HopLocal started as a way to hop around local places
It turned into something we didn't plan for: helping companies in Estonia look after their team culture.
A simple idea
We first met in 2019, talking about the fun parts of our jobs. For both of us, one thing stood out: our team events. They were what kept our teams motivated.
In autumn 2020, we started HopLocal. The name said it all: hop around the local places. It was a peer-to-peer platform where locals could share their hobbies and experiences, and anyone could join in.
Team leads started showing up
Soon, a few team leads began using HopLocal to book their monthly team events. Most of them were expat professionals. New to Estonia, they didn't always know where to start, and having everything in one place made organising so much easier.
We knew that feeling well. As team leads ourselves, organising one team event took a few hours of work time, every month: finding new ideas, checking prices and availability, making the booking and processing the invoice.
That was our chance to pivot.
From a team events marketplace to team culture
So we went all in on team events. First as a marketplace for team building activities in Tallinn, and over time into something bigger: one place for companies to take care of their team culture.
Today, companies use HopLocal for team events and dinners, office lunches and catering, cakes and flowers for work anniversaries, offsites and team merchandise. All with simple monthly invoicing and a cost-centre breakdown.
What hasn't changed
Since then, more than 500 teams have booked through HopLocal, from startups to companies like Wise, Bolt and Veriff. We still work closely with local hosts across Estonia, and we still believe what we did in 2020:
Great experiences bring people together. Finding them shouldn't be hard.
Parmeet & Marju
Have an idea, a question or a place every team should try? Write to us at hello@hoplocal.co.