Estonia
Estonian, Latvian and Finnish angel investors back Latitude59 pitching competition with €300,000: Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org said that the involvement of New Nordic investors is a clear sign of trust. “Estonian investors have supported our pitch competition for years, while Latvian angel investors are taking part for the second year in a row. This year, Finnish investors will join the syndicate for the first time, bringing Nordic investors into the mix. The involvement of New Nordic investors gives founders the confidence to build the next success stories, while investors can discover promising startups for their portfolios,” Org said.
Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN is contributing up to €200,000 to the prize pool, while Latvian Business Angel Network LatBAN is adding up to €100,000. Finnish Business Angels Network FiBAN will join the syndicate, representing Nordic investors.
EstBAN’s member of the board Jana Budkovskaja said that Latitude59 has consistently surfaced teams with the ambition and execution speed to scale globally. “Coperating with LatBAN and FiBAN is exactly the kind of collaboration that strengthens the New Nordic startup ecosystem. When a startup secures a syndicate investment, it’s a good sign for both sides: founders gain committed hands-on supporters, and investors see a team ready to turn momentum into measurable growth. I’m excited to co-leading the syndicate for the Latitude59 together again with David Clark (Angel Investor and Venture Partner at Tera Ventures). After last year’s success with Markedroid who have seen massive growth since the 2025 pitch competition. I can’t wait to see this year’s applications,” she said.
Managing Director of LatBAN Emīls Kragis emphasised that supporting the Latitude59 competition builds closer collaboration between business angel networks. “This is our second year supporting the Latitude59 competition, and it builds on the momentum we created with last year. Since then, we’ve seen much closer collaboration between EstBAN, LatBAN and LitBAN from deal sharing to new co-investment opportunities. Continuing this initiative is a natural next step, allowing us to back strong founders across the region together,” Kragis said.
FiBAN COO Mari Kirjalainen said that the Latitude59 pitch competition strengthens cross-border investing and deepens collaboration. “FiBAN is delighted to be part of the initiative and to offer this investment opportunity to our members as we launch our new syndication activities. It’s a great step towards strengthening cross-border investing and deepening collaboration with our sister networks EstBAN and LatBAN,” she said.
In recent years, startups such as AskToSell, Flowstep, Adact, Atom and Cino have stood out on the Latitude59 stage. In 2025, a total of €675,000 was invested through the Latitude59 pitching competition, with investment of between €175,000 and €250,000 secured by Estonian green energy solutions developer MarkeDroid, Latvian construction startup Adventum Tech, and Lithuanian defence technology company Luna Robotics.
Last year, 407 startups from 48 countries applied to the Latitude59 pitching competition. This year Latitude59 is looking for early-stage startups with a clear mission, a scalable business model, and a functional product with proven traction or strong market feedback.
The application deadline is 15 April 2026. From all applicants, 15 top teams will be selected for the semi-finals, where they will receive professional training and mentoring. The winners will be announced at the final on 22 May on the Latitude59 main stage.
Latitude59 2026 will take place on 20–22 May in Tallinn at Kultuurikatel. This year, Latitude59 has chosen The Global Village Experiment as its main theme, testing the hypothesis that the most valuable connections happen when ecosystems collide. In 2026, the ambition is to bring founders and ecosystem builders from around the world to Estonia, positioning Tallinn as a gateway to the New Nordics. Organisers expect participants from more than 70 countries.
Important dates:
April 15, 2025 – application deadline
April 29 – TOP30 startups announced
May 4–8 – pre-finals
May 21–22 – the finals will take place on the main stage of the Latitude59
Applications are open now, and startups can apply via the Latitude59 website.
This year marks the 14th edition of Latitude59 in Tallinn. Over the past decade, Latitude59 has grown into the most international and influential technology event in the Baltics and the New Nordics, extending its reach to Asia and Africa. Last year, alongside the flagship event in Tallinn, Latitude59 hosted a two-day conference in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. Side events were also held in Singapore, and for the first time, two events took place in South Africa. Latitude59 returns to Tallinn this May with a new ambition to build bridges between the New Nordics and startup ecosystems in Africa and Asia, while putting the balance between humanity and technology centre stage.
