sTARTUp Day, largest business festival in Baltics, to see 3,500 convene in Tartu

TALLINN - On Wednesday, sTARTUp Day, the largest business festival in the Baltics, will kick off, bringing nearly 3,500 entrepreneurs and business enthusiasts to Tartu over three days.

The eighth edition of the festival is taking place this year during the opening week of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.

"I believe that the opportunity to hold the festival right before the opening festivities of the European Capital of Culture will give this year's sTARTUp Day a special atmosphere. We can introduce Tartu to guests as both an attractive business hub and a city with a vibrant cultural life," said Mart Lattekivi, the main organizer of sTARTUp Day.

Tartu 2024 is also one of the co-organizers of this year's sTARTUp Day, and the stage program of the first day of the festival includes a thematic block inspired by the artistic concept of the European Capital of Culture, "Arts of Survival."

The first day of the festival will also focus on deep tech and science-based innovation and adaptation to challenging economic conditions. For example, Tonu Esko, vice rector for development at the University of Tartu, will talk about the role of the university in economic development, and Kelly Chen, from the NATO Innovation Fund, will discuss the importance of deep technology in addressing future challenges.

The day will open with a discussion with President Alar Karis.

On the second day of the festival, the stage events will focus on marketing and branding, organizational culture and the topic of happiness at work, as well as inspirational stories about personal and professional U-turns. 

In addition, on the main days of sTARTUp Day, guests can participate in 50 or so practical seminars on topics from management to marketing. The festival's pitching stage will see some of the region's most promising startups take the stage, and more than 60 innovative organizations will be showcased in the demo area.  

Wednesday's pre-event day features more than 25 diverse events across the city, including special programs for executives and investors.

The program of sTARTUp Day 2024 can be found on the website https://www.startupday.ee/program/schedule .