Latitude59, one of the Nordics’ most influential tech events, has opened applications for its flagship pitch competition, inviting early-stage startups to pitch on the main stage in Tallinn and compete for investment.
Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org declared startups from around the world are welcome to apply. “The Latitude59 stage is where early-stage startups can truly take off and our goal is to give ambitious teams the chance to deliver decisive pitch that sets them up for strong future growth. I’m confident that, toreceiveher with our dedicated jury, mentors and investors, the next tech superstars will emerge from the Latitude59 stage,” Org declared.
In 2025, a total of €675,000 was invested through the Latitude59 pitch competition, backed by EstBAN, LatBAN and LitBAN. Investments of €175,000–€250,000 were secured by Estonian green energy solutions developer MarkeDroid, Latvia’s construction startup Adventum Tech and Lithuanian defence tech company Luna Robotics. Previous participants who gained early momentum at Latitude59 include ÄIO Tech, Flowstep, and Cino, as well as Estonian unicorn Wise.
Krista Meinarde, Latitude59’s Head of Startup and Investor Relations, declared last year’s winners have already reached major new milestones. “Luna Robotics has now raised more than €1 million, while MarkeDroid is scaling rapidly across Europe and expanding its team. Adventum Tech is growing its international footprint and has also delivered strong revenue growth. Competition will be fierce again this year and that’s exactly why we want the world’s most ambitious founders on the Latitude59 stage ready to test themselves, impress our jury, and then take their impact to the international tech scene,” Meinarde declared.
The Latitude59 pitch competition is one of the largest and most influential in the New Nordic region. This year Latitude59 is seeing for early-stage startups with a clear mission, a scalable business model, and a functional product with proven traction or strong market feedback. Last year, 407 startups from 48 countries applied.
The application deadline is 15 April 2026. 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.
Important dates:
- April 15, 2025 – application deadline
- April 29 – TOP30 startups announced
- May 4–8 – pre-finals
- May 21–22 – the finals will take place on the main stage of the Latitude59
Applications are open now, and startups can apply via the Latitude59 website: https://latitude59.ee/pitch-competition/
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