🚀 Vilnius Founders 🍸 Latvian Edition 🇱🇻 in partnership with TechChill 2026
NEW LOCATION
🚀 Vilnius Founders 🍸 Latvian Edition 🇱🇻 will take place at the cafe LOŽĖ (aka "Lodge" on Google Maps) located on the 2nd floor of The Old Theatre of Vilnius.
🥂 If you are bringing friends, tell them that an RSVP is required, especially if they want a free drink! 🥂😉
This time at Vilnius Founders, we're hosting a special Riga × Vilnius edition that brings together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across the Baltics.
We'll kick off the evening with a panel discussion featuring:
Annija Mezgaile, CEO of TechChill
Egita Polanska, Partner at Outlast Fund
Raimonds Kulbergs, CEO BADideas.fund
Andris K. Berzins, Partner at Change Ventures
The panel will focus on TechChill, the Latvian startup ecosystem, and funding opportunities across the Baltics—including how Lithuanian founders can better access Latvian investors, partners, and regional platforms. Expect practical insights on where capital is flowing, how early-stage teams can stand out, and how events like TechChill can be leveraged for real outcomes beyond networking.
🥂 TechChill, Outlast Ventures, BADideas.fund, and BirdyChat will sponsor drinks for the evening, so come early and grab a glass! 🥂
Why TechChill?
TechChill is the flagship startup & tech event of the Baltics, organized by the TechChill Foundation. Every year in Riga, it brings together 2,000+ attendees, 300+ startups, 200–250 investors, and a strong mix of founders, operators, and media for several days of founder-first content, pitch sessions, and some of the region's most memorable afterparties (yes—sauna included).
The panel will explore how founders can best prepare for TechChill, what investors are actually looking for there, and why the Latvian ecosystem is becoming increasingly relevant for Lithuanian startups.
🎙️ Q&A with Rolands Mesters — Building, Exiting, and Starting Again
After the panel, we'll dive into a Q&A with Rolands Mesters, a Latvian serial entrepreneur who brings a rare full-cycle founder perspective.
Rolands:
Co-founded and led Nordigen, an open-banking data platform, from 2016 until its acquisition by GoCardless in 2022
Joined GoCardless post-acquisition as VP of Bank Account Data
In 2025, started BirdyChat, a modern work chat app that lets professionals start conversations using just a work email
Serves on the board of the Latvian Startup Association (Startin.LV) and is active in the Baltic founder ecosystem
About Annija Mezgaile
Annija Mezgaile is the CEO of TechChill, where she leads an international team focused on connecting Baltic startups with global investors, partners, and talent. Before TechChill, Annija spent over a decade in the creative and advertising industries, including serving as Managing Director of the Latvian Art Directors Club and leading strategic work for major brands.
About Egita Polanska
Egita Polanska is a Partner at Outlast Fund, a Baltic early-stage venture fund backing ambitious founders building globally from day one. She works closely with early-stage teams on fundraising strategy, product-market fit, and international scaling. She is deeply involved in strengthening collaboration across the Latvian and broader Baltic startup ecosystems.
About Raimonds Kulbergs
Raimonds Kulbergs is the Founder & CEO of BADideas.fund, an industry-agnostic VC & community of 250+ startup builders backing early-stage founders across the Baltics and CEE. Based in Riga, Raimonds supports founders with early funding, go-to-market strategy, and international scaling, drawing on his experience as a startup founder and ecosystem builder.
About Andris K. Berzins
Andris K. Berzins is a Partner at Change Ventures, a leading Baltic venture capital fund focused on early-stage technology startups. With a strong background in product, growth, and venture building, Andris supports founders from pre-seed through early development, helping teams refine their go-to-market strategies and scale across international markets.
About Rolands Mesters
Rolands Mesters is the Co-Founder & CEO of BirdyChat and previously the Co-Founder & CEO of Nordigen, which GoCardless acquired in 2022. After the acquisition, he helped scale fintech data products as VP at GoCardless. Rolands is also a board member at Startin.LV.
About 🚀 Vilnius Founders
Vilnius Founders is a casual, founder-driven meetup series bringing together startup builders, operators, and investors over drinks. No slides. No suits—just honest conversations about what it really takes to build global companies from the Baltics.
Come for TechChill insights, stay for Rolands' war stories — and, of course, for the cocktails and the deal-flow. 🍸