Estonian. Build & invest. I run fff and $120M multi-family office for unicorn founders.
My story
In the year 2000, I started learning to code as a student. I launched Lineage 2 gaming servers and an international courier service from my small room in Narva, Estonia. Eager to learn, I eventually moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where I worked long hours on a production line to make ends meet while continuing my studies. This challenging period was incredibly motivating.
I hustled relentlessly and landed a job at HSBC's head office, which had over 10,000 employees, all while pursuing a degree in banking and finance.
During my university years, I received an invitation to help create a new transportation company in Finland and the Baltics. The idea was to make it more affordable and faster for people of all ages and incomes to visit their families. We achieved this ambitious goal by using innovative solutions in data analytics and machine learning. We launched more than 70 routes and completed over 250 trips daily with a fleet of 130 buses. This effort made travel comfortable and convenient for eight million people each year, and the results were truly inspiring. This experience sparked my interest in understanding human interactions, the impact of culture and habits on decision-making, and how IT solutions could improve real-world interactions.
Next, I ventured to Singapore, where my team and I developed a global identity verification platform. We simplified access to financial services for unbanked individuals while maintaining the highest security standards. This endeavor gave rise to BASIS ID, which has since become an essential part of the ZignSec & WebShield family.
In 2018, I was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for my contributions to digital identity development in Asia. By the age of 26, I had traveled to more than 40 countries.
Over the past decade, my approach was to embrace every opportunity that came my way. However, this strategy eventually made me reconsider my values in life. Today, I focus on what truly excites me - investing in founders.
In 2021, I became a partner at the Stockholm-based startup studio, VNTRS, and took on a role as a board member of the Estonian Founders Society.
Currently, I oversee fff, the global 360+ tech angels community, and a family office dedicated to founders.
Investments
I am occasionally lucky enough to convince founders to let me join as a small part of their journeys. I'm a quiet name on the cap table and cannot take credit — all success is squarely due to their hard work and vision.
| Name | Description | Tags | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Salu | Medical concierge | #healthtech | |
Lyfery | New generation life insurance | #insurtech | |
Tely AI | Run B2B content marketing with Autonomous AI agent | #martech | |
 | The digital wealth platform for Gen X | #fintech | |
 | Collaborative crime-fighting in networks | #regtech | |
Filmustage | Automatic script breakdown and scheduling service powered by AI | #saas | |
PeerBoard (exit) | Plug & play community platform | #saas | |
KatanaMRP | A manufacturing MRP that unites all sales channels, tools and workflows | MRP | |
Swag42 | Sustainable fashion corporate apparel | #apparel | |
Bolt | Transportation platform providing ride-hailing, micromobility, and food and grocery delivery services | #mobility | |
 | Radically simple recruiting software | #recruittech | |
 | Influencer discovery platform with the best data in the world | #martech | |
 | Design & deliver your insurance products | #insurtech | |
 | Simplified fraud prevention for card issuers | #fintech | |
 | The most accessible early financing for your startup | #fintech | |
 | AI-powered vehicle verification with damage detection | #insurtech | |
 | Grocery delivery app optimised for freshness and quality | #grocery | |
 | Interactive tools for online events | #events | |
 | All-in-one learning platform for effective skills development | edtech#seed | |
 | Learn coding with smart accessory that you can personalize anytime and anywhere through the imagiLabs app. | edtech#pre-seed | |
 | “Tinder for loans”. Loan brokerage solution that utilizes alternative data to boost financial inclusion in Southeast Asia | #fintech#seed | |
 | All the technology you need to launch and scale kickscooter, scooter, bike, moped or even car sharing business. | #mobility#seed | |
 | Europe's most experienced B2B startup accelerator | #accelerator#fund |
Podcast
I am occasionally record podcast together with my friend Tim Vaino:
Adventures
I love adventures. Hiking, sailing, kitesurfing, biking, surfing - just name it. If you have a great idea for crazy trip, let me join you!
Links
Scholarship
Scholarship #justnameIT
Привет! Я Марина.