The leading startup and technology event in the Nordic-Baltic region, held at Kultuurikatel in Tallinn each May, gathering 3,500 participants from 70 countries over three days, with 180+ speakers, 800 investors, 900 startup representatives and 40+ side events across the city.
Latitude59 is Estonia's and the Nordic-Baltic region's flagship startup and technology conference, held annually at Kultuurikatel, a converted power plant in Tallinn's creative district. Organised by Startup Estonia, the event positions itself at the intersection of European startup growth, defence tech, AI and climate technology. The three-day programme combines a main conference and stages with 40+ curated side events distributed across Tallinn, including private investor dinners, founder sessions and the Builders Lab.
The 2026 programme focuses on defence tech, AI, climate resilience, Europe's innovation race and the technologies defining 2030. The Builders Lab provides a hands-on track for engineers and technical founders. Side events cover investor-founder networking, closed-door roundtables on specific verticals, and social events. The Mastercard Lighthouse Startup Showcase is a featured element giving selected startups structured exposure.
Kultuurikatel, meaning "Cultural Boiler" in Estonian, is a former industrial power plant converted into a creative and cultural space in Tallinn. It provides a distinctive industrial aesthetic for the main conference, with multiple indoor stages and outdoor areas. Its location in Tallinn's Kalamaja district places it near the city's creative and startup community.
Startup Estonia is a government-backed initiative supporting Estonia's startup ecosystem, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. It organises Latitude59 as part of its mandate to increase Estonia's international profile as a startup-friendly jurisdiction and to attract international investment and talent to the Baltic region.
Latitude59 occupies a specific position in the Nordic circuit: it is the largest startup event in the Baltic states and one of the few events in the region with a significant defence tech component, reflecting Estonia and the Baltic states' geopolitical context. Nordic events such as Slush (Helsinki) and Arctic15 operate in adjacent but distinct spaces.
Side events are produced by a range of ecosystem partners and cover specific investor verticals, startup verticals, and social formats. Some are by invitation; others are open to all Latitude59 registrants. The side events programme runs from May 20 with the main stages on May 21–22.
The Builders Lab is a dedicated technical programme track at Latitude59 for software engineers and technical founders. It runs in parallel with the main stages and focuses on practical construction topics, code, architecture and engineering leadership.
Not suitable for: (1) large enterprise buyers seeking a procurement context; (2) professionals entirely outside startup, tech or investment sectors; (3) attendees expecting a trade exhibition format with vendor stands; (4) companies focused solely on the Western European market with no Baltic or Nordic interest; (5) founders seeking a polished corporate conference experience rather than a startup community atmosphere.
Latitude59's defence tech strand is not a niche addition: it reflects Estonia's structural position on NATO's eastern frontier, which means the investor conversations about dual-use technology happen here with a geopolitical immediacy that most European startup events cannot replicate.
Paid tickets available at latitude59.ee/tickets. Various tiers for founders, investors and general delegates.
Advance meeting scheduling available through the event platform. The 800 investors and 900 startup representatives at the 2026 edition create one of the highest investor-to-founder ratios in the European startup event calendar.
20–22 May 2026 at Kultuurikatel, Põhja pst 27a, 10415 Tallinn, Estonia. Main programme: 21–22 May; side events from 20 May.
English is the primary language of all main stages and most side events.
The Mastercard Lighthouse Startup Showcase has a competitive application process. General startup tickets are available through standard registration.
| Official website | https://latitude59.ee/ |
| Programme | https://latitude59.ee/main-program/ |
| Tickets | https://latitude59.ee/tickets/ |