Pärnu brings together future unicorns

TALLINN – In a collaboration between the Forwardspace coworking center and Startup Estonia, Pärnu hosted its largest hackathon to date, providing an opportunity for local youth and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Estonia to develop their business ideas and present initial prototypes under the guidance of experienced mentors.

Kristina Põldots, CEO of the organizing Forwardspace coworking center, stated that the event attracted a record number of participants. "Pärnu HÄKK brought 109 participants from all over Estonia to Pärnu, making it the largest hackathon held here to date and the first of its kind in five years. Pärnu HÄKK confirmed that the city has a strong community of enterprising people and a clear readiness for innovation," Põldots said.

While over 70 percent of the participants were from Pärnu County, the event drew people of various generations and backgrounds from across Estonia to the "summer capital." During the opening night of the three-day event, participants pitched over 30 ideas and were equipped with practical tools to develop them into prototypes using artificial intelligence.

Mentors noted that the Pärnu hackathon stood out for its high standard, with 18 teams successfully developing a working prototype within 48 hours.

Elina Dubova, Startup Estonia's regional startup ecosystem project lead, said that Pärnu HÄKK was organized as part of a program aimed at strengthening startup communities outside major urban centers. "I am convinced that Estonia's next unicorns can come from our regions, as there is immense potential here. We want every region in Estonia to be a place where great ideas are born and new companies emerge. In collaboration with local support organizations, we can contribute to initiatives that build confidence in aspiring entrepreneurs, foster a startup mindset, and create new business opportunities," Dubova said.

First place at the Pärnu HÄKK hackathon was awarded to team EventWallet for developing a prototype that simplifies collecting shared expenses for parents. The winners received a prize of 1,000 euros from Patchstack and tickets to the STARTUp Day 2026 conference.

Team Petupeletaja (Scam Repeller) took second place with a solution designed to help family members detect potential scam attempts targeting their elderly relatives. Third place went to team Last Meal for its bold idea of compiling the last meal recipes of death-row inmates into a unique cookbook.

The Pärnu HÄKK hackathon was organized by the Forwardspace coworking center and co-financed by Startup Estonia and the European Union. Partners and supporters included the Pärnu County Business Incubator, Pärnu County Development Centre, and the Pärnu County Chamber of Commerce. Prizes were provided by several key players in the Estonian startup ecosystem, including Patchstack, STARTUp Day, Latitude59, Palo Alto Club, Mobispace Hub, and Kõneklubi. Additional supporters included Dolly, siris., Saku Läte, Pärnu Keskus, and Tamme Talu Ürdiaed.

Startup Estonia is a government program dedicated to developing the country's startup ecosystem, fostering the creation of new startups and helping them grow into international success stories. The program is implemented by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency and financed by the European Union.