Latvian Startup Awards 2023
Meet The Jury
Ņikita Kazakevičs
Director of Innovation and Technology Department at Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Ernests Štāls
Co-Founder at Starwatcher.io, Venture PartnerVenture Partner at Superhero Capital
Andris K. Bērziņš
Partner at Change Ventures, Co-founder at TechHub Riga, TechChill
Liene Briede
Vice Rector for Innovation | European Innovation Council board member
Anda Asere
Journalist at Labs of Latvia
Re-Watch The Panels
I know what you did on Aug 29. Plus, a little bit of startup data.
Presentation of the Ecosystem Workshop results; a plunge into the freshest startup data.
Olga Barreto Goncalves, CEO at Startin.LV
Panel #1 – We had a vision. Cool. Who cares?
We all want the best for Latvia. We are ready to work for it, too. We draw a vision of a prosperous country, where economic development is vibrant and growth opportunities are plentiful. We even put together an action plan that would pave the way for reaching our vision. But more often than not something goes south and we’re left clueless as to why we didn’t reach our goals. Why bother creating a vision at all? How do we make sure that we achieve it?
Agnese Veckalne, COO at Longenesis, Chairwoman of the Board at Startin.LV
Ernests Štāls, CEO & Co-Founder at Starwatcher.io
Inese Andersone, Head of Riga City Development Comittee at Riga City Council
Kaspars Briškens, Member of Parliament, Chairman of PROGRESSIVES Parliamentary Group
Līva Pērkone, Partner at Helve, Board Member at TechChill
Toms Niparts, Co-Founder & CEO at JEFF
Panel #2 – Country on a Mission: Mission-driven tech-powered innovation
Dive into the story of MissionLatvia, where a nation’s ambitions have taken center stage. Join the conversation as experts unravel the synergistic relationship between nation’s brand, RIS3, and the deeptech approach, offering insights into the building blocks of the nation’s evolution.
Imants Martinsons, Director Latvia at Cleantech for Baltics
Julia Gifford, CEO & Co-founder at Truesix, Editor at Labs of Latvia
Kaspars Rožkalns, Director General of Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Liene Briede, Vice Rector for Innovation at Riga Technical University, EIC Board Member
Ņikita Kazakevičs, Director of Innovation and Technology Department at Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Osvalds Pugovičs, Director of Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis
Fire-side chat
Dr. sc. ing. Tālis Juhna, Rector of Riga Technical University
Panel #3 – Navigating the chill: is VC heading into a winter season?
Once-warm venture capital environment is feeling a bit cooler. We dive deep to understand the reasons behind this VC shift. Moreover, we explore how startups can not only survive but capitalize on these changing winds. What strategies can they employ to thrive? Can founders possibly be the silver lining in this cloudy scenario?
Matīss Neimanis, Managing Partner at Buildit Latvia
Arvydas Bloze, Partner at Practica Capital
Janiina Kauppinen, Investment Director at Vendep Capital
Raimonds Kulbergs, Founder & CEO at BADideas.fund
Reima Linnanvirta, Partner at Trind Ventures
Fire-side chat
Anda Asere, Journalist at Labs of Latvia
Fire-side chat
Ņikita Kazakevičs, Director of Innovation and Technology Department at Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
The Epilogue: startup / VC heart-to-heart
A post-panel reflection on the VC industry and fundraising in 2023: the case of Monetizr.
Aija Perta, Partner at RubyLight
Andris Merkulovs, Co-Founder & CEO at Monetizr
Latvian Startup Awards. Ceremony & Gala
Opening Remarks:
Ņikita Kazakevičs, Director of Innovation and Technology Department at Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Fredis Bikovs, Director of Riga Investment and Tourism Agency
Finalists & Winners
Be it an exit, an investment, or whatever else that takes our breath away, this startup has recently experienced something truly BIG. Extraordinary even.
New ideas are born every year, quiet and out of sight at first. And then one sunny day, they appeared out of thin air, took our ecosystem by storm and left us in awe with their startup ambition, vision and early-stage traction.
A startup with a solid product and excellent traction and growth metrics. Someone we admire for being a great team with razor-sharp focus and undeniable ability to achieve set targets. We believe in them. A true unicorn material.
Whether saving humans or saving the planet (even if from humans), this startup is going big in making this world better, greener and healthier. We praise them for their purpose-driven approach and ability to make a difference.
A startup whose patience and commitment to the world of tangible matter has paid off. They went through nine circles of physical prototyping and delivered a viable product which makes their clients fall head over heels.
A startup with an excellent digital product which is out there conquering hearts and wallets. Not only does it solve an important problem which is still poorly addressed in the market, but it also makes the competitors sweat. Think of market disruptors.
A startup which – whatever the reason – inspires you. Perhaps, it’s their work ethics and team culture that resonates with you? Or maybe it’s the can-do mentality and bravery to go where no one else is headed to? This category is a carte blanche!
This person rocks. Not only do they lift their own startup to great heights, but they also empower our whole startup community by being available, sharing their wisdom and experiences, and nurturing the give-back mentality. They command respect.
Artis Kehris
Printify
Emil Syundyukov
Longenesis
James Berdigans
Printify
