Business support organisations

ESTBAN

EstBAN connects and educates business angels to increase investment quality, thereby helping innovative startups grow.


We are a group of entrepreneurs, CEOs, venture capitalists and business leaders who have founded, funded and built a number of companies. Some of these are highly successful, others less. With this know-how and experience we believe we can mentor and coach the entrepreneurs in whom we invest. We serve on their boards, provide contacts and assist with team building, strategic planning and fundraising.

We lead deals ranging from EUR 20 000 – EUR 500 000. Individual tickets usually start from EUR 5 000.
EstBAN is a member led organisation committed to finding, funding and mentoring great young companies from pitch through to successful exit.
We tend to invest together, educate startups and partnering organisations about angel investing.

estban.ee

Estonian Association of Designers

Estonian Association of Designers (EAD) is an association connecting and representing Estonian designers, with an aim to support design in the broader sense of the concept. The organisation established in 1989 today brings together 116 experts in product, furniture, fashion, textile and graphic design, the so-called cream of our creative industry. EAD focuses on improving the professional skills and vocational knowledge of designers and stands for the rights of its members. The main purpose of EAD, however, is to ensure the high quality of its members’ professional skills and compliance with the code of ethics.

In the Estonian society EAD is known as the promoter of design awareness. For us, design does not mean the ‘make-up art’ of the substantial world, but rather, a process which serves as a connecting link between economy and culture, nature and technology, business and people. The invisible tasks of design are to develop a user-friendly environment and to provide additional value to entrepreneurship. At the same time we do not wish to encourage over-production of unnecessary products, but contribute in quality and sustainable products.

edl.ee

Creative Caucasus

Since 2015, we have been in the forefront of developing creative entrepreneurial ecosystem in Georgia and the Caucasus.

We believe that by pooling our mutual resources – not only know-how, creativity, or finances, but also our shared traditions, cultural identities and entrepreneurial spirit – we can achieve true potential of the entire region of Caucasus.

We support the development of the creative industries in the Caucasus Region by closely collaborating with leading EU organizations. We are working hard to bring in Europe’s advanced knowledge and experience to our region.

Our goal is to identify and support the development of startups with innovative ideas, to find new solutions for existing regional challenges, and to create a unified pan-Caucasian startup ecosystem.

We strongly believe in closest possible cooperation in the Caucasus – a region with rich history populated by diverse people who nonetheless possess common culture & traditions and shared identity of being part of a large European family.

Design Georgia


Design Georgia is a non-profit organization, representing Georgian product and interior designers.

Design Georgia was founded in 2019 by four well known Georgian product and interior design- and architectural studios. They joined a vision of being the industry voice advocating for a deeper understanding of product design’s value. Aim is to motivate already established design community and newcomers for further creativity.

The members of Design Georgia represent a strong expertise in product- and interior design, ceramics and fashion. The members act on the Georgian design landscape for over 15 years, gaining international attention on exhibitions, i.e. in Milan, Copenhagen, Tallinn. Their products and designs were published in international design magazines and also awarded with international design awards.

Design Georgia creates visual platforms, live exhibitions and online galleries to achieve higher recognition of design as a driver for growth. The strengthening of capabilities for Georgian Design to meet future needs and trends in combination with the promotion of networks to improve the business opportunities among designers and production companies are upon other terms principal duties of Design Georgia.

Export Development Association Georgia – partner of the project

EDA was founded in 2012 with the mission to help Georgian enterprises grow and diversify their exports through advocacy, advisory and promotion. EDA is a member-driven association uniting up to 100 Georgian export-oriented producers and service providers. EDA offers Georgian exporters building capacity, develop an export marketing plan, provide export management service, select the target export market and break down the barriers to trade. Most of EDA members are in production sectors, but EDA also affiliates tourism industry representatives. EDA offers permanently updated product/market briefs for exporters and inspire Georgian companies to engage in exporting to expand their business horizons and grow internationally. EDA’s key expertise is the identification and execution of market entry strategies.

In EDA, Everything’s Covered – From Introduction to Aftercare! EDA’s services cover all aspects of export development a company may need.

EDA offers 15 types of services for exporters from export readiness and capacity audit to target market research and trader matching. Through EDA’s services, companies are easier to break down the export barriers and get full information about regulations and standards in the target markets.

EDA’s members are not paying membership fees, but commit to participation in bi-annual surveys.

Creative Estonia – a lead partner of the project

Creative Estonia is a CCI Cluster and development center, which promotes and develops creative industries and creative businesses in Estonia.

Creative Estonia was established in 2009 and its main activities are to:

  • Present the content, unique characteristics plus economic, social and regional value of creative industries. 
  • Create a discussion-platform for the creative industry problems and solutions at the highest level.
  • Support both startups and already established companies in the creative industries sector with much-needed information and advice. 
  • Develop and promote a positive image for CCI companies. 
  • Support the development of business skills in the CCI sector.
  • Support the increase in the export abilities of creative businesses.
  • Build both national and international networks and operate as a CCI cluster. 

‘EU4Business:  Connecting Companies’ is managed by EUROCHAMBRES and funded under the EU4Business initiative  of the European Union.