Latvia's startup calendar centres on Riga: the Ideju kauss final and the LIKTA conference in December, then TechChill in March 2027, Forum LĪDERE in May and Riga Comm in October.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Latvia from November 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only).
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Best Startup Events in Latvia 2026–2027: Calendar from December 2026 to October 2027
November 2026
Swedbank and the Latvian Chamber of Commerce run Uzņēmēju pieredzes dienas (Entrepreneur Experience Days) until 13 November 2026, Latvia's Global Entrepreneurship Week activity: free visits to companies across the country, including outside Riga.
December 2026
Ideju kauss final, Riga: 2 December 2026
Run by LIAA, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia. Twenty finalists pitch to the jury for a €40,000 prize fund; the winner gets €10,000. The 2026 round is closed; LIAA plans the next one for August 2027.
LIKTA conference, Riga: 3 December 2026
The Latvian ICT association's yearly conference, this time on exports, ends with the Platīna Pele awards. It is more industry than startup, but it is where Latvian IT company leaders meet.
Spring 2027
TechChill, Riga: 17–19 March 2027
Latvia's flagship startup event and one of the largest in the Baltics, with an investor day, a startup expo and the Founders Battle pitch competition. The pass page still shows last edition's late-bird prices (startup pass €229), so wait for the 2027 prices. In 2026, TechChill week also included a Female Founders Lunch with Riga TechGirls and the Baltic Startup Policy Forum.
UN:BLOCK, Riga: 7–8 April 2027
The Gold ticket includes startup exposure, and there is one-to-one matchmaking. With Baltic Fintech Days moving to Tallinn in 2027, this is the main fintech event in Riga. See our fintech events list.
Forum LĪDERE, Riga: 14 May 2027
One of the largest women's business events in Latvia: the 2026 forum had about 3,700 participants. It covers leadership and personal growth rather than startups, and the organiser says tickets sell out fast.
DevDays Europe, Riga: 25–28 May 2027
Run by Data Miner and held in Riga for the first time (it used to be in Vilnius). One ticket covers DevOps Pro Europe and CyberWiseCon Europe too. Not a startup event, but useful for technical co-founders who are hiring.
Autumn 2027
Riga Comm: 7–8 October 2027
Run by the exhibition company BT 1. The 2026 programme had tracks on AI, fintech, cybersecurity and HR tech, plus a Women in Tech conference.
Dates not announced yet
- Deep Tech Atelier, Riga: LIAA's deep tech conference, with a pitch competition, says "TBA, 2027"; the 2026 edition was on 14–15 May. deeptechatelier.com
- Gada Investors (Investor of the Year), Riga: the awards of the Latvian venture capital association and LatBAN, last held on 27 March 2026. latban.lv
- Baltic Startup Policy Forum, Riga: run by TechChill and Startin.LV, last held on 26 March 2026. liaa.gov.lv
- Vidzeme Innovation Week, Valmiera and Cēsis region: last held on 23–27 February 2026.
- Summer UnRest, Liepāja: TechChill's summer beach networking, in August. Liepāja is a European Capital of Culture in 2027.
- Startup BBQ, Startup House Riga: last held on 20 August 2026.
- Moved or stopped: Baltic Fintech Days moves to Tallinn on 12 May 2027; the Baltic VCA Summit was in Estonia in 2026; the Digital Freedom Festival has stopped.
We found no dated startup events in Jelgava, Daugavpils or Ventspils for this period.
Past events
- Latvian Startup Awards 2026: 6 November 2026, 17:00–22:00, Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga. startupawards.lv
- Female Founders Lunch (November 2026): 9 November 2026, 14:00–16:00, Startup House Riga 2.0, Riga.
