December is a good time to look back on the year that has just ended – for Uptime, it was a year defined by the entry into the Spanish market and several successful IT projects. The company’s focus remains on maintaining strong customer relationships and organic growth.
According to Uptime CEO Eero Tohver, the most significant event of the past year was undoubtedly the company’s expansion into the Spanish market. In October, Uptime acquired a majority stake in the Madrid-based development company Unatec, a strong and long-standing IT partner for many prominent energy companies.
“These few months together have already shown that we made the right decision with Unatec. We have a great rapport with the people there and a shared strategic vision of investing in the energy sector,” he said.
“The year 2024 and the expansion of Unatec’s customer portfolio shows that energy is becoming increasingly intertwined with software development,” explained Tohver. “ESG-related automation, solar and wind farm management, the triumph of energy-driven artificial intelligence, and overall energy security – these are topics that will create much more work for the IT sector.”
In Estonia, Uptime has also implemented several successful energy projects this year. “This year, for example, we implemented a gas sales platform for Alexela and built a new app for their private customers. I would also like to give a special mention to Alexela because, despite the pessimism in the Estonian market, they clearly see that IT investments now create a strong foundation for future growth,” he said.
Opportunities in Estonia and abroad
Although companies in Europe are currently taking a conservative stance on investing in software development, Uptime has had a successful year in every country where it operates: in addition to Estonia and Spain, the company is also present in Poland, Norway, Denmark and Switzerland.
“It’s true that discussions with new clients are taking a little longer than before and, more importantly, it’s essential to demonstrate the benefits that the company is getting from their investment in IT,” explains Tohver. “However, difficult times force you to work harder and find new opportunities. In Poland, for example, our strategic sales efforts have resulted in collaborative projects with both existing partners and new customers, focusing on the pharmaceutical and waste management sectors, as well as the US market.”
It has not been easy this year in the labour market, where it can be challenging to find a job as a developer, even for an experienced professional, let alone a recent university graduate. At the same time, Tohver said, there are still areas in the IT sector with a workforce shortage. “For example, our company is constantly looking for specialists in Office 365, SharePoint and low/no-code solutions,” he said.
Uptime will continue with its long-term strategy in 2025. “Our first focus is to be a trusted partner to our long-term customers, but at the same time we will continue to look for opportunities to grow and expand organically,” Tohver added.
“The most important thing is to stick to the company’s strategy, to serve our customers well and keep the team intact. This will get us through difficult economic times,” he concluded.