Deverium Highlights Baltic Tech Growth at Baltic Tech Talks & Chill Event at Google for Startups Campus

Published May 10, 2024
Author deverium
Blog, Partnerships

Published May 10, 2024

Author deverium

Deverium Highlights Baltic Tech Growth at Baltic Tech Talks & Chill Event at Google for Startups Campus

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Baltic countries and Poland joining the European Union, the representatives of the Baltic and Polish tech ecosystems recently gathered at the Google for Startups Campus in Warsaw. The event “Baltic Tech Talks & Chill,” a platform for industry leaders to discuss the current landscape and future opportunities in the region, was also attended by the Ambassadors from all three Baltic countries. Erika Maslauskaite, co-founder and CEO of Deverium, moderated the panel “Baltic panel: Business Views on Regional Growth and Challenges” and shared her insights and experiences with fellow entrepreneurs and investors from the region.

The panel “Baltic panel: Business Views on Regional Growth and Challenges”: from the left Aivaras Simkus, COO at Hostinger, Marcin Krasuski, Public Policy At Google, Vitnija Saldava Public Policy at Meta, Kasparas Jurgelionis, MP at Iron Wolf Capital, Zilvinas Kazlauskas CEO at DocLOgix and Erika Maslauskaite, Moderator and CEO at Deverium

The evolution of the Baltic tech scene

Ten years ago, the startup ecosystem in the Baltic states—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—was almost nonexistent. However, today the region, with a combined population of just over 6 million, has become a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship. The three states have produced several successful startups, including Wise, Vinted, NordVPN and Bolt. The founder of the latter, Markus Villig, was present at the event, sharing the success story of Bolt and secrets to long term sustainable growth, while Head of Startup Lithuania Karolina Urbonaite gave an overview of the Lithuanian Startup ecosystem.

While Poland boasts a larger population and market size, the Baltic states have been more agile and innovative in certain tech sectors. The discussions during the event revolved around the question of why there are only five unicorns in Poland, including InPost and Allegro. This initiated a broader conversation, led by Audrius Janulis, Industry Manager, Export & Startups, Baltics at Google, about the differences and similarities between the Polish and Baltic startup ecosystems.

Erika Maslauskaite attended the Baltic Tech Talks & Chill conference in Warsaw as a moderator of the Baltic panel. Among the panelists were Vitnija Saldava, Regional Public Policy Lead of Meta, Aivaras Šimkus, COO of Hostinger, Žilvinas Kazlauskas, CEO of Doclogix, Kasparas Jurgelionis, Managing Partner at Iron Wolf Capital, and Marcin Krasuski, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager CEE at Google Campus Warsaw.

The panelists talked about regional growth and challenges from a business point-of-view, discussed the next investment opportunities in the Baltics and Poland, deliberated on the geopolitical situation and economic activity in the region and more. The panel combined new connections and synergy between the Baltic and Polish tech communities. The speakers agreed that the region’s transformation has been driven by a combination of strategic government policies, a robust tech education system, and a strong community of entrepreneurs and investors.

“It was my great honor to moderate the panel and attend this event that showed the progress the Baltic states and Poland have made over the last twenty years. In 2009, we founded LOGIN with my friends in Vilnius, now the major Tech Festival in the Baltics, alongside TechChill in Riga and Latitude59 in Tallinn. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary in the European Union, the startup ecosystem in the region continues to thrive, driven by innovation, collaboration, and a forward-thinking approach,” says Erika Maslauskaite.

Erika Maslauskaite, Moderator and CEO at Deverium

Other insights from Baltic Tech Talks & Chill

The conference at the Google for Startups Campus in Warsaw provided a platform for meaningful discussions on the future of the Baltic and Polish tech ecosystems. The attendees analyzed various topics, including investment opportunities, the geopolitical situation, and economic activity in the region.

At “Baltic Tech Talks & Chill” roundtable on investments was moderated by Zosia Wanat, Senior CEE correspondent at Sifted and attended by Alexandra Balkova, General Partner at Startup Wise Guys, Karol Szubstarski, Partner at OTB Ventures, Borys Musielak, Founding partner at smok.vc, Inga Langaite, Head of Unicorns Lithuania and Malgorzata Walczak, Investment Director at PFR Ventures. The attendees discussed numerous investment opportunities in the Baltic region, particularly in emerging sectors like Defence Tech, CleanTech, and DeepTech. The roundtable highlighted the growing interest in these areas, from both local and international investors. The geopolitical situation in the region also plays a crucial role, as the Baltic states and Poland navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by their strategic location in Europe.

Estonia’s e-residency program was another topic of interest at the conference. This initiative allows entrepreneurs from around the world to establish and run businesses in Estonia, regardless of their physical location. The program has been instrumental in attracting global talent and investment, further strengthening Estonia’s position as a leading tech hub in Europe. Business Development Coordinator at e-residency programme Sergei Zunajev shared first-hand account of the implementation of this innovative programme.

“We at the Estonian Embassy in Warsaw, along with the Lithuanian and the Latvian Embassies, came together to host our inaugural Baltic Tech Talks event. The positive feedback has been overwhelming, and we hope it’s just the beginning. The discussions spanned from the investment opportunities in the Baltics and Poland to the geopolitical and economic landscape of our region. We also enjoyed a spirited rivalry with Lithuania, who is ambitiously striving to surpass Estonia in producing billion-dollar startups,” says Maria Golova, Attaché, Economic Affairs, Embassy of Estonia in Warsaw.