International School of Tallinn

What International School of Tallinn does

International School of Tallinn (IST) is a private English-language international school located in Ülemiste City, Tallinn, Estonia, operating under the legal entity Tallinn International School OÜ and owned by Mainor Group, an Estonian conglomerate founded in 1971. Established in 2017, IST serves approximately 350 students aged 3–19 across Preschool, Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). It is the only school in Estonia fully authorized by the International Baccalaureate to deliver all three IB programmes, and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges with plans to join the Council of International Schools by 2025.

IST's primary customer segment is expatriate and internationally-minded families residing in Estonia, drawn from a community of more than 50 nationalities. The school employs 50+ educators from over 20 countries, maintaining an average class size of 18 students and a 1:8 teacher-to-student ratio. Core technology infrastructure consists of third-party platforms — Toddle for learning management, Unifrog for university and career guidance, and NWEA MAP testing for student assessment — augmented by a website AI Chat Assistant for admissions inquiries.

The revenue model is primarily subscription-based annual tuition, tiered from €9,550 (Preschool) to €12,885 (DP), with monthly installment options and multiple discount programs (family, employee, loyalty, needs-based). Ancillary revenue streams include hourly childcare for ages 2–7, aftercare services beginning at 14:25, after-school extracurricular activities, and catering provided by partner FREDO. Marketing and distribution rely on direct enrollment through the ist.ee website, education fair participation, word-of-mouth within the expat community, and trial days/school visits. The school is positioned within the Mainor Group ecosystem, which includes adjacent higher education (Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences) and student accommodation (Lurich Residences).

Name

International School of Tallinn

Legal name

Tallinn International School OÜ

Website

https://ist.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International School of Tallinn is a private English-language IB World School in Tallinn, Estonia, serving 350+ expatriate and international students aged 3–19 across Preschool, PYP, MYP, and DP programmes. Owned by Mainor Group, it operates from a purpose-built Ülemiste City campus with 50+ educators from 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA), International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK)

Keywords

• International K-12 education
• IB World School programmes
• English-language schooling
• Expatriate student services
• Preschool to diploma education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Annual tuition fees charged per student across four program levels: Preschool (€9,550), PYP (€11,715), MYP (€12,460), and DP (€12,885) per academic year. Payment options include initial payment plus monthly installments.
2. Childcare and Daycare Services: Hourly-based childcare services for children aged 2-7 years, operating weekdays 8:00-18:00 at Valukoja 9 in Ülemiste City with bilingual Estonian and English activities.
3. After-school Activities: Wide range of extracurricular activities including sports, music, technology, and creative arts provided as a student service.
4. Aftercare Services: After-school care services for students beginning at 14:25 after regular classes end.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

