Many founders discover Estonia and e-Residency while looking for a simple way to run a business online from anywhere. But for a growing number of e-residents, Estonia is more than a digital homeland for their businesses. Every year, during Latitude59, hundreds of e-residents from a global community of over 140,000 come to Tallinn to share ideas, connect and explore growth and funding opportunities. It’s a chance to meet face-to-face in a cosy, friendly atmosphere very different from what many tech conferences have become.

This year, e-Residency has more ways than ever for you to engage the local startup ecosystem during Latitude59.

In this article, learn about:

• Ecosystem Study Trip on May 20
• Annual Community Event on May 20
• Scaleup Gateway programme for Latin American founders

Ecosystem Study Trip: Building real-world connections

What started in 2024 as a small event, has steadily grown into one of the highlights of Latitude59 week for the e-Residency community.

This year, more than 70 global founders and e-residents are expected to join the annual Ecosystem Study Trip on May 20. It’s a full-day of visits to coworking spaces, investors meetings, and talks by successful entrepreneurs with practical insights on building a company through Estonia.

This year’s programme includes sessions with Tehnopol Startup Incubator, Tartu Science Park and Tallinn Business Incubator, alongside fundraising insights from Trind Ventures on what investors look for when founders raise capital in Estonia.

Participants will also hear lessons on scaling from Pipedrive cofounder Martin Henk before visiting Pipedrive’s office for a behind-the-scenes look at one of Estonia’s unicorn success stories.

On the benefits of scaling a company from Estonia, Henk has said, “In any other country, getting a business legally started is a pain in the ass with a lot of paperwork. Most people would prefer to deal with their product rather than legal paperwork.”

In 2025, participants also visited Glia, where founders got an inside look at how a unicorn grew from Estonia (and with e-Residency).

A participant on last year’s trip said, “We got a great insight into the Estonian ecosystem and different players and pathways. Plus, we met lots of fascinating people from all around the world.” 

“I learned about how other companies have utilised the programme and got connected with e-⁠Residency staff and other founders in a natural way,” added another.

The programme also features stories from successful e-resident founders building international companies through Estonia.

One example is Ukrainian e-resident Julia Bialetska, cofounder of sustainable packaging startup S.Lab. “You’re not just registering a legal entity, but stepping into a whole ecosystem,” she explained.

Scaleup Gateway: Bridging Estonia and Latin America

Another example of e-Residency as a gateway in action is the Scaleup Gateway programme.

Running before and during Latitude59, this nine-day intensive programme brings promising founders from Latin America to Estonia to explore how the country’s digital business environment, startup ecosystem and international networks can fast-track growth.

For many participants, it is a first introduction to how Estonia works in practice – from startup support programmes and investors to the digital systems that make running a company easier. This year, the programme hosts participants from eight countries working on projects in biotechnology, finance, education, AI and more.

Just as importantly, it is a chance to build relationships. Because entering a new market is easier when you know the people already building there.

For Estonia, it is also an opportunity to strengthen connections with globally minded founders and open new pathways for international collaboration. The programme runs twice a year, usually near Latitude59 and a second edition through the fall. Learn more about e-Residency’s Scaleup Gateway.

E-Residency Community Event: A global meetup

Latitude59 week is not only about startups and pitching competitions. It is also about the people who make the ecosystem work.

On May 20, e-Residency will host its annual Community Event bringing together e-residents, founders, investors, partners, friends and the wider network helping make e-Residency happen.

Some people will meet for the first time. Others will reconnect after years of building businesses together across borders.

And that is part of what makes the e-Residency community special. It is global, but surprisingly close-knit.

Whether you are already building through Estonia, curious about e-Residency or simply passing through Latitude59 week, it is an opportunity to meet the people behind the programme and the ecosystem around it.

E-residents are building ambitious startups

Latitude59 is also a reminder that e-residents are not only using Estonia to run companies – they are actively building ambitious businesses through it.

This year, 67 applicants to the Latitude59 pitching competition include e-residents, highlighting the growing role global founders play in Estonia’s startup ecosystem.

And increasingly, e-resident founders are making it all the way to the top. In recent years, two to three e-Residency companies have regularly reached the Latitude59 pitching competition finals, showing that founders building through Estonia are not just participating – they are building globally competitive startups.

It is one thing to open a company online.

It is another to see founders raising funding, entering new markets and pitching on one of Europe’s best-known startup stages.

What’s next?

For many founders, e-Residency starts online.

But for those joining Latitude59 week, it can quickly become something much bigger: a new network, new opportunities and a better understanding of how Estonia helps founders build internationally.

Because e-Residency is not only a way to run a company online.

It is a gateway to Estonia’s entrepreneurial community.

Want to engage with e-Residency during Latitude59?

• Register for the Ecosystem Study Trip on May 20 (free but limited spots)
• Sign up for the Community Event on May 20 (free but limited spots)
• Learn more about the Scaleup Gateway programme for Latin American founders