The Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITL) recognised the most outstanding technological achievements and contributors of 2025 at its anniversary event. The Deed of the Year 2025 award was presented to the AI Leap Foundation for launching an education programme that helps Estonian schools adapt to the age of AI.
ITL annually recognises individuals and organisations whose ideas, initiatives or activities have significantly impacted the development of digital technology in Estonia or society more broadly. Awards were presented in four categories: Doer of the Year, Deed of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year and Role Model of the Year.
“The impact of technology is no longer limited to the IT sector alone – it increasingly shapes how we learn, work, receive healthcare and organise our society. This year’s laureates are a strong example of how digital solutions can truly move society forward,” said ITL President Ats Albre.
Deed of the Year 2025 – AI Leap
The Doer of the Year 2025 award was presented to the AI Leap Foundation for launching an education programme that prepares Estonia’s education system for the age of artificial intelligence.
“It is important to understand that we are not bringing AI into schools – large language model applications are already in students’ phones. We help schools adapt so that AI enhances learning rather than hinders it,” said Ivo Visak, Head of TI-Hüpe. “We are creating the conditions for Estonian youth to become not only skilled users of AI tools but also capable creators. Support from the private sector, including ITL member companies, has helped strongly launch Estonia’s next major leap,” Visak added.
The programme has now reached all upper secondary schools in Estonia, involving more than 4,900 teachers, over 60% of whom use AI tools on a weekly basis. A dedicated learning application launched in January is already used in nearly 77% of upper secondary schools.
Doer of the Year 2025 – Better Medicine
The Doer of the Year 2025 award was given to Estonian medtech startup Better Medicine for developing an AI-based cancer detection system.
The company’s solution helps radiologists automatically detect, characterise and measure oncological findings in CT scans, improving diagnostic accuracy and supporting the detection of incidental findings. “As cancer incidence continues to rise globally, doctors’ workloads increase and healthcare resources remain limited, smart solutions are essential for saving lives by supporting physicians in cancer detection and diagnostics,” said Priit Salumaa, co-founder and CEO of Better Medicine. He added that the company’s next goal is to cover the most critical abdominal cancers and ultimately develop a whole-body detection system, making Better Medicine the world’s first clinically holistic cancer detection solution.
Breakthrough of the Year 2025 – Rollo Robotics
The Breakthrough of the Year 2025 award was given to Rollo Robotics, which developed the world’s first stable autonomous single-wheel security robot.
The solution introduces a new approach to security and defence applications – the robot is faster, has fewer components, is more energy-efficient and can operate in environments inaccessible to conventional robots. “Developing a stable single-wheel robot has long been considered a major technological challenge in robotics, as a single-point support system is inherently dynamically unstable. Our team’s patented method demonstrates that even a small country like Estonia can create globally competitive deep-tech solutions,” said Sander Sebastian Agur, Member of the Management Board at Rollo Robotics.
Role Model of the Year 2025 – Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund
This year, ITL also introduced a new award category, Role Model of the Year, which was awarded to the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (Töötukassa) for its service modernisation reform.
The reform demonstrates how the public sector can restructure its organisation to direct more resources toward service development and strengthening technological capabilities. “Our main goal is to help people return to the labour market faster by focusing on those who need our support the most. To achieve this, we must continuously develop and better target our services,” said Gert Tiivas, Chairman of the Management Board of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.
ITL presents these sector awards annually, with winners selected by the organisation’s board based on nominations from members and partners. The awards have been given since 1998, and this year marks the 27th time they have been presented.