From technology industry trends and the opportunities of the new world to the Baltics’ role in their development: TechChill opens the 2021 event season

This year, for the tenth consecutive time, Riga will host TechChill, the leading technology and startup industry event in the Baltic region, which annually brings together more than 2,000 attendees, including startup representatives and media, investors, experts from various business sectors, as well as technology enthusiasts from Latvia and around the world. Adapting to the changes brought about by the global pandemic, TechChill 2021 will take place in a digital format, with sustainable innovation, the promotion of professional growth, digital transformation, and the role of the Baltic states in the development of the global technology industry identified as the central themes of this year’s event season.

Adapting the main event to an online format, its programme will be spread over two weeks, from 7 to 21 May this year. However, the content of TechChill 2021 will remain unchanged and, as is customary, will include presentations and panel discussions by industry experts, networking activities for startup founders and investors, the “Fifty Founders Battle” competition, experience-sharing stories and discussions, masterclasses, hackathons, and various other online satellite events, which will be accessible to participants from anywhere in the world for the first time. Every year, TechChill’s speakers have included representatives of internationally renowned companies, and 2021 will be no exception in this regard; moreover, the format will make it possible to expand the network of experts involved to an unprecedented level.

“TechChill wants to mark the tenth year of its activities with new challenges and achievements, setting expansion into neighbouring Lithuania as one of its most important objectives. We want to promote the growth of all the Baltic states, strengthen the region’s shared identity, and highlight its position internationally by helping attract new partners, investment, jobs, and opportunities. For shared growth, it is vital to show that the Baltic states offer a knowledgeable and capable workforce, that the region’s location is advantageous for virtually any business, that support from government institutions is available here, and that there are other factors that make the region attractive to entrepreneurs. Moreover, the large volume of investment attracted by Baltic startups last year, despite all the challenges created by the pandemic, serves as excellent proof of this,” comments TechChill Chairwoman Marija Ručevska.

The first of the warm-up events for the TechChill 2021 season will take place this Wednesday, 20 January, when the TechChill organisers will introduce this year’s expanded event format, central themes, first speakers, and other exciting news during a Facebook live stream. The virtual opening event is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m., when TechChill board members Marija Ručevska, Ernests Štāls, and Andris K. Bērziņš will address viewers, followed immediately by introductions to members of the TechChill community. This will be followed by a thematic panel discussion on technology industry trends in 2021 and the role of the Baltic region in their development. The experts taking part will be Lubomila Jordanova, founder and CEO of the sustainability platform Plan A; Vytautas Kubilius, Head of Google in the Baltic states; and Siim Teller, managing partner at the startup investment firm Lemonade Stand. The panel discussion will be moderated by TechChill board member Līva Pērkone. Everyone interested is invited to follow the opening of the TechChill season free of charge.