Hey, we miss you!
Just a few months ago we gathered more than 1700 attendees for our digital edition of TechChill. It was really nice… but something was missing, wasn’t it? Well, we felt it too. So after digitally cocooning for TechChill 2021, we’re ready for metamorphosis. In short, we’re taking back what we lost, without losing what we’ve gained (kind of like the Avengers and the blip). And we’re not the only ones morphing into something new. Oh, not at all! People are reinventing themselves to take new career paths. Companies are pivoting their businesses to meet the present needs. Startups are cockroaching their way through the crisis and morphing into unicorns. You might say “I’m not sure that’s how it works”, but are you sure about how anything works anymore? We have an idea – let’s explore it together.
The Baltics are where it’s at
Before we get to TechChill 2022, is it just us, or is it getting hot in here? The summer brought us long spells of warm weather and created heatwaves in the Baltic startup ecosystem. Back in May, Printful gave Latvia its first unicorn. This was followed by bigger and smaller funding rounds and exits across the Baltics by Wise, Bolt, Printify, Interactio, Fractory, PVcase, Sonarworks, TransferGo, Nordigen, and our own pitch competition winners Longenesis among many others. By attracting five times more funding per capita than anyone else in the CEE, we’re breaking records left and right and the Baltic startups are on FIRE! It must feel good.
Good old-fashioned get-together
Did we say we miss you yet? Well, we can’t wait to greet you again face-to-face at TechChill 2022 as long as you’ve got a TechChill pass and that little QR code that says “Valid” upon scanning it. Once you’re through the door, you’ll enter the warm and cozy atmosphere that TechChill has always been about… But, if you think that in-person events are so 2019, grab our digital pass and enjoy the event from the comfort of your home wearing your favorite hoodie, turtleneck, or nothing at all (kind of weird, but who are we to judge). Regardless of which option is to your liking, we’ll make sure to deliver industry insights from a plethora of global speakers, plenty of chances to network both in-person and online, access to a variety of side events, Fifty Founders Battle pitching competition, masterclasses, roundtable discussions and whatever else we come up with until April.
April’s forecast: Chill with a chance of metamorphosis
The ability to change is one of the most powerful things in the universe, no matter if it’s a cocoon turning into a butterfly or a startup pivoting its business strategy. TechChill 2022 is checking out new dates in April and will be about every person and startup who embraced their inner cockroach to survive the metaphorical nuclear bomb, as it is now time to reinvent themselves and morph into something else, something new, and something better to benefit all of us. The core agenda for 2022 will focus on the survivalists, neo-humans, and outliers (don’t worry if it’s a bit obscure, we’ll elaborate). We’re also not forgetting about hands-on topics for you to morph your business into the next stage of its evolution.
Survivalists
From the first glance seems pretty bleak, but it’s not. We are at a point where sustainability is no longer a niche by itself. No longer can we do things the same way and expect different results. You know, we all love the sea, but maybe let’s keep it away from our doorsteps? Being sustainable is an underlying requirement for any business running these days, especially if we want to make the EU climate neutral by 2050. In short, our mission is to adapt to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future generations, from a product-focused idea to building a carbon-neutral business. Let’s learn from the startups, corporations, and governments leading the way and do even better. That will show them.
Key subjects: #energy #mobility #food #robotics #sustainability
Source: https://giphy.com/explore/you-make-the-call
Neo-Humans
The past two years have pushed us to rise to the occasion and enhance our abilities. We are accelerating self-discovery, growth, and overall effectiveness in all aspects of our lives. Tech is a tool driven by humans, it serves us in helping to understand and improve everything from our physical and mental health to the way we learn, perform and build relationships. We’ve got gadgets on our wrists, gadgets on our fingers, and who knows where else. Hopefully, there will soon be a gadget that tells us what we want for dinner before scrolling the food delivery app for an hour (fingers crossed). Nevertheless, we set our own limits, we are the Neo-Humans, and we are here to become better and more open to new possibilities. Key subjects: #biohacking #healthtech #edtech #sextech
Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/eeocHNMpGuxJKfK5ET
Outliers
Life loves to throw us a curveball, but with grit, perseverance, and a little bit of elbow grease there is very little that a startup founder cannot overcome. Yet sometimes we must also overcome our own ambitions and remember that it is ok to grab a nap, relax, and take care of ourselves. This is an opportunity for us to learn from the outliers: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Remember that it can always be better, but it can always be worse as well. Key subjects:#OpenInnovation #ecommerce #BusinessStrategies #growth-hacking
Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/TheDemocrats-dnc-democrats-dncgif-NQYefp8iFl70IytFVo
We’re in this together
TechChill has been helping to grow and develop the Baltic startup ecosystem for more than 10 years now and we don’t intend to stop or even slow down. As long as there is a need, we’ll continue to bridge the gaps in knowledge, skills, and network before, during, and after the annual event. And, luckily, we’re not alone in this, we’ve got our partners, friends, and community all over the world helping us to fulfill our mission. But there’s always room for more. Join us, we’re friendly. Oh, we almost forgot. Did we say we miss you yet?
by Aris Brencis, Investor, Startup & Community Manager