In this blog post, Liisi Org, the CEO of Latitude59 taps into Latitude59’s core idea of bulding a “global village” and shares the vision of building meaningful connections – that actually benefit the global tech and startup ecosystem – in an era of hyperconnectedness. Because we believe that startups and technology hold the biggest potential to make the world a better place, solving the biggest challenges humanity faces as whole! Join us this May in Tallinn and be a part of the movement that’s gathering innovators, startuppers, and ecosystem-builders from 65 countries around the world to put our collective brain to a good use!

Globalization has been on the rise for centuries. The world is more interconnected than ever. And people are on the move, either through choice or because of the tough realities they face at home. How can startups and the global tech ecosystem take advantage of this? 

Estonia is a small country. We are just 1.3 million people, but we’ve come a long way in the 33 years since we restored our independence – Estonia has the most unicorns and the most investments raised per capita in the world. While people used to leave Estonia in large numbers, today our success story and innovative digital society have attracted thousands of talented people. 

We are lucky to live in an era where the impact and connectedness of a country can be much bigger than its size. We have all the tools to make Estonia the centre of a global village. Latitude59 – the exact location of Estonia – is leading the mission, being the flagship tech conference in the region. We are more international, diverse, and connected than most others in the region, punching well above our weight with impact. At home and abroad, we are on a mission to make Estonia bigger, and through that, connect different parts of the world with us, and also with each other.

What is a “global village”?

The term was coined in the early 1960s by Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan, who was writing about how new communication technologies were creating an interconnected world. In more recent years, American journalist Thomas Friedman has defined the global village as a world “tied together into a single globalized marketplace and village”.

Today, we are all connected, across the globe, and we all know what is going on around the world at any given time and point. Yet, at the same time, we can be more apart than ever. The two sides of the world of technology bring a potential, as well as a controversy – they can devide, as well as unite. 

By focusing on the latter, we can find solutions to the challenges and look for opportunities. As we all know, startups thrive during challenging times. At the brink of Latitude59 2024, we feel it’s our responsibility to stand for the connectedness and meaningful interactions the global village around us truly needs!

Global Village at Latitude59 2024

Each year the number of countries represented at Latitude59 has been getting bigger and bigger – in 2022 it was 50+, and last year it was already 65. We’re hoping to keep this up and welcome more and more diverse audiences to Estonia who are interested in this region’s startup ecosystem and developments.

At the moment we know that there are exciting delegations coming from Italy, Japan, Brazil, India, Kenya, Singapore, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Belgium, the US, Czechia, and the list goes on. Many of these delegations include startups, investors, and government officials. Many will put up workshops, some will present a lineup of their up-and-coming startup superstars, others are introducing the programs they’ve brought to life so startups could grow faster and reach further. 

This is a rich soil for innovation to not just sprout, but truly create something new, something world-changing. We are very excited to welcome all our international guests, to build bridges and encourage each other to take bolder steps toward creating a positive impact, together. We believe that this is the only way forward!

We have seen the value of bringing different ecosystems together, and we will continue to do so. Latitude59 has already been to Canada – in 2019, Latitude44 took place in Toronto, with the tagline “meet e-Estonia”. In 2023, Latitude59’s satellite event took place in Kenya, Nairobi – over 700 people attended, and we had a chance to learn from and connect with the East-African fast-growing startup scene. Our new locations are already on the horizon.

It is amazing how much people can achieve together. The world keeps on changing, and to be at the forefront of the change, we need vision as well as action. When we connect and share values, we understand that we all have the capability to contribute to a better world. I’ve been lucky to have seen it, and to contribute to it. So, be bold. Build the world you want.

See you at Latitude59, whichever part of the world that happens to be next!