On the eve of Startup Fair – the largest startup event in Lithuania – more than 250 investors from 15 countries gathered in Vilnius. Investor Camp, an event dedicated to investors, has already become a tradition – it brings together business angels and venture capital investors eager to get to know Lithuania’s rapidly growing startup ecosystem. Investor Camp is organized by Startup Lithuania, a division of the Innovation Agency, together with the Lithuanian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LT VCA) and the Lithuanian Business Angels Network (LitBAN).

Lithuanian Startups Continue to Attract Investor Attention

Greeting the participants, Minister of the Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas emphasized that the growing attention of investors to Lithuanian startups is proof that the country’s innovation ecosystem is strengthening and becoming increasingly mature.

“This year, Lithuania has once again climbed in the Global Innovation Index, and the value of our unicorns accounts for as much as 9.55% of GDP – ranking us first in the world by this indicator. These results show that we are on the right path to becoming a regional innovation hub whose solutions are changing the world,” said E. Grikšas.

According to Karolina Urbonaitė, Head of Startup Lithuania at the Innovation Agency, this year’s Investor Camp stage was filled with engaging discussions and memorable presentations. The event welcomed investors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and other countries.

“Lithuania’s startup ecosystem and its value continue to grow steadily, taking an increasingly important position in Central and Eastern Europe. Investor Camp once again brought together a large group of investors who, in an informal setting, discussed startups, projects, investment opportunities, and key ecosystem topics. Tomorrow, both investors and startups can look forward to the inspiring Startup Fair, packed with new connections and networking opportunities,” said K. Urbonaitė.

Focus on Defense, Partnerships, and Future Challenges

According to Rūta Mačiulytė-Valickienė, Head of the Lithuanian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, the Investor Camp event – now in its fourth edition – provides an excellent opportunity not only to build new connections and informally meet the startup community of the Baltic region but also to focus on relevant topics and entrepreneurship trends.

“This year, participants once again had the chance to explore an overview of startup financing in the Baltic states. Much attention was paid to defense and economic resilience in the Baltics, the involvement of startups in defense technologies, and strategic capital,” said R. Mačiulytė-Valickienė.

Investors also discussed effective collaboration between business angels, venture capital funds, and startups – touching on trust-building, deal conditions, common pitfalls, and international challenges.

Investor Camp traditionally takes place on the eve of Startup Fair – Lithuania’s largest startup event. This year, Startup Fair will be held for the 13th time, bringing together startups, investors, and innovation enthusiasts from around the world.

Among the keynote speakers will be Uri Levine, founder of the navigation platform Waze; Jeff Cabili, an expert in nonverbal communication; Kateryna Kruk from Meta; and many others.

The event will also feature the traditional startup competition Pitch Battle, where top teams will compete for up to €3 million in investments.