driving e-⁠Residency forward in france

Kristiina Kalda, a recent addition to the e-⁠Residency Team as Country Manager for France, is focused on engaging with French entrepreneurs 

Estonia’s e-Residency programme continues to capture the imagination of global entrepreneurs, but recent strategic efforts are turning attention specifically to France—Europe’s second-largest economy, and home to a growing cohort of digitally-minded business founders. The French government has invested heavily in innovation through initiatives like La French Tech, and Paris is home to one of Europe’s largest startup campuses, Station F.

However while France boasts a dynamic startup culture and strong digital ambitions, many entrepreneurs still face complex bureaucracy and administrative hurdles. Estonia’s streamlined, 100% online business environment presents a compelling alternative.

Kristiina Kalda, newly appointed Country Manager for France in the Business Development team at e-⁠Residency, is focused on strengthening this connection. Her mission is to raise awareness among French founders, freelancers, and remote-first teams about how e-⁠Residency can offer them a practical route to access the EU market and beyond, backed by Estonia’s transparent and digital-first business ecosystem. With her background in international business and passion for innovation, Kristiina is well-placed to champion this initiative and deepen engagement in a market where simplicity, mobility, and EU credibility are increasingly sought-after.

A journey shaped by business and innovation

Kristiina’s professional journey has been marked by an enduring passion for building bridges between business innovation and practical solutions. Before her new role at e-⁠Residency, Kristiina developed a diverse portfolio in business development, focusing on helping organisations grow their exports. 

Kristiina’s ‘French Connection’ began at a much younger age, as she moved there aged 12 and was educated in the French system.  So it’s unsurprising that her professional background reflects significant expertise in promoting digital transformation, and supporting France-Estonia connection and commerce, with in-depth experience in the export markets, where she has consulted and executed on all aspects of trade. 

She also worked as export adviser at the Estonian Embassy in France starting in 2014–coinciding, incidentally, with the launch of e-⁠Residency. She recalls surprise among the French institutions at the speed and agility of the launch, and how that highlighted some key differences in the two governmental systems.

Reflecting on her career so far, Kristiina said:

Expanding the e-⁠Residency reach: The French Connection

One of Kristiina’s primary focuses is to increase engagement with French entrepreneurs. France has shown growing interest in the e-⁠Residency programme, thanks to its flexibility and the ability to establish an EU-based company without leaving home. 

With over 5000 French e-⁠residents so far who have established over 1800 companies through the programme, France represents a significant growth opportunity–so Kristiina sees the potential clearly:

This focus on France aligns with the broader strategy to tap into European markets where digital transformation and cross-border business are becoming increasingly relevant.  France in particular shows a strong conversion rate from e-⁠Residency status application to company formation, with an uptick recently, reflecting a pragmatic approach to getting things done that Kristiina is very familiar with from her time in France.

“Digitisation in France is improving, but starting a business still takes a lot more time than in Estonia,” she pointed out.

Why Estonia? The case for French entrepreneurs

The biggest use-case for Estonian e-⁠Residency in France is for those who want to globalise their business. 

“Instead of creating a subsidiary somewhere new for that part of the world, you can just consider Estonia, because it’s easy to work globally from there, and you can still stay in France. So nothing changes in your domestic market and operations.”

Indeed, the size of the existing French market can even create friction to global strategy, as Kristiina observed from her consulting history. “In Estonia it’s like we almost don’t have a domestic market, so companies and startups are thinking global from the start, every time they create a product or service.

“But in France, the domestic market is so huge, that often companies focus only domestically for their first years,” she explained–meaning that scaling internationally comes less naturally, and there is less of a culture and community of global founders. Nothing is natively available in English, nor with an eventual expansion in mind, and it can be a much bigger step to reach beyond those shores–even within the EU–when the time to internationalise is reached.

With her own deep experience in both countries, Kristiina can smooth over those cultural differences, and introduce French entrepreneurs to the differences they will encounter in the Estonian system, such as the speed of decision-making and access to investors and deciders.

Supporting entrepreneurs looking for a streamlined, borderless business path

Clearly in France things are simply more traditional, and even hierarchical.

“Business founders in France typically come from elite business schools. You need to have that reputable education on your CV, people will expect that, and it matters even after you have been in business for 20 years,” she explained. Your detailed career history and progression matters too.

But a younger generation of French entrepreneurs is already eroding that and other stereotypes, and they’re even abandoning the famous French long lunches–particularly those drawn to doing things digitally and efficiently, and looking beyond the French-speaking markets to a borderless business future.

And if they’re used to navigating a complex domestic regulatory environment, they can find a more streamlined alternative through Estonia. Kristiina explained:

Building a Collaborative Digital Future

Kristiina is particularly enthusiastic about fostering collaboration between e-⁠residents and local businesses. Her goal is not just to boost the number of French e-⁠residents but to facilitate partnerships that can benefit both Estonia and France. “It’s not just about numbers. It’s about community,” she pointed out. 

If today’s French founders are finding they can do more of their business administration digitally, even in the domestic market, there’s a need to fulfil the social aspects of French business culture by connecting with others on a similar path, and sharing experiences and learning from one another. 

Kristiina’s commitment to community engagement is a hallmark of her approach. By hosting informational webinars and community events in French, she plans to demystify the process of becoming an e-resident and showcase success stories from those already thriving within the programme.

Looking ahead in Europe and beyond

Kristiina is optimistic about the future of e-⁠Residency. As the programme continues to evolve, with ongoing enhancements to digital infrastructure and community support, she believes that engaging diverse markets will be crucial.

“At e-⁠Residency we have partners who can advise French-speaking e-⁠residents, and make sure they understand the wide range of funding and support opportunities for them”, she explained, talking about the custom conversations she seeks to develop to bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps across these markets.

France’s political position at the heart of the EU is also an important piece of the strategy, especially in these fraught geopolitical times. “In the past when a French company wanted to expand they probably thought that there would be huge potential in the US market,” she pointed out. “While now they are having to be more pragmatic, and reinforce European co-operation.” 

Estonian e-⁠Residency is the perfect framework for transnational collaborations, in thriving sectors where growth will continue to be emphasized: Sustainable technologies, digital transformation, biotech, automation… There are so many industries where the bloc will inevitably have to become more self-reliant in the short-term future, and this is a chance for France to play to its existing business strengths–leveraging its skilled workforce and developed infrastructure, to be a critical part of Europe’s economic future.

A new chapter for e-⁠Residency

Kristiina Kalda’s journey into the e-⁠Residency programme is more than just a professional step forward–it’s a commitment to fostering innovation and connection. By focusing on France and engaging with entrepreneurs in their own language and business culture, she aims to make Estonia’s digital business model accessible to a new wave of creators and innovators.

Her passion for connecting people and simplifying digital business practices mirrors the core philosophy of e-⁠Residency itself: breaking down barriers and empowering entrepreneurs to work from anywhere. As Estonia continues to lead in digital innovation, Kristiina’s work will be vital in ensuring that e-⁠Residency remains both relevant and revolutionary.