ESCALTECH Succes Stories Part 2: Three Start-Ups Scaling Beyond Borders

ESCALTECH is designed to give ambitious technology start-ups the tools, guidance, and networks they need to realise their full potential.​

The following three examples from Estonia, Latvia and Finland show how the programme has helped companies expand across borders, strengthen their capabilities, and build sustainable growth paths.​

GoSwift Solutions (Estonia): Scaling Intelligent Queue Management for Borders and Logistics

GoSwift Solutions is an Estonian company providing intelligent queue management solutions for borders, customs terminals, logistics hubs, and large industrial complexes with high traffic volumes. GoSwift (the mother company of GoSwift Solutions) was founded in 2011, the company develops systems that combine traffic management, access control, navigation within restricted areas, and safety and security briefings for drivers, helping organisations manage human and vehicle flows more efficiently and safely.

The company’s core business has traditionally focused on the Baltic countries and Finland. While this market provided a strong foundation, its limited size—roughly 100 potential customers per market—made it difficult to scale revenue rapidly. To accelerate growth, GoSwift set its sights on larger markets, including Poland, Germany, France, Turkey, and the UK. Two years ago, the company also expanded its focus from primarily B2G contracts to actively pursuing B2B customers and founding GoSwift Solutions, a shift closely aligned with its participation in ESCALTECH.

Through ESCALTECH, GoSwift received hands-on support for entering new markets. Market research conducted by Riga Business School students provided valuable insights into competitive landscapes, customer needs, and go-to-market approaches in target countries. ESCALTECH also supported the localisation of GoSwift’s solution and materials, including translations into French and Lithuanian, and enabled the company to work with local experts.

Beyond market access, GoSwift benefited significantly from peer learning and cross-collaboration within the ESCALTECH community. Exchanges with other founders provided practical guidance on shared challenges, including strategic decisions around software development. Based on experiences shared by peers, the company could understand better if to keep development in-house rather than outsourcing, a critical decision for a security-related solution where reliability and long-term control are essential.
Looking ahead, GoSwift is continuing its international expansion while also exploring new business lines, including parking and curbside management solutions for cities and municipalities.

Participation in international trade exhibitions proved particularly impactful. According to Viljar Avastu, CEO of GoSwift Solutions:
“We went to trade exhibitions in Tallinn, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland and managed to get real customers, partners and potential customer leads in a very short time—something that usually takes much longer. We now have agreements with customers we met through these events, resulting in around €30,000 in actual revenue directly linked to ESCALTECH.”

Reflecting on the programme, Viljar Avastu emphasises the value of continued support:
“We would be very happy if this kind of support could continue in the future. There was so much more we could have done—we managed to complete only about half of what we planned. The networking opportunities were extremely valuable, and meeting other founders helped us realise that we are not alone with our challenges. Without ESCALTECH, we would not have reached this stage.”

Fintelligence (Latvia): Automating Trust and Risk Intelligence Across Borders

Fintelligence is a Latvian startup founded in 2020, offering automated screening and analysis of publicly available information for due diligence and risk assessment. The company was founded based on the founders’ background in banking, where they identified that manual screening of open-source information was both time-consuming and prone to human error. This insight led to the development of an automated reputation and risk intelligence solution.

Fintelligence’splatform helps organisationsidentify reputational, ESG, sanctions-related, and geopolitical risks by analysinglarge volumes of public data. The solution covers sanctions screening, governance and environmental risks, security-related issues, and politically exposed persons (PEPs), supporting companies in automating a significant part of their due diligence processes. By systematically detecting negative signals that could impact customer or partner risk, the platform reduces manual work while improving consistency and reliability.

Before joining ESCALTECH, Fintelligence was primarily focused on the Latvian market, where its product had already been in commercial use since 2020. While the solution has been continuously further developed and expanded, the company’s main goals for the programme were to build a presence outside Latvia and to increase turnover. The team had already participated in international events, but scaling these efforts required greater financial flexibility and more structured support.

ESCALTECH provided Fintelligence with access to international conferences, travel support, and networking opportunities with minimal bureaucracy. In addition to international exposure, practical elements such as B2B sales workshops and peer discussions helped the team.Since joining ESCALTECH, Fintelligence has significantly expanded its customer base, growing from three to four customers to more than 15 onboarded clients. In addition to B2B customers, the company also serves B2C clients in Latvia. The team is currently exploring new verticals, including defence, where their solution has clear dual-use potential.

According to Līga Vinķele, Co-founder of Fintelligence, this approach makes a tangible difference for early-stage companies:

“ESCALTECH is a great example of how support programmesshould work with startups. Cash flow is one of the biggest challenges for early-stage companies, and ESCALTECH truly understands that reality. By removing unnecessary financial and administrative barriers, the programmeallows startups to focus on growth. This is an approach that should be used much more widely in other programmes as well.”

Tuntu (Finland): Creating Invisible, Immersive AV Experiences for Wellbeing and Spaces

Tuntu is a Finnish company developing an invisible audiovisual system that transforms spaces through sound, visuals, lighting, and even scent, without visible speakers or devices. Fully integrated into the structure of a space, Tuntu’s technology distributes sound through entire surfaces rather than from individual speakers, creating a natural and immersive experience that sets it apart from conventional AV solutions.

The company’s roots lie in art and sound design. Founder Kirsi Ihalainen, a sound designer and sound artist, originally developed the technology through artistic projects that brought natural soundscapes indoors. The first commercial product evolved directly from a sound-based artwork, leading to the founding of Kelosound and later the development of the company into what is now known as Tuntu. Over time, artistic experimentation was productised into a scalable technology with strong applications across multiple sectors.

Tuntu’s solutions are used in a wide range of environments. Many of the most impactful projects have been delivered in the wellbeing and healthcare sectors, but the solution can also be applied across other industries. Tuntu offers a holistic solution in which both the technological infrastructure and the experiential content are designed together. This enables highly customised, multisensory environments.

ESCALTECH has played a crucial role in Tuntu’s scaling journey. The programme has supported networking, customer acquisition, mentoring, and team growth. As the company has grown, building the right team has been a key priority. The team consists of 6 persons and one intern. Expanding the team has allowed work to be shared more effectively and has accelerated both product development and commercialisation. New connections have been instrumental in helping the company move towards international growth.

According to Kirsi Ihalainen, ESCALTECH has been a decisive catalyst for the company’s international journey:

“ESCALTECH was a strong starting point for entering international markets, and we are now truly getting there. From a networking perspective, the programme has worked extremely well; I have met many potential customers and found the right people to support our growth. Without ESCALTECH, I would not have reached this point. The programme has provided essential support throughout our growth journey. My only wish is that the programme could have lasted longer, as our scaling and internationalisation are just taking off while the programme is coming to an end.”