Ukrainian women entrepreneurs shine in Estonia : Olha Lavrenko’s Smart 3D Engineering wins top prize
Olha Lavrenko won the Ukrainian Women Business Competition in Estonia with her innovative Smart 3D Engineering start-up
On May 20, 2025, the Jaan Poska Museum in Tallinn hosted the grand finale of the third edition of the Ukrainian Women Business Competition, an event organized by the France-Estonia Chamber of Commerce (CCI FE) with the support of prestigious partners such as the City of Tallinn, Hands For Ukraine, Punane Ristik, Mövenpick, and CoinsPaid, which actively contributed to supporting the participants.
This evening, centered on innovation and resilience, brought together female entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives of public institutions to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Ukrainian women based in Estonia. Five finalists presented their projects to a panel of experts before the announcement of the three winners.
Among them, Olha Lavrenko stood out with her company Smart 3D Engineering, a start-up combining classical mechanical engineering with modern 3D printing technologies to deliver concrete solutions for industrial businesses.
In the following interview, Olha Lavrenko reflects on her victory, her ambitions for developing her business, and the inspiring connections she made through this experience.
We spoke with Olha Lavrenko to learn more about her project, her ambitions, and how this experience has impacted her and her company.
After this success, what are your next steps or ambitions for growing your start-up ?
Are there specific goals, projects, or partnerships you’re particularly excited to pursue in the coming months ?
« After winning, we are focused on launching and developing Smart 3D Engineering. In the coming months, we plan to acquire an industrial 3D printer, expand the range of engineering services, and establish partnerships with local companies. What’s particularly inspiring is the idea of combining classical mechanical engineering with modern 3D printing technologies to create real engineering solutions for businesses and production. »
What kind of visibility or new opportunities has this victory brought you so far ?
Have you met new partners, investors, or mentors who could help you take your business to the next level ?
« The victory gave us not only recognition but also tangible results. One of the prizes is the creation of a website for our studio, which will be an important step in brand development and promoting our services. Additionally, the competition helped us connect with entrepreneurs and mentors who are willing to share their experience and ideas. During these conversations, we realized there is significant interest not only in 3D printing but also in our engineering knowledge and ability to model complex technical products. This became an important confirmation for us that the direction we’ve chosen is truly in demand. »
Looking back on the competition, what moments stand out to you the most — whether it was the excitement, the stress, or the connections you made ?
What personal lesson or feeling will you keep from this experience ?
« To be honest, the excitement was tremendous — there were many strong participants and interesting ideas around us. That’s why the joy of winning turned out to be doubly stronger. For us, this is not just a competition, but confirmation that we’re moving in the right direction. The most valuable thing we took away from this experience is confidence and the understanding that even a small team with an idea can achieve success if they believe in what they’re doing and work through to the end. »
The 2026 edition of the Ukrainian Women Business Competition is already in the works, providing a new stage for Ukrainian female entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative projects and gain visibility. One of the prices is also a one year free Membership to the Chamber, and we already had the pleasure to welcome Olga to our events and meetings.
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