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# End of an Era: Sille Pettai to leave SmartCap after 10 years
- URL: https://fomo.observer/sille-pettai-to-step-down-from-smartcap/
- Published: 2026-03-17T10:20:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-18T13:17:40.000Z
- Description: SmartCap to look for new CEO
- Author: Teele Kaljuvee
- Tags: Investors, Newsletter, #Migrated-1775906933246, #Import 2026-04-11 11:30

SmartCap said it will begin searching for a new CEO to replace Sille Pettai, who steps down at the end of June, wrapping her 10-year stint at the state venture firm. She started as a fund manager and a member of the management team, and since June 2024, her title has been CEO.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/08/7f/087f88ab-cb17-44cc-928d-9cfca14a3fb9/content/images/2026/04/7df2cee2-2cfc-4ecb-b630-1c13ef293886_2048x1366-jpeg-2.jpg)

Sille Pettai. Foto: SmartCap/Krõõt Tarkmeel

“Under Sille Pettai’s leadership, SmartCap has played a very important role in shaping Estonia’s capital market,” Priit Põldoja, chairman of SmartCap’s supervisory board, said in a statement. “I thank Sille for her dedication and the work she has done. SmartCap is now larger and stronger than ever before and has become a respected investor across Europe.”

SmartCap currently manages three funds — the SmartCap Venture Capital Fund, the SmartCap Green Fund, and the SmartCap Defence Fund — with total assets approaching €500 million. Together, the funds have provided financing to 13 funds and nearly 20 companies.

Pettai said her priority now is to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

“Today, SmartCap is well-positioned in Estonia and internationally in the venture capital landscape and is one of the largest multi-strategy fund managers in the local market by assets. I feel that now is the right time to step down and pass the baton,” Pettai said.

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