PRESS RELEASE
A total of 465 startups from five continents have applied for this year’s Latitude59 startup competition, taking place in Tallinn in May. The competition’s grand prize fund has grown by €100,000, reaching €400,000.
Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org said the competition’s international reach has expanded significantly over the years. “This year, the Latitude59 pitch competition is set to become a true highlight for the New Nordic startup scene, with strong teams from five continents and 53 countries competing for the investment. The jury will not have an easy task, but our investors are highly motivated to carefully assess all candidates. The most promising startups will get the chance to shine on the Latitude59 main stage in less than a month and I am confident that new success stories that will shape the future of technology will begin here,” said Org.
The grand prize of the pitch competition, held as part of the Latitude59 conference, is an investment of more than €400,000. Org also promised that more good news regarding the competition’s prize fund and other awards will be announced soon.
The Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN will contribute up to €200,000 to the prize fund, while the Latvian Business Angels Network LatBAN will add up to €100,000. The Finnish Business Angels Network FiBAN will join the syndicate, representing Nordic investors. Lithuania-based venture capital fund FIRSTPICK VC will put forward an investment of up to €100,000.
Latitude59’s Head of Startup and Investor Relations Krista Meinarde said that this year’s competition is the most geographically diverse in Latitude59’s history.
“Last year, we had applicants from 48 countries. This year, 53 countries are represented, making the applicant pool more diverse than ever. The New Nordic region is particularly strongly represented, accounting for 44% of all startups that applied. We have also seen remarkable growth from Africa, with 70 African startups applying this year, which is more than twice as many as last year. Ukraine is also very strongly represented, with 24 Ukrainian startups applying to the competition,” said Meinarde.
From all applicants, 15 top teams will be selected for the semi-finals, where they will receive professional training and mentoring. The winners will be announced at the final on 22 May on the Latitude59 main stage.
Latitude59 2026 will take place on 20–22 May in Tallinn at Kultuurikatel. This year, Latitude59 has chosen The Global Village Experiment as its main theme, testing the hypothesis that the most valuable connections happen when ecosystems collide. In 2026, the ambition is to bring founders and ecosystem builders from around the world to Estonia, positioning Tallinn as a gateway to the New Nordics. Organisers expect participants from more than 70 countries.
About Latitude59
This year marks the 14th edition of Latitude59 in Tallinn. Over the past decade, Latitude59 has grown into the most international and influential technology event in the Baltics and the New Nordics, extending its reach to Asia and Africa. Last year, alongside the flagship event in Tallinn, Latitude59 hosted a two-day conference in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. Side events were also held in Singapore, and for the first time, two events took place in South Africa. Latitude59 returns to Tallinn this May with a new ambition to build bridges between the New Nordics and startup ecosystems in Africa and Asia, while putting the balance between humanity and technology centre stage.
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About Estonia
Estonia has the highest concentration of unicorns in Europe, with 865 startups per million people. A global leader in digital innovation, Estonia continues to set the standard for thriving tech ecosystems.
