Forum, Innovations, Investments, Latvia, Technology

The central theme of the festival will be the digital revolution and its effect on business, politics and lifestyle. For two days, participants will look for answers on how society, policymakers and entrepreneurs can collaborate, use the advantages created by technology and benefit from it. Start-ups will be able to participate in a pitching competition and present their products and services at the Expo in order to attract clients, investors, employees and gain international media attention. Investors will be able to meet with talented start-up and technology entrepreneurs from the Baltic region as well as from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

''Our vision is to develop DFF as a ‘Technology Davos’ where we look for solutions to world problems. We want to think a little wider than how to build a billion dollar start-up. For example, what is the future of states in the digital world? How will the development of artificial intelligence change daily life? How should legislators react to the challenges of the digital world? Our plans include the targeted development of DFF so that in 2018, for Latvia’s centenary, Riga would be one of the most influential technology and start-up meeting places in the world,'' said Digital Freedom Festival co-founder Uldis Leiterts.

The Digital Freedom Festival will be organized by an experienced team: the founder of the Latvian start-up success story Infogr.am Uldis Leiterts, the international communications professional Dagnija Lejina and an experienced media expert Juris Sleiers. Last year, together with their colleagues, this team organized the biggest start-up conference to date in Latvia – Silicon Valley Comes to the Baltics 2015 as well as roundtable policy discussion Riga Venture Summit. The conference was attended by 650 participants from 20 countries around the world, including international investors with a combined investment portfolio of about 500 mln dollars.

''The festival is the next logical step. We know that Riga has the capacity to become a global meeting place for inspiration, knowledge and business contacts – committed start-up talents, ambitious investors and visionaries and policymakers from the entire region,'' Digital Freedom Festival CEO Dagnija Lejina says.

The conference has an advisory board consisting of various international experts from all over the world.

Tickets to the festival can be purchased through the festival's web-site - www.digitalfreedomfestival.com. The festival's program will be made known at the end of August.