Forum, Innovations, Latvia, Technology

Node by Slush is created and curated by the world's biggest start-up community and event, Slush. The event that gathers over 25 000 people offers a platform that allows start-ups worldwide to connect with investors, mentors, and partners. The main goals of Heart of the Baltic Tech, the Latvian national pavilion at the global start-up exhibit, are to promote the Latvian start-up and technology ecosystem as a flexible and favorable business environment custom-built for companies with innovation focus and scaling potential, highlight its most outstanding benefits, including the high-tech digital infrastructure, and continue building the country brand as a start-up friendly and economically favorable choice to build a business.

"Latvian start-up ecosystem is a small and tight-knit community with links across the region. Node by Slush offers to join the world's biggest start-up event and community, giving us a unique and highly valuable opportunity to strengthen and extend these links. Being among the biggest names in the European start-up scene allows us to create connections with investors usually out of our reach, attract otherwise inaccessible start-ups, and promote our ecosystem to a much more international and broader audience. The national pavilion will give a taste of what the Latvian ecosystem can offer and has yielded so far, and bring attention to some of the brightest and most ambitious Latvian growth-stage start-ups," adds Marija Ručevska, Chair of the Board at TechChill Foundation.

A team of experts from TechChill Foundation and the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia has selected start-ups and scale-ups looking to raise the next round of investment, have substantial growth potential, or are currently going through an intensive hiring process. The companies representing Latvia at Node by Slush are Solfeg.io, Nordigen, CastPrint, Jeff-App, Sonarworks, Longenesis, AgroPlatforma, Asya.ai, Printify, and Exponential Technologies. TechChill aims to support these companies by enabling them access to Node by Slush benefits, such as a curated community for start-ups, investors, and ecosystem builders, mentoring sessions, investor workshops, and various roundtables and keynotes.

Investors, ecosystem builders, and start-ups are invited to join the international start-up exhibit and explore Node by Slush events and other country national pavilions, activities, and offered services and opportunities. The Latvian national pavilion Heart of the Baltic Tech is organized and developed by TechChill Foundation and its strategic partner, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.

 "Latvia has been steadily growing as an emerging start-up hub. With a population under 2 ml n people and capital Riga serving more than 1.2 mln people daily, the country has not only supported the growth of local start-ups with flexible regulations and business infrastructure but increasingly positioned itself as the headquarters for many international start-ups, along with deep-tech, looking for the best launchpad to grow. Our goal at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia is to lead these developments by offering well-suited services to these companies and also by supporting the ecosystem players in their initiatives, the national pavilion Heart of the Baltic's Tech is a great example of such," shares Reinis Āzis, Deputy Director at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.

TechChill Foundation is a startup community non-profit that also hosts the leading tech event in the Baltics going by the same name in Riga, Latvia annually. A three-day event includes the warm-up day full of demo days, masterclasses, and other networking events followed by a two-day stage agenda that includes international speakers, including experienced founders, innovators, startup community leaders, tech media, investors, and top experts in their field, with several opportunities of formal and informal networking. The most promising startups from the Baltic Sea region - from the Baltics, Nordics, and Central Eastern Europe - are meeting and matching with global investors and business angels. More information: TechChill.co

Subordinated to the Minister for Economics of Latvia, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) aims at increasing export and competitiveness of Latvian companies, facilitating foreign investment, and implementing tourism development and innovation policies. Making new contacts in trade missions, national stands, B2B at particular events, individual meetings, attending export workshops is what LIAA offers to local companies seeking opportunities in foreign markets. LIAA also focuses on facilitating investment. This is why LIAA stands for legislation that favors entrepreneurship and advocates solid tax policy, availability of qualified workforce, infrastructure, and support instruments.