Latitude59 invites Ukrainian defence startups to compete in pitch contest with a prize pool of over €500K

The business angel networks of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—EstBAN, LatBAN, and LitBAN—are investing up to €500K in the winner of this year’s Latitude59 pitch contest, says the official invitation to Ukrainian startups from the organizers.

The organizers place special emphasis on the defense tech sector in their invitation. Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org calls Ukrainian defense startups an inspiring example for all of Europe. She stressed that Baltic investors are actively looking for opportunities to support this sector.

«We warmly invite all early-stage Ukrainian startups to apply,» said Org. «Business angels from the three Baltic countries are offering investments of up to €500,000. However, we plan to share even more exciting news about the prize fund soon.»

Latitude59 will take place in May 2025 in Tallinn. The contest is held annually, and in 2024, Latitude59 received a record-breaking 526 applications from 53 countries, including Ukraine. Last year, the Ukrainian startup Beholder, which focuses on mineral exploration, won the pitch contest. The total funding Beholder raised during the event amounted to nearly €1.5 million.

Latitude59 is looking for founder teams with a clear mission, a scalable business model, and a functional product that has either proven its effectiveness or received strong market validation. Applications for the Latitude59 pitch contest are open until April 5, 2025. Out of all submissions, 30 top teams will be selected for the semifinals, where they will receive professional pitch training and mentorship support. These teams will compete for funding and various prizes from partners.

The final round will take place on May 23, 2025, when the top five startups will pitch on the main stage of Latitude59.