“More than ever, we need people who are willing to show up boldly, who walk the walk, and who will not stay silent. We also need perspective. The perspective of different viewpoints. It is this diversity of perspectives that makes us rich and allows us to see outside of our own bubble.”
– Liisi Org, CEO of Latitude59, in her opening speech
On May 21 The message from the Latitude59 opening event “Thinking in Billions” was that the European Union and the West are not learning the lessons of war quickly enough. It was also emphasized that accelerating innovation in the defence industry is critical today, but for this to happen, regulations must change, cooperation between the defence forces and the private sector must increase, and private capital must also step out of the role of bystander.
On May 21, in 2025, the carefully curated Investor Day agenda delved into some of the hottest topics in the field — including AI, defense tech, LP funding principles, and the Baltic investment landscape. This year, a new addition to the investor-focused program was the LP&GP After-Hours gathering.
On May 22, Latitude59 welcomed accredited journalists, editors, and reporters to hear from Minister of Defence of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur, Director of Invest Estonia and Acting Member of the Board of Enterprise Estonia, Joonas Vänto and CEO of Latitude59, Liisi Org. Moderated by Tom Nugent, Managing Editor at Sifted.eu.
On May 20, the Latitude59 speed-dating event brought together partner VCs, fellow entrepreneurs, and experts with founders to share their vision, seek strategic advice, and forge meaningful connections.
This year’s Latitude59 Pitch Competition drew 391 startup applications from 47 countries, making it one of the most competitive editions yet. The L59 Pitch Competition finals took place on May 22, where 6 startup teams competed for the €675,000 prize pool. For the first time, a syndicated investment prize was jointly offered by the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian business angel networks EstBAN, LatBAN, and LitBAN, was awarded to three standout startups:
Luna Robotics (Lithuania) – Defense technology, receiving up to €250,000 led by LitBAN
Adventum Tech (Latvia) – Construction innovation, awarded €250,000 from LatBAN
MarkeDroid (Estonia) – Green energy solutions, securing €175,000 from EstBAN
On Day 1, we kept what worked – structured stages, incredible speakers, trendspotting insights – but we dialed it up.
On Day 2 of the main program, the venue transformed into a vibrant space for dialogue, feedback, and connection—think roundtables, startup clinics, and an open stage—where you could step in, speak up, and co-create.
The Bold Stage: No panels. Just raw, honest exchange and real debate.
The Founder Stage: We hosted Startup Clinics—facilitated deep-dives where early-stage founders brought real challenges and walked away with real feedback.
The Future Stage: Jumped into roundtable discussions. You could pull up a chair, join a topic, and suddenly—be part of the conversation.
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L59 ESTONIA
STAKEHOLDERS
DEC 3-5, 2025
A.S.K Dome, Nairobi
MAY 21-22, 2026
Kultuurikatel,
Tallinn