbeter which won Ajujaht two seasons ago, met her current colleagues at a Garage48 event, from where they were chosen to proceed straight to the next round of Ajujaht. In addition, no other competition for business ideas grants you the same level of visibility as Ajujaht, especially as television airtime is a costly affair – while Taxify ultimately did not win the heart of the jury, TV made them visible to investors.
Find out more about participatingWho is Ajujaht for?
It’s difficult to pin down a clear target group, since world-changing enterprises have been founded by Ivy League alumni as well as dark horses without much formal education. Richard Branson started the Virgin Group at the age of 21, and Steve Jobs was a college drop-out. Even though, our main target groups are specialists craving for a career change and university students wishing to create a startup, absolutely anyone is welcome to submit his or her idea.
Initiated by
The Ajujaht accelerator programme and TV competition is a collaboration between the public and private sectors and is created by Enterprise Estonia.
Supporters:
Ajujaht
Ajujaht is the best- known start-up accelerator in Estonia, which is created by CIVITTA, ERR and OPTIMIST.