International School of Tallinn (IST) is a private international school in Tallinn, Estonia delivering English-language education for students aged 3-19 through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP), plus a Preschool and ancillary services such as childcare, aftercare, school meals, learning support, counselling, and a wide range of after-school extracurricular activities. Annual tuition is charged per programme level, and the school operates on a modern, purpose-built campus in Ülemiste City.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool (Kindergarten) Programme English-language international preschool programme for children aged 3-6, preparing them for the IB Primary Years Programme. Annual tuition is €9,550.
• IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) IB-authorised Primary Years Programme for students in grades 1-5, delivered in English. Annual tuition is €11,715.
• IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) IB-authorised Middle Years Programme for students in grades 6-10, delivered in English. Annual tuition is €12,460.
• IB Diploma Programme (DP) IB-authorised Diploma Programme for students in grades 11-12, preparing them for the IB Diploma examinations and global university admissions. Annual tuition is €12,885.
• Childcare and Daycare Services Hourly-based childcare and daycare services for children aged 2-7, operating weekdays 8:00-18:00 with bilingual Estonian and English activities at the Ülemiste City campus.
• Aftercare Services After-school care services for IST students starting at 14:25, providing supervised care after the end of regular classes.
• After-school Extracurricular Activities Wide range of after-school extracurricular activities covering sports, music, technology, and creative arts, available to enrolled students.
• Extended Coding Programme Extended coding programme offered as a supplementary subject or after-school activity, delivered in partnership with Finnish Code School to develop students' technology and innovation skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top student satisfaction ranking: #1 among international schools in Estonia, #2 among all schools in Estonia (Estonian Ministry of Education surveys)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• International Baccalaureate (IB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIST is fully authorized by IB to deliver all three programmes: Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). This authorization is the cornerstone of the school's curriculum and academic credentials.
• ToddlecoreTechnology or IntegrationToddle serves as the school's learning management system (LMS), enabling curriculum management, student progress tracking, and parent-teacher communication.
• Finnish Code SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIST has a partnership agreement with Finnish Code School, making it the only school in Estonia with this partnership for cutting-edge technology education and coding programs.
• UnifrogcoreTechnology or IntegrationUnifrog platform provides university and career guidance, bringing together a global university database, degree comparisons, and application tools to support students in higher education planning.
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIST is pursuing NEASC accreditation, with plans to obtain full accreditation by 2025 as part of the school's strategic goals.
• Council of International Schools (CIS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIST plans to join CIS (Council of International Schools) by 2025 as outlined in the strategic plan for international networking and educational standards.
• Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEESA membership enhances collaborative opportunities and maintains high educational standards through regional international school networking.
• Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECIS membership provides access to international educational networks and collaborative opportunities for professional development.
• Estonian Public Library SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIST library is connected to the Estonian Public Library system, offering students access to an impressive index of titles and fostering a love for books.
• FREDOminorOthersFREDO is the school's catering partner providing fresh and healthy meals daily, including hot meals with salad, with vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
• NorrisonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorrison is the official uniform provider for IST, supplying school uniforms to students in Grades 1-12 according to the school's dress code policy.
• Lurich ResidencesminorOthersLocated next to IST campus, Lurich Residences offers special discounts to IST students and employees for accommodation needs.
• Estonian Ministry of Education and ResearchcoreOthersIST operates under the supervision of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium), which also conducts annual satisfaction surveys.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• International School of Helsinki: IB World School in Helsinki serving the Nordic-Baltic expatriate community. Comparable in mission and curriculum structure, but operating in a different Nordic capital market with distinct competitive dynamics.
• British International School of Riga: Regional peer operating in Latvia serving the Baltic international school market with English-language curriculum. Comparable business model targeting expatriate families in the Baltic region, though operating in a different country than IST.
• International School of Riga: Long-established international school in Latvia's capital offering IB programs to expatriate families. Comparable as a Baltic-region international school serving globally mobile families, though operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Nord Anglia International School Tallinn: Part of the global Nord Anglia Education network operating in Tallinn, offering premium international education including IB programmes. Comparable as a private international K-12 school in Tallinn but benefits from global network resources and brand.
• Swiss International School (various campuses): Network of premium international schools operating across multiple countries offering IB programmes. Comparable in business model (private international K-12 IB school) but operates as a larger multi-campus incumbent rather than single-site specialist like IST.

Others

• Tallinn University of Applied Sciences (EUAS): Sister institution under Mainor Group offering higher education in Estonia. Comparable as an education provider under the same parent conglomerate and has a discount partnership with IST, representing ecosystem/feeder relationship rather than direct competition.

Emerging players

• UWC Dilijan College: United World College in Armenia offering IB Diploma Programme to international students from the Eastern European and CIS regions. Comparable in IB DP delivery and target market of internationally mobile families in the post-Soviet region.
• Haapsalu Noarootsi College of Technology: Estonian private school with a technology/STEM focus that intersects with IST's STEM and coding emphasis. Competes for tech-oriented Estonian families and could overlap with IST's Finnish Code School programming niche.

Direct peers

• Tallinn European School: Tallinn European School is a direct competitor in the Estonian international K-12 market, offering multilingual education including English-language tracks. Was notably founded by the same director who later established IST (Olavi Otepalu), making them directly comparable in curriculum structure and target market of expatriate families.
• International School of Estonia: Another international K-12 school in Tallinn serving the expatriate community with English-language instruction. Directly competes with IST for the same expat family segment in the Estonian capital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-school-of-tallinn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International School of Tallinn