Andrei Korobeinik
An Estonian programmer who built a pioneering social network, Rate.ee, before entering politics to shape the country's digital future.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Estonian software entrepreneur and politician·Birthday: November 5·Generation X
Biography
Andrei Korobeinik represents a distinct breed of early-21st century Estonian success: the tech entrepreneur turned politician. He cut his teeth in the nascent world of social media, creating Rate.ee, a homegrown networking and forum site that became a cultural touchstone for a generation of Estonians navigating the new digital age. This venture established him as a leader in the country's booming IT scene. Leveraging this credibility, Korobeinik stepped into the political arena, serving a term in the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament. His focus naturally aligned with technology policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aiming to apply the lessons of the startup world to government. His career arc mirrors Estonia's own transformation into a digital republic, built by those who speak the language of code as fluently as that of policy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andrei was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrei Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Andrei's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded Rate.ee, one of Estonia's first and most popular social networking websites.
- Served as a member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) from 2011 to 2013.
- Built and led multiple software and investment companies, including Rate Solutions and Serenda Invest.
Did You Know?
Rate.ee was often described as the 'Estonian Facebook' before Facebook itself became dominant in the country.
He studied computer science at Tallinn University of Technology.
His political tenure was with the Social Democratic Party (SDE).
“We built Rate.ee to connect people, and that principle should guide our laws.”
