What Startup Lithuania does

Startup Lithuania is the national startup ecosystem facilitator of Lithuania, operating as a division of the publicly-funded Innovation Agency Lithuania under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. Established in 2019, the organization functions as a one-stop intermediary connecting fast-growing startups, venture capital funds, accelerators, startup-friendly enterprises, and government bodies. Its service portfolio includes the Startup Guide Pre-Accelerator (a free 52-week online course with 132 lessons reaching 1,718 students), the Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play (concluded in 2026 after selecting 67 startups from 1,024 applications across five batches), the ICT Accelerator for early-stage tech companies, the Startup Visa Lithuania program (158 non-EU startups relocated since 2017), and the annual Startup Fair event with 200+ investors and a €17M+ investment pool. It also maintains a Dealroom-powered ecosystem database tracking 1,190 startups and 958 funding rounds, publishes weekly newsletters and ecosystem news, and coordinates Lithuanian startup delegations at international events including Slush, Web Summit, TechBBQ, and GITEX AI Europe.

The organization does not build proprietary technology products; its technology footprint consists of the Startup Guide learning platform, the Plug and Play accelerator application portal, the Dealroom-integrated ecosystem map, and event management infrastructure. Its business model is non-commercial in the traditional sense: all services are free to users, with funding flowing from Innovation Agency Lithuania as part of Lithuania's public innovation policy mandate. The team is small, with 7-8 identified members led by Head of Startup Lithuania Karolina Urbonaitė, operating from a single office at Juozo Balčikonio str. 3 in Vilnius.

Strategic positioning is that of a public-good ecosystem coordinator rather than a commercial operator. Quantified outcomes reported include an 88% startup survival rate for accelerator participants, 2.7x average revenue increase post-program, €19M collectively raised by alumni, and Lithuanian ecosystem enterprise value of €16.4B (5.9x growth since 2020) with €221M in 2025 VC funding. The organization reports a 26% scaleup HQ relocation rate abroad (leading CEE in founder retention) and tracks 275 deep tech companies contributing to a €2B Baltic deep tech enterprise value, with defense/security/resilience funding of €104M across 47 rounds.

Name

Startup Lithuania

Legal name

Public Institution Innovation Agency Lithuania

Website

https://startuplithuania.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Startup Lithuania is a government-funded national startup ecosystem facilitator under Innovation Agency Lithuania. It provides free programs—pre-accelerator courses, the Plug and Play-powered accelerator, ICT accelerator, Startup Visa, and Startup Fair—connecting founders, investors, and government across Lithuania's 1,190-startup ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Ecosystem Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem facilitation
• Accelerator programs
• Innovation agency services
• Startup visa program
• Entrepreneurship education

Headquarters

HQ city

Vilnius

HQ country

Lithuania

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Startup Lithuania is powered by Innovation Agency Lithuania, the official public agency responsible for the development of Lithuanian innovation ecosystem. As a government initiative, it operates on public funding rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Startup Lithuania is a national startup ecosystem facilitator operated under Innovation Agency Lithuania that connects startups, venture capital funds, accelerators, startup-friendly enterprises, and the government. It delivers free programs including the Plug and Play-powered accelerator, ICT Accelerator, Startup Guide pre-accelerator course, and the Startup Visa program, alongside ecosystem news publishing, a startup database, weekly newsletters, events such as Startup Fair, and consulting/networking services for founders and investors.

Product overview

Startup Lithuania is a national startup ecosystem facilitator (not a SaaS product company), powered by Innovation Agency Lithuania. The organization offers a portfolio of ecosystem-enabling services including the Startup Guide Pre-Accelerator (free 52-week online course), the Plug and Play-powered Accelerator program, the ICT Accelerator for early-stage tech startups, the Startup Visa Lithuania program for international relocation, and organizes the annual Startup Fair. The ecosystem is supported by comprehensive resources including an Ecosystem Map with Dealroom database integration, Funding Guide, news publishing, newsletter, and a network of ecosystem partners and mentors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Startup Guide Pre-Accelerator

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% startup survival rate for accelerator participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• Iron Wolf CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Baltic-based VC firm focused on deep tech, AI, and defense that co-published the Baltic Deep Tech Report 2025. Managing Partner Kasparas Jurgelionis provided report commentary on Baltic deep tech momentum.
• Startup EstoniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Government initiative under Estonian Business and Innovation Agency developing Estonia's startup ecosystem with strategic focus on deep tech. Co-publisher of Baltic Deep Tech Report 2025.
• WALLESScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Full-service Baltic law firm advising founders, investors, and corporates across investment rounds and cross-border transactions. Co-published Baltic Deep Tech Report 2025.
• Plug and PlayflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Global innovation platform powering the Lithuania Startup Accelerator program for two years. Selected 67 startups from 1,024 applications across five batches. Connected 12 Lithuanian startups to Silicon Valley through GOAL initiative, with two startups winning Best Startup awards.
• Innovation Agency LithuaniaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup Lithuania is powered by Innovation Agency Lithuania, the official public agency responsible for the development of Lithuanian innovation ecosystem and promotion of innovation at all stages of business development. The agency provides funding, administrative support, and institutional backing.
• Business Mentor NetworksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtual platform connecting experienced businessmen with entrepreneurs seeking mentorship and business management guidance.
• Go VilniussupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial development agency of City of Vilnius helping foreign startups relocate talent through Workshop and Relocation Guide programs.
• Kaunas IN StartupssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization sharing, inspiring, supporting, and leading the Kaunas startup community through events like Startup Social Kaunas and Pitch Night Kaunas.
• Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LIC)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit providing free innovation support services to enterprises, research institutions, and business support organizations. Consults on innovation funding from EU and private sources.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Startup Estonia: Government-backed national startup ecosystem facilitator under the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, operating under the same Baltic Deep Tech Report partnership as Startup Lithuania. Direct functional counterpart running accelerators, founder programs, Startup Visa-equivalent services, and ecosystem branding in a neighboring market.
• Latvian Startup Association (Startin): National non-profit representing Latvia's startup ecosystem with comparable mandate: policy advocacy, founder education, international visibility, and ecosystem mapping. Direct Baltic peer competing for cross-border founder mindshare and capital.

Broad incumbents

• Slush: Global founder- and investor-focused conference and ecosystem organization. Startup Lithuania participates in Slush annually; Slush is the benchmark for the kind of large-scale startup event (akin to Startup Fair) that national facilitators co-produce.
• Techstars: Global accelerator operator with mentor-driven programs across verticals and geographies. Comparable operating model to Startup Lithuania's accelerator partners, including industry-specific verticals and demo-day investor matching.
• Y Combinator: The world's largest startup accelerator, running batch programs and pre-acceleration content (Startup School equivalent to Startup Lithuania's Startup Guide). Sets the global template for pre-accelerator education and accelerator selection that Startup Lithuania's programs emulate.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform that powered the Startup Lithuania accelerator program. Operates industry-specific accelerator programs worldwide and is both a partner and a structural benchmark for the kind of vertical accelerator programming Startup Lithuania runs.

Others

• EU-Startups: Online media and event platform covering European startup ecosystems, frequently profiling Lithuanian founders and events. Adjacent enabling platform that amplifies Startup Lithuania's ecosystem visibility internationally.
• Dealroom.co: Startup and growth intelligence platform powering Startup Lithuania's ecosystem map and unicorns database. Direct technology partner and ecosystem data infrastructure comparable to what national startup facilitators use globally.
• Innovation Agency Lithuania: