Startup Lithuania invites ecosystem leaders, organisations, and partners to join us in organising Startup Fair 2026. 

Startup Fair is the largest annual startup ecosystem event in Lithuania, bringing together startup founders, investors, policymakers, and innovation leaders from Lithuania and abroad. The event serves as a key platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the growth of a strong, internationally competitive startup ecosystem. 

Date of the event in 2026: September 17 

Location: Vilnius, Lithuania 

Main Goals of the Event 

• To encourage the creation of new startups in Lithuania; 
• To help Lithuanian startups grow and attract investments; 
• To promote international cooperation and increase Lithuania’s visibility in the global innovation market. 

Target Audience 

• Founders and teams of Lithuanian and foreign startups; 
• Venture capital funds, accelerators, business angels, and investors; 
• Innovation led ecosystem organizations, technology companies, students, and potential startup founders. 

Why Partner with Startup Fair 2026 

We are seeking experienced ecosystem players who can strengthen the impact and quality of Startup Fair 2026. Partners are invited to actively contribute to shaping the event agenda, content, and overall experience. 

Partners are expected to contribute across several core areas, depending on their expertise and capacity : 

• Programme and Content: development of themes, sessions, speakers, workshops, and side events; 
• International Dimension: engagement of foreign speakers, investors, and partners; 
• Community Engagement: activation of startups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem organisations; 
• Event Experience: shaping networking formats, matchmaking, and participant journey; 
• Strategic Alignment: ensuring the event supports national startup ecosystem goal. 

Roles and responsibilities will be defined jointly and formalised in an organising partnership agreement. As a Partner, your organisation will: 

• Shape the vision and delivery of Lithuania’s most important startup ecosystem event; 
• Hold a leadership role within the national and regional startup ecosystem; 
• Build strong working relationships with key ecosystem stakeholders; 
• Contribute directly to measurable ecosystem outcomes and long-term impact; 
• Receive official Partner status visibility for your company name and/or brand across all event communications and during the event itself. 

Organisations interested in partnership are invited to submit a short pitch or relevant information outlining their proposed contribution. 

To build a meaningful and effective organising partnership, Startup Lithuania will consider partner proposals based on the relevance and expected impact of their contribution. Assessment will take into account alignment with the strategic goals of Startup Fair 2026, experience and expertise within the startup ecosystem, and the value each partner can bring to the event’s programme, reach, and overall participant experience. Contributions may span multiple areas or focus on a specific domain. Partner involvement is expected to be supported through each organisation’sown resources and capacities. In all cases, selection will be guided by the potential to create tangible benefit for the event and the broader startup ecosystem. 

If you have questions or would like to discuss the partnership opportunity before submitting, you are also welcome to get in touch. 

Please contact us at [email protected] 
Submission deadline: January 23, 2026 

TBDC Horizon is an equity-free, outcomes-driven market entry program for European “born-global” tech startups exploring North American expansion, using Canada’s stable and welcoming innovation ecosystem as a practical launchpad. Startups begin with a Scout Report: a personalized, in-depth market viability and go-to-market research package that helps founders de-risk market entry by clarifying demand, positioning, buyer priorities, competitive context, and the most realistic pathways into the market, before you invest time and budget on the ground. With that groundwork in place, founders join Horizon Sprint Week in Toronto for curated, pre-qualified meetings with customers, partners, mentors, and investors. These are not cold introductions: every room is built intentionally by the TBDC team, so conversations start further ahead. We focus on fit, pilots, partnerships, and next steps, so you can focus on closing business, not repeating your elevator pitch 150 times. During Sprint Week, founders also attend clinics and workshops covering legal and regulatory considerations, IP, compliance, and Canada’s non-dilutive funding opportunities, including R&D tax incentives and innovation support programs available to eligible companies operating in Canada. After the in-market week, Surge helps ensure you don’t lose momentum. Founders can tap TBDC’s network of fractional executives for targeted, one-on-one support to move opportunities forward—available on an as-needed basis. This Program is best for startups at TRL 7–9 with the team capacity and resources in place to expand into a new market. Register here: https://forms.tbdc.com/tbdc/form/Getintouch/formperma/4DnAFXiW6iD75XwrterwBNzvkKBu4E6sy_zwBfwt0bA

The 6-week program provides infrastructure proven at Disney, Xbox, and Nvidia scale, expert mentorship on growth, and VC access to help AI startups scale from thousands to millions of users. The consumer AI market is booming, but infrastructure remains the critical bottleneck. While AI development tools have made building products faster than ever, most startups struggle to scale beyond early adopters, lacking both the technical infrastructure for millions of concurrent users and the business expertise to drive growth. The program, which runs January 12 – February 20, 2026, will select 15 AI-native startups from applications worldwide to address these challenges. The curriculum focuses on three critical areas: growth strategies, fundraising, and AI infrastructure. Selected startups benefit from 25+ fireside chats and 1-on-1 mentorship sessions with operators from Character AI, Flo, Higgsfield, Pinterest, and Bible Chat — companies that have successfully scaled consumer AI products to millions of users. Topics include user acquisition, growing LTV, monetization strategies, and strategic hiring. During the program, participants will meet investors in person for a private networking dinner with VCs from Bitkraft Ventures, M12 Microsoft, Lightspeed, Maven, SignalFire, Accel, and Speedlight — firms that have backed the current generation of consumer AI companies. Startups receive Inworld credits to build native AI experiences with access to LLM routing, top-rated AI voices, text-to-speech, real-time pipelines, live experiments, and low-latency infrastructure. Combined with deals from AWS, Cursor, Deel, and Superscale, participants get over $500K in total value. "Founders can now launch AI products in weeks, but scaling to millions of users is where 90% fail. They hit infrastructure limits and lack growth expertise," Tania Ladanova, CEO at TRMNL4, says. "Consumer AI Accelerator solves both — combining AI infrastructure with direct access to investors and operators who have scaled consumer AI successfully." "It's easy to prototype AI products, but scaling to millions of concurrent users is incredibly hard. We built infrastructure for Disney, Xbox, and Nvidia that solves this, and now we're making it accessible to the next generation of consumer AI founders through this accelerator," Kylan Gibbs, CEO & Co-founder at Inworld, comments. The program is equity-free, targets AI-native startups worldwide across apps & copilots, gaming & media, voice agents, and live customer experience verticals. Applications open November 10 and close December 10, with selection on a rolling basis through pitch deck review and interview stages. The program culminates in a private demo day dinner on March 3rd with investors from Lightspeed, Accel, SignalFire, and others. Apply at https://trmnl4.short.gy/kFqTME About Inworld AI Inworld delivers real-time conversational AI pipelines designed for applications at massive scale, supporting millions of concurrent users. Our best-in-class components enable seamless integration at the component level, with built-in metrics available out of the box, no migration required. About TRMNL4 TRMNL4 [terminal] — a startup ecosystem connecting startups, investors, and global tech players in the consumer space. With 8,700+ startups in its pipeline, TRMNL4 runs acceleration programs with Meta and Snapchat, works with 100+ DTC experts and 300+ investors, and helps founders access everything they need to grow.

EPIC-X Open Call is now live!

We’re inviting women-led deep-tech startups established in one of the 16 EU countries classified as moderate or emerging innovators to apply for the 6-month Acceleration+ Programme.

What are the financial support and grant details?

EPIC-X offers a €60,000 lump sum grant to selected startups. This grant is equity-free.
Business coaching: A minimum of €20,000 of the grant must be allocated for business coaching as part of the Acceleration+ Programme.

What are the key components of the EPIC-X Acceleration+ Programme?

- Equity-free grant of €60,000 to support project growth.
- 15-20 days of business coaching, delivered by experts tailored to each startup’s needs.
- 10 follow-up sessions for ongoing guidance during the program.
- Monthly capacity-building sessions to strengthen startup capabilities.
- Cross-fertilization sessions
- Participation in four meetings (one in-person).
- One visit to a counterpart in another region to foster cross-border collaboration.
- Participation in 6 webinars
- Co-organization of a multiplier event to showcase results
- Attendance to the Demo Day: An event where startups pitch to investors and gain visibility.

Applications open on 3 November 2025 and close on 5 January 2026 at 17:00 CET.

Eligible applicants are startups founded before 1 January 2024, with at least one woman as founder or in a C-level role holding a minimum of 25% ownership or equivalent decision-making power and that have achieved market-product fit or have raised at least a seed round.

Full details and the application link are available on the project’s website: https://epic-x.eu/open-call/

Women Go Tech x DareIT is now accepting mentee applications for a 6-month program (Nov 2025 – May 2026) designed to help early-career professionals move from junior to next-level through 1:1 mentorship, HR coaching, and leadership workshops.

Why join?
✔️ Personalized career roadmap with an experienced technology industry mentor
✔️ CV, interview & salary advice from HR experts
✔️ Leadership and soft-skills workshops
✔️ Community, events & networking across the region

Tracks: Software | Product/UX | Cyber Security | Data
Apply by: November 4
Program runs: November 12 – May 7, 2026

Innovation Agency Lithuania community: use promo code FRIENDS15 for 15% off membership!

More information https://www.womengotech.com/acceleration-program/

Got questions? Write to [email protected]

Young AI Innovators Wanted: Top 5 to Live Under One Roof and Compete for up to €500,000 Investment A new initiative called Base Jump Arena has launched – an intensive three-month challenge for aspiring and early-stage founders under 25, designed to turn ideas into real startups. The program is initiated by the venture builder and investment company Lost Astronaut and entrepreneur Tadas Burgaila, co-founder of Kilo Health, one of Europe’s leading healthtech companies. The selection process is now open. The Top 5 most promising talents or teams will live together in one house in Vilnius, Lithuania, building AI-driven products and receiving everything they need to launch a startup – from a monthly scholarship of up to €1,000 and an operational budget, to mentorship from experienced founders, guidance from global experts, and the opportunity to secure up to €500,000 in investment. “Base Jump Arena is a fast track into the startup world. You don’t need a perfect CV, diplomas, or connections – just the drive to create and the courage to take risks. This project is for those who simply can’t stop building. We’re creating an environment where ideas are born through action,” says Tadas Burgaila. Unlike traditional accelerator programs, Base Jump Arena focuses not on theory, but on results. Within three months, participants are expected to develop a functional product, test it in the market, and determine whether it has the potential to become a real business. The focus on artificial intelligence (AI) is no coincidence – it’s one of the world’s fastest-growing innovation sectors and a driving force of the future economy. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global AI market was valued at $233.46 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $1.77 trillion by 2032, growing at an annual rate of 29.2%. PwC estimates that AI could contribute $15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030, while Statista reports that 72% of companies worldwide already use AI in at least one area of their operations. “Now is the time to invest in those building the future of AI,” Burgaila adds. AI is already transforming industries far beyond healthtech – including defense, energy, biotechnology, and fintech – offering vast opportunities for creators capable of rapid experimentation and real-world problem solving. Base Jump Arena will officially launch in Vilnius on November 11, when the first creators will move into a house transformed into a startup innovation space. Two weeks later, on November 25, the program will expand to Belgrade, and on December 2 to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, enabling more young innovators from across Central and Eastern Europe. More information and registration: www.thebasejump.com/arena

🚀 Open Call: Venturethon 1.0 — Turn Ideas into Ventures!

Join Venturethon 1.0, a global venture-creation challenge helping innovators build, validate, and launch scalable business models.

Why join?

• Learn by doing — from idea to investor-ready pitch.

• Connect with global mentors, investors & venture studios.

• Access venture-studio integration and incubation opportunities for top teams.

Who can apply?

Students or first-time founders with an idea, concept, or early prototype, ready to validate and grow internationally.

Why this matters for Lithuanian startups & students

• Compete on a global stage: allows you to benchmark your venture-model beyond local market limitations.

• Gain structured support: from ideation through to investor-ready pitch, rather than just a one-off hackathon.

• Grow your network: access mentors, corporates, investors and venture-studios who can help scale your idea.

• Stand out locally: Participation in international challenges is a strong signal for adopting rigorous entrepreneurship frameworks — useful when applying for local grants, accelerators or pitching at events.

Key dates

🗓 Registration open now — venturethon.io
🗓 Program runs November – January
🗓 Live pitching of finalists — January 2026

Don’t miss the chance to take your idea global!
👉 Apply now at venturethon.io

Meta and TRMNL4 launch Meta App Launchpad accelerator for consumer tech apps across EMEA — applications open now Meta partners with TRMNL4 to launch Meta App Launchpad, an equity-free program designed to accelerate consumer tech apps from pre-seed to Series A stages, supported by Genesis, Endeavor Türkiye, and Game Factory. Meta App Launchpad is a free, fully online program with an optional offline gathering in Istanbul, designed for founders seeking to scale their consumer tech apps globally. The program targets B2C startups from Pre-Seed to Series A stages in domains like Health & Wellness, EdTech, and beyond. The application deadline is October 27th, with the program running from November 10th to December 22nd, 2025. Applications are open now through this link. Supported by Genesis, Endeavor Türkiye, and Game Factory, Meta App Launchpad will select 40–50 startups from across the EMEA region. Participants will gain access to Meta's ecosystem, work with dedicated mentors, and receive hands-on support to refine their product, marketing, and fundraising strategies. The program's training modules focus on four key areas: ● Go-to-Market ● User Acquisition: Launching, Testing, Scaling ● Product-Led Growth ● Fundraising Startups will benefit from Meta office hours, one-on-one advisory sessions with B2C experts from world-leading companies, over 20 deep-dive workshops, and panel discussions. Additionally, participants receive Meta ad credits, friendly deals from 15+ partners including Headway, Solidgate, Arcads, Adapty, and Adjust, plus access to a 24/7 content library. Participants will meet in person at Deloitte Tech Day in Istanbul, Turkey, on December 10th to connect with the cohort, practice their pitches, and build relationships with investors. "Meta App Launchpad brings together Meta's expertise with TRMNL4's extensive network of 300+ investors, 50+ global experts, and 200+ alumni founders. This combination gives EMEA consumer tech startups not just knowledge and tools, but real connections that can accelerate their path to Series A and beyond," said Tetiana Ladanova, CEO at TRMNL4. The selection process includes a pitch deck review and interview stages. Participants will be notified of results via email at each stage. The program kicks off on November 10th and runs through December 22nd, 2025.

Open Call for Startups: Explore your business opportunities in Austria Are you looking for ways to expand your business into the German-speaking region and curious about what Austria has in place for you? Vienna Business Agency have you covered. Check out Vienna Startup Package, a multi-phased hybrid programme for international startups as part of ViennaUP 2026. Get advice and guidance from experts on your expansion strategy, meet the dynamic startup scene of Vienna and start first conversations with potential business partners. Applications are open until February 20, 2026!