The HK Unicorn Squad, founded in 2018 by Taavi and Kerstin Kotka, runs free, girls-only technology programmes across Estonia. Over intensive three-day camps, participants learn robotics, drone piloting and basic AI through hands-on challenges. Around 5,000 girls — roughly one in ten Estonian girls aged 8–14 — have completed the programme so far. Leaders hope the initiative becomes government-backed, while acknowledging that measurable long-term effects on careers may take a decade to appear.
Estonia's HK Unicorn Squad Trains Girls in Robotics, Drones and AI — Building the Next Generation of Tech Talent
Estonia's girls only HK Unicorn Squad is helping build the country's next tech generation
Over a three-day programme, Estonian classrooms and playgrounds were transformed into robotics labs, drone test zones and artificial intelligence workshops as teenage girls learned hands-on technology skills.
HK Unicorn Squad: free tech hobby education for girls only - © Valérie Gauriat
The event is the highlight of the HK Unicorn Squad's annual activities. The NGO was founded in 2018 by Taavi and Kerstin Kotka to give girls across Estonia free, focused access to tech education and inspire more young women to enter science and engineering fields.
Taavi Kotka: "getting more girls into engineering is a national issue" - © Valérie Gauriat
Practical, Fast-Paced Learning
During a robotics workshop, Taavi Kotka circulated among teams, offering occasional tips while groups of teenagers concentrated on building and programming small, toy-like robots. "They must work it out themselves, starting with no clue, within 30 minutes. It is solvable — I did it in 40 minutes," he joked, underlining the programme's emphasis on discovery and resilience.
"Every sector will use more and more technology" says Helena Kotka - © Valérie Gauriat
From National Digital Architect to Education Advocate
Kotka is better known for achievements that reach far beyond youth workshops. As Estonia's first Chief Information Officer, he helped shape the country's pioneering digital infrastructure. He now advises the government on its national AI strategy and leads KOOS.io, a business development startup. "Solving country-level problems is an interesting challenge for me. Getting more girls into engineering is a national issue. Engineers don't just solve mechanical problems; we can also address social problems," he says.
A Project Born From Personal Experience
The Unicorn Squad grew from a personal moment: when Kotka's daughter, Helena, and the only other girl in her primary school's robotics club were dropped after the group was reduced, he created a dedicated space for girls to learn technology without barriers. Helena completed the programme and now helps teach younger participants while preparing to study medicine. "If I become a surgeon, more operations will use robotic assistance or AI. Having this exposure will give me an edge over other medical students who haven't had as much contact with these tools," she says, as she guides students through drone-flying exercises.
Scale and Ambition
To date, roughly 5,000 girls have completed the Unicorn Squad programme — about one in ten Estonian girls aged eight to 14. Project leaders say the broader effects on careers and gender balance in STEM will take years to measure; Kotka estimates the full impact may not be evident for a decade. In the interim, the group's ambition is bold: "We want every Estonian child to learn modern technology," Kotka says. "It should become a government project."
"You must work hard. Estonia sits on the periphery, but we are not a backwater. From here, we can take on the world," Kotka told students at his daughter's high-school graduation.
The HK Unicorn Squad offers a model for how targeted, hands-on programmes can widen access to technical skills and nurture future talent — combining grassroots community action with a push for national support.
Help us improve.
