Lithuania’s main international startup program — Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play — officially wrapped up this week after two successful years.

The program closed with a high-energy event in Vilnius called Lithuania Accelerated: Startups Late-Night Show, held at T Parkas. The evening brought together startup founders, investors, corporate partners, and policymakers to celebrate the program’s results and its impact on Lithuania’s startup ecosystem.

Over two years, the accelerator selected 67 startups from 1,024 applications, with nearly half coming from abroad. Across five program batches, startups from 16 countries received mentorship, investor access, and connections through Plug and Play Tech Center’s global network. This support helped many of them grow and expand internationally, strengthening Lithuania’s position as an innovation hub in Europe.

At the final event, founders showcased their solutions in areas such as AI, fintech, defence, biotech, energy, mobility, and health technologies — highlighting the strong focus on advanced technologies.

A Program Built for International Scale

The accelerator was designed with two clear goals: to help Lithuanian startups expand internationally and to attract foreign founders to establish their businesses in Vilnius. To achieve this, the program combined strong local institutional support with the global expertise and network of Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley.

Across five batches, startups took part in an intensive program that included 183 hours of workshops, 414 hours of mentorship, and 108 office hours. These sessions were delivered by 68 international mentors from 19 countries. In parallel, nearly 100 investors from 20 countries engaged with the startups through EXPO events and dedicated matchmaking sessions, creating valuable opportunities for funding and partnerships.

The results were clear and measurable. After completing the program, startups increased their annual revenue by an average of 2.7 times. Seventy-three percent secured at least €30,000 in funding, raising €19 million collectively post-program. The accelerated companies have created 82 new jobs, and significantly expanded their customer base.

Most notably, the accelerator achieved an 88% startup survival rate, well above Lithuania’s national early-stage average. This demonstrates that structured international support can significantly strengthen startup resilience, particularly in smaller innovation ecosystems.

“This accelerator was never just about workshops or demo days,” said Karolina Urbonaitė, Head of Startup Lithuania at Innovation Agency Lithuania. “It was about embedding Lithuania into global innovation flows. Over two years, we proved that founders here can compete internationally when given access to the right networks, capital, and strategic guidance. The survival rate, revenue growth, and capital raised show that this was systemic impact — not isolated success stories.”

From Vilnius to Silicon Valley

A key part of the program was its connection to the Global Acceleration and Learning (GOAL) initiative run by Plug and Play Tech Center in Silicon Valley. Through this partnership, 12 Lithuanian startups completed a six-week GOAL immersion program at Plug and Play’s headquarters. 

Two Lithuanian startups — Veli (Winter Summit 2025) and Hoperfy (Summer Summit 2025) — won the prestigious Best Startup award on the GOAL stage, standing out among more than 150 international participants.

Their participation in the Silicon Valley Summit, which gathered more than 3,000 innovation leaders, representatives, gave Lithuanian founders direct access to global investors, partnerships, and new business opportunities.

“The real accelerator effect happens when local ambition meets global infrastructure,” said Povilas Žinys, Director Lithuania at Plug and Play Tech Center. “Over five batches, we saw founders evolve from early-stage teams into internationally investable companies. The €19 million raised after the program and the strong revenue growth are direct outcomes of disciplined preparation, investor access, and cross-border mentorship.”

He added: “Lithuania is no longer emerging — it is integrated. And this program built that bridge.”

Celebrating the Ecosystem

The final event combined awards ceremony with a relaxed late-night show format, reflecting the program’s strong focus on founders. Startups from all five batches returned to share how they have grown since completing the accelerator, showing that the relationships built during the program continue long after it ends.

During the awards, several standout startups were recognised for their achievements. Axiology received the Outstanding Investment Round award, while CBRX was named Pivot Like No Other for successfully transforming its business direction. Luna Robotics won Deal That Counts, and WhiteBridge AI was honoured as the Rockstar of the Program. Traxlo earned the title of Global Trailblazer, and Greet captured the audience vote as the Public’s Favorite.

With five batches completed between 2024 and 2025 , the Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play leaves behind a stronger and more internationally connected startup environment. It also sets a new example for how public and private partners can successfully work together to support innovation in Central and Eastern Europe.

As the event concluded in Vilnius, the message was simple: Lithuania’s startup story has moved beyond local borders.