Recurring meetups and communities
- Open Coffee Club Riga: regular founder coffee evenings at Startup House Riga, the latest on 21 October 2026. meetup.com
- Startup House Riga: office hours, investor meetups and hackathons. startuphouse.lv
- GDG Riga: free developer meetups; the latest, "Coding with AI", was on 2 November 2026. gdg.community.dev
- LatBAN, the Latvian Business Angel Network: an investor course and the Gada Investors awards. latban.lv
- Inactive: Startup Grind Riga (nothing since 2017), and no Riga events from Founder Institute, Startup Weekend, Garage48 or Startup Wise Guys.
Events for women founders in Latvia
- Female Founders Lunch, Riga: a monthly lunch from Riga TechGirls for women with early-stage business ideas.
- Riga TechGirls: the women-in-tech organisation behind the lunches, with SPRING UP, a free pre-accelerator for teams with at least one female founder (the current batch started on 27 October 2026). rigatechgirls.com
- Forum LĪDERE, 14 May 2027, Riga: a large women's business forum (see above). forumslidere.lv
- Biedrība LĪDERE: Latvia's women entrepreneurs' association, with members' evenings. lidere.lv
Riga Comm's 2026 programme also had a Women in Tech conference. Read our guide to funding for female entrepreneurs and the female entrepreneurship and women in tech events lists. If you organise an event for women founders in Latvia, send it to us and we'll add it.
Funding and support to know before you go
- Startup Law support: companies that qualify under Latvia's start-up law can get 45% of the pay of highly qualified staff covered, up to €300,000, or state aid as a fixed social tax payment and an income tax allowance. LIAA runs it; the programme ends on 29 February 2028. liaa.gov.lv
- LIAA, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia: pre-incubation for companies up to 3 years old (open until 30 June 2027), innovation vouchers up to €25,000 and the Ideju kauss prizes. business.gov.lv
- ALTUM start-up loans: up to €250,000 from 4.9%, for companies registered up to 7 years ago; you can apply before you found the company. altum.lv
- Startup visa: Latvia has a residence permit for non-EU startup founders; check the current terms with LIAA or the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
Compare countries in our guides to startup visas in Europe and the best countries for building a startup in Europe.
How to get the most out of Latvian startup events
- Make TechChill your main trip. Investors from the Nordics and the Baltics come for it; apply for the Founders Battle if you are raising.
- Start small. Open Coffee Club Riga is free and Riga TechGirls runs a monthly Female Founders Lunch; both are easy places to meet founders.
- Use the public money. LIAA, ALTUM and Ideju kauss fund early-stage founders; watch for the next Ideju kauss round in August 2027.
- Book DevDays early. The early-bird ticket is €650 excl. VAT until 3 December 2026, against €1,150 later.
- Combine it with a Baltic trip. See our guides to startup events in Estonia, Lithuania and Finland, the Tallinn and Helsinki city guides, and our guide to startup events in Europe.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Latvia? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
Startup events in other countries
FAQ
What is the biggest startup event in Latvia?
TechChill in Riga: side events on 17 March and main event days on 18–19 March 2027, with an investor day and the Founders Battle pitch competition.
Where can I meet investors in Latvia?
At TechChill (17–19 March 2027), UN:BLOCK's matchmaking (7–8 April 2027) and LatBAN's Gada Investors awards, usually in March.
Are there free or cheap startup events in Latvia?
Yes: Open Coffee Club Riga and GDG Riga meetups are free, and the Entrepreneur Experience Days company visits are free until 13 November 2026.
Are there events for women founders in Latvia?
Yes. Riga TechGirls runs a monthly Female Founders Lunch and the SPRING UP pre-accelerator, and Forum LĪDERE (14 May 2027) is a large women's business forum.
Are there pitch competitions in Latvia?
The Ideju kauss final (2 December 2026) has a €40,000 prize fund, TechChill runs the Founders Battle, and Deep Tech Atelier has a pitch competition. See our pitch competitions list.
What funding is there for startups in Latvia?
LIAA's start-up law support covers 45% of qualifying salaries, LIAA innovation vouchers go up to €25,000, and ALTUM lends up to €250,000 to young companies. Read more in our guide to startup visas in Europe.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
