On 7 September, for the 11th time, the international and largest startup event in Lithuania – the Startup Fair. Adapt 2023 – is to take place. This year, renowned experts from the USA, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and other countries will give presentations on stage. More international investors are expected to attend the event, where they will get to know startups in private meetings and by watching the startups’ Pitch Battle performances.

“Every year a keyword is chosen for the event, which becomes its central theme setting the tone for discussions and presentations. Considering numerous challenges over the past two years brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic and geopolitical upheavals, the word “adapt” has been selected to become the keyword of this year. It emphasises the need for startup developers to be flexible, able to adapt to new realities and fluctuations in the investment field,” says Roberta Rudokienė Head of Startup Lithuania at the Innovation Agency Lithuania.

At the conference, startups and unicorns will share their success stories, technology experts will talk about the most topical issues for the startup ecosystem. In total, more than 60 speakers are expected to give presentations and participate in the discussions.

“We invite speakers not only from Lithuania but also from abroad. From the USA, technology expert Rick Rasmussen is coming to talk about the ups and downs of the technological cycle in Silicon Valley. Maurice Beckand Verwee, one of the key players in the startup investment sector since the 1990s, will speak about artificial intelligence, which has firmly established itself in every industry, and what companies need to do to stay competitive,” says R. Rudokienė.

Time for discussions is foreseen in the event. Participants will talk about the challenges facing startups, discuss how to adapt to the new reality, and the co-founder of Latvia’s first unicorn Printful, Davis Siksnans, will share his best practices and insights. Mike Butcher, editor of TechCrunch and one of the most influential people in the technology sector, will moderate a discussion on the most relevant and potential areas for technological innovation, such as health tech and cleantech.

Pitch Battle – an opportunity to attract investment

“Every year, the Pitch Battle is a major attraction not only for investors and startups, but also for the public. It is an opportunity to hear something new, to be the first to know about innovative solutions currently developed by startups. A jury made up of investors will select 40-50 startups to present their ideas on the stage of the event and compete for participation in the acceleration programme run by Startup Terrace Taiwan and the opportunity to attract investment”, says R. Rudokienė.

Baltic Sandbox Ventures accelerator fund is ready to invest up to EUR 125,000 in the selected startup, while Firstpick Fund promises to invest EUR 100,000 in another startup of its choice.

“Experience from previous competitions shows that every participant entering the Pitch Battle stage is already a winner. By stepping on the international stage, startups are given a great opportunity to present themselves to the public and the most prominent Lithuanian and foreign investors, to attract media attention and build valuable partnerships. In addition, by receiving professional feedback from the jury, startups can once again test their business idea and model, and perhaps generate interest of the investors attending the event and attract the investment needed for their business,” said R. Rudokienė.

Last year, 140 participants from 28 countries across the world registered for the competition. The jury selected 40 of the strongest, most exciting startups with the highest potential of developing innovative solutions to present their ideas on stage during the event and compete for the best startup title. WHELP, a startup developing artificial intelligence-based user experience management solutions, was named the best performing startup and the winner of the Pitch Battle 2022.

Online registration to the Startup Fair. Adapt 2023 Pitch Battle competition is open until 4 August.

Space for investors and startups

“One of the main objectives of the event is to bring startups and investors together to help the former to make new contacts and facilitate attracting investment. There will be a specially designated meeting space for startups and investors, and to make it easier for them to find each other, a special app will be used during the event,” says R. Rudokienė.

In the app, investors can indicate the sector they are willing to invest and the amount to be invested, while startups can provide descriptions of their businesses and the amount of investment they are looking for. Once a match has been identified, the app connects the startup with the investor and they can meet for a chat in the event’s meeting space.

“The Lithuanian ecosystem is becoming increasingly more visible and interesting internationally, with more than 270 investors coming to Startup Fair 2022 last year, and we expect this number to be even higher this year. To create more value for investors, we are also organising a closed event “Investor Camp in Vilnius”, where useful presentations will be given, and investor communication and cooperation will be encouraged”, says R. Rudokienė.

The Investor Camp in Vilnius event will take place on 6 September.

About the event:

Startup Fair is the largest startup event in the Baltic States, organised by Startup Lithuania, the startup ecosystem development division of the Innovation Agency Lithuania since 2013. The event attracts more than 1,500 participants, hundreds of investors, and startups from more than 25 countries and over 60 experienced speakers.

The Startup Fair. Adapt 2023 will take place this year on 7 September in Vilnius, at the space “Kablys + Kultūra”. Admission is free, but the number of available tickets is limited. Free admission tickets can be reserved online.

For more information about the event and the Pitch Battle startup competition, visit the event’s official website.