Latitude59 Day 0 – Networking and Startup Showcase
Stefan arrived on the first day and attended the British Estonian Chamber of Commerce networking event, where he met fellow Leeds local Paul Berwin, CEO of Berwins Solicitors. He also joined the Mastercard Lighthouse Startup Showcase event, which brings 20 of the Nordic & Baltic region’s most promising fintech & impact startups together for rapid-fire pitches.
Start-ups at the event included Vespia, Receipts, eedenbull or CrowdWorks. Leja and Avallone were chosen as the winners of Mastercard’s Lighthouse MASSIV and FINITIV programs for spring 2024.
Latitude59 Day 1: Exploring Future Innovations and Technologies
On the second day the Future Stage had a packed agenda spanning various topics, from the impact of AI regulation on the private sector to the transformative potential of biotechnology. While AI has been a dominant theme in tech innovation discussions in recent years, it was not the primary focus at Latitude59.
Key topics that emerged at the conference included:
- Sustainability
- HealthTech
- Deep tech
- Enterprise Tech, including data optimization and cybersecurity
- Cleantech
Cleantech: A Central Theme at Latitude59
CleanTech emerged as one of the most significant themes of the conference. Estonia’s CleanTech sector, growing by 30% annually, includes around 550 startups, with 48 focused on CleanTech. Key players like Skeleton Technologies and Comodule lead the way in energy efficiency and intelligent electrification.
CleanTech across the Baltics and Nordics, where protecting the environment and green thinking has long been part of the DNA even before the globally articulated drive to net zero, represents a significantly growing investment success story and a major opportunity for the UK.
Latitude59 Day 2: A Day of Key Connections and Insights
The final day of Latitude59 began with a breakfast meeting organised by the UK embassy, which hosted Estonia’s ambassador to the UK. During this event, Stefan met with Adam Beaumont, CEO of Aql in Leeds and honorary consul for Estonia in the UK, as well as Viljar Lubi, the Estonian ambassador to the UK. The day’s events were inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, who featured in a podcast, setting the stage for another packed day of insightful discussions and networking opportunities.
Latitude59: Key Insights
Latittude59 brings together great innovators from Estonia, the Baltics and Nordics and an ever-growing audience of European investors, advisors and thought leaders.
Three key takeaways from the event:
- A country with a digital-first government and society fosters ‘established‘ or ‘experienced’ innovation, as increasing innovation maturity emerges.
- Creating a city that seamlessly integrates old and renovated industrial sites with modern innovation hubs attracts both innovators and investors.
- Focus on ‘real’ European trends rather than simply following global hype trends such as AI.
At Whitecap, we possess extensive market expertise, with Stefan and his team specialising in technology innovation for businesses. If you’re interested in discovering how technology can unlock new growth opportunities for your business, get in touch.