What if cloud storage could be simple, transparent, and genuinely affordable? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Tommi Kannisto, founder of Storadera a company based in Estonia that's redefining the way businesses approach object storage. I first met Tommi during the IT Press Tour in London, where Storadera's fresh perspective on S3-compatible cloud storage stood out for all the right reasons.

In our conversation, Tommi shares the journey behind building a hyper-converged cloud storage platform that challenges conventional thinking. From eliminating hidden fees to maximizing performance on traditional spinning disks, Storadera is built around an ethos of doing more with less. The platform’s architectural simplicity allows for efficient scaling, reliable performance with small files, and an operational model that avoids complexity by design.

Tommi also walks us through how Storadera handles everything from data durability to sovereignty, with data centers already operating in Estonia and the Netherlands. With growing demand from regions focused on local control of data, we explore the opportunities emerging from geopolitical shifts and increasing global focus on sovereignty. Estonia’s digital-first culture and its thriving startup ecosystem form the backdrop to this innovation, and we discuss how a small country has produced more than its share of tech unicorns.

As we look to the road ahead, Tommi explains how AI might soon play a role in optimizing read and delete operations to push storage efficiency even further. He also touches on the growing interest in Storadera from companies seeking alternatives to US-based hyperscalers and how demand from across Europe is shaping their expansion plans.

If you’re exploring options beyond the cloud giants or curious about what’s brewing in Europe’s fast-growing tech scene, this episode offers a fresh, founder-led view of the storage market. Let me know what resonates with you. Are you considering new storage strategies in light of data locality or cost pressures? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Sara Pascoe and Nina Sosanya