Kadri Artma: building Solis BioDyne

Have you ever sat around a table with your friends or family and just come up with the wildest ideas while having a good meal? Like, let’s go on a hiking trip around Europe, buy a bigger house, or start a biotech company… One of Kadri’s brightest memories is exactly that — sitting around a table during lunch with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law Olev, and having the conversation that led to the start of Solis BioDyne. 

That lunch didn’t just spark an idea — it set Kadri on a journey she’s been part of from the very beginning. While her husband Agu founded the company together with Olev, Kadri was there from day one, lending her support. Throughout the years, Kadri has held different positions and is currently the Chairwoman of the Council. While not a scientist by background, she loves being part of science. Having the opportunity to create something that has a strong positive impact on the world — how can one say no to that? It’s the fact that the products invented at Solis BioDyne can be used to improve medicine, agriculture, the environment, and much more that keeps Kadri so attached to the company, even at times when it would have been easier to just give up. 

From that one fun lunch, Solis BioDyne started as a family company and continues to this day. In the early years, family members would help outside of their regular jobs — packing orders, making sales calls, or simply doing whatever was needed. In the beginning, work was done from home with just the basics — a fax machine and a single computer. When the first real office space was set up and more family members started helping with sales, everyone still had to share one internet cable. Sending emails was still a novelty back then. The first lab was assembled with second-hand equipment, and for years, every step forward relied on improvisation, persistence, and resourcefulness. In those early years, every new client felt like a milestone. Kadri still remembers the thrill of waking up in the morning to find an order from abroad waiting overnight — a small moment that proved Solis BioDyne had reached beyond Estonia. 

The 1990s was a restless and entrepreneurial time in Estonia. The country was full of people daring to try new things, and Solis BioDyne was no exception. From the start it was clear: this wouldn’t just be a distribution company — it would be a creator. 

“We wanted to bring something to the world that people truly need, something that makes life better,” Kadri says. Solis BioDyne’s slogan captured that ambition perfectly: “Life science for a better life.” 

That spirit of innovation has always been present. As early as the 90s, they were already imagining rapid diagnostic tests available in grocery stores — something that sounded utopian at the time, but is commonplace today. The belief that science can and should improve everyday life has guided Solis BioDyne ever since. 

Clients were difficult to secure, and when one of the earliest major projects ended in 2002, it meant rethinking the path forward. “We really had to ask ourselves — do we give up, or do we keep going?” Kadri remembers. Choosing to persevere was not easy, but it reshaped the company’s future. New salespeople were hired, international contacts pursued more aggressively, and slowly the company rebuilt itself. 

As Solis BioDyne grew, so did our identity. In 2013, the kingfisher appeared for the first time in a product catalogue. The goal back then was to find a symbol that reflected the company’s connection to nature, the environment, and our innovative room-temperature stable (ice-free) products. The Estonian name for the bird — jäälind, or “ice bird” — made the connection feel especially fitting. 

Initially, it was supposed to be just a one-time design element, but the bird quickly resonated with the company’s story: colorful, resilient, globally spread, thriving even in harsh winters and, according to Greek mythology, symbolizing loyalty and trust. It became a mascot that still represents the brand today. 

Through all these changes, Kadri emphasizes that what makes Solis BioDyne special is not only its cutting-edge products, but also the people who create them. From the very beginning, the company was shaped by the complementary strengths of its founders — Olev with his background in biochemistry, and Agu with his experience in economics. Their long-standing collaboration set the tone for the entire company: different skills working together toward a shared goal. That spirit has carried on in the wider team, where diverse expertise and mutual trust have become a foundation of success.

“Good critique is valuable,” Kadri notes. “People from different fields see things differently, and that’s what sparks new ideas.” 

For her, team spirit and the chance to learn, grow, and create together are among Solis BioDyne’s greatest strengths. From scientists to salespeople to partners abroad, the human network has been the true driver of the company’s success. 

Solis BioDyne's team, summer 2025.

Looking back, Kadri says the main lessons have been about balance: focus gives direction, but creativity needs freedom. Success is never final; there’s always another hill to climb.

She is deeply grateful to employees, clients, and partners for their trust and support — and of course to Olev, the management, and the members of the board for their long-term cooperation and energy. For her, leadership is not about ego—it is grounded in respect, humanity, and the courage to keep moving forward, even when the world feels uncertain and chaotic.

Above all, she hopes her story inspires others: “Every day is a new beginning. Have courage. Change the world for the better.”