TechChill 2025 was nothing short of electric! 🚀 On February 7, in the heart of Riga, Latvia, the Baltic startup ecosystem came together for an unforgettable showdown—the Fifty Founders Battle. And wow, did it deliver! With a total prize pool of over 600,000 EUR, the competition was fierce, the pitches were fire, and the founders? Absolute rockstars.
Big Wins, Bold Ideas 💡💰
Taking home the coveted 10,000 EUR no-strings-attached TechChill Community Prize was Adsmom—a team on a mission to transform ad performance through their B2B SaaS platform. Alongside the cash prize, they also scored a 6-month membership at Startup House Riga and some fresh Bourzma merchandise to rep their win.
But that was just the beginning. The Fifty Founders Battle saw major investments rolling in:
🔥 THEO Growth secured a whopping 250,000 EUR investment from BADideas.fund.
🔥 THEO Growth doubled up with another 100,000 EUR investment from FIRSTPICK. 🔥 Protium Tech landed 100,000 EUR from Depo Ventures. 🔥 Beamline Accelerator 60,000 EUR Investment went to Protium Tech yet again
🔥 LatBAN awarded 50,000 EUR investments to each Adsmom and Tournated.
And let’s not forget the additional game-changing prizes:
🎓 Draper University Scholarships (Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial bootcamp) – Muun Health, Protium Tech, and Submerge Baltic.
📄 Free national or cascade Grant Writing Support from GSF Innovations – Submerge Baltic.
🚀 Fast-track to Traction Builder 2.0 (b2b accelerator with Snap Inc.) – Box Box.
Meet the Top 10: The Future of the Baltic Startup Scene 🌍
Out of 167 applicants, the top 50 startups took the TechChill stage on Day 1. But only 10 finalists got their moment in the spotlight:
Adsmom (Latvia) – Global ad library mining for next-level ad performance. 💻📊
GaltTec (Estonia) – Portable fuel cell tech driving a greener future. 🌱🔋
Hospilly (Latvia) – AI-driven hospital workflow automation. 🏥🤖
Hypershadow (Estonia) – Embedded AI copilots for SaaS platforms. 🧠💡
Muun Health (Estonia) – Tackling infertility with cutting-edge medical devices. 🍼🔬
Protium Tech (Latvia) – Hydrogen production revolutionized. ⚡🚀
SelectZero (Estonia) – Data observability redefined. 📈📊
SUBmerge Baltic (Latvia) – Autonomous underwater drones for safety & security. 🌊🤿
Tournated (Latvia) – The Shopify for sports management. 🏆📋
THEO Growth (Latvia) – The world's 1st plug & play business context management platform. 📂🚀
The Jury: Decision-Makers Who Know Their Stuff 🏆
With 2000+ attendees, 100+ VC funds, and 280+ investors in the room, the jury panel had their work cut out for them. The power lineup included:
Kristaps Prūsis (Founding Partner, Outlast Fund)
Ben Leblois (General Partner, BADideas Fund)
Arta Beitāne (Partner, Buildit)
Andra Bagdonaite (Partner, FIRSTPICK)
Kasparas Jurgelionis (Managing Partner, Iron Wolf Capital)
💬 “One of the key criteria for choosing a winner was the pitch presentation, and unanimously Adsmom stood out. Their product was instantly clear, they had impressive traction—it was an easy decision. GaltTec was our runner-up; they’re tackling a massive market, and if they succeed, it will be revolutionary,” shared Arta Beitāne, Partner at Buildit.
More Than Just a Battle—A Baltic Startup Celebration 🎉
TechChill has always been about empowering Baltic founders, and this year was no different. From high-value networking to actionable insights from industry leaders, the event was packed with moments that matter.
💬 “This year, we focused on bringing real value to the Baltic startup ecosystem—from practical stage sessions to showcasing the best and brightest through the Fifty Founders Battle. Seeing the enthusiasm from investors and the quality of startups proves this was an absolute success,” said Annija Mežgaile, CEO of TechChill.
And let’s not forget—TechChill has a legacy of spotting future unicorns. Past Fifty Founders Battle winners include Infogr.am (acquired by Prezi), Nordigen (acquired by GoCardless), TrackDuck, Edurio, Anatomy Next (now Exonicus), Precision Navigation Systems, Longenesis, Vocal Image App, and more.
Who’s next? We can’t wait to find out at TechChill 2026. Until then—keep building, keep hustling, and see you next year! 🚀🔥