Toivo Annus

Toivo Annus is a highly influential Estonian entrepreneur and angel investor, best known as one of the co-founders of Skype. Following Skype's acquisition by eBay in 2005 for $2.6 billion, Annus transitioned from operational roles to become a prolific early-stage investor, leveraging his deep technological expertise and entrepreneurial success. He is recognized for his strategic investments in high-growth technology companies, particularly those emerging from the Baltic region and wider Europe.

Annus's investment philosophy centers on backing strong founding teams with disruptive ideas, primarily in the seed and early growth stages. His portfolio reflects a keen interest in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, SaaS, and deep tech, including robotics and autonomous systems, aligning with the user's mention of "flying drones" (exemplified by his investment in Starship Technologies, which develops autonomous delivery robots). He looks for companies with global scalability and a clear path to market leadership, often providing not just capital but also valuable mentorship and strategic guidance.

His impressive portfolio includes some of Europe's most successful technology companies. He was an early backer of Wise (formerly TransferWise), a global fintech giant that went public with a valuation exceeding $11 billion. Other notable investments include Bolt (formerly Taxify), a leading European ride-hailing and delivery platform last valued at $8.4 billion, and Pipedrive, a CRM software company acquired for over $1 billion. He has also supported innovative companies like Starship Technologies and identity verification leader Veriff, both of which have raised hundreds of millions in funding. Annus typically deploys first checks ranging from $150,000 to $1,000,000, reflecting his capacity to make significant early-stage commitments.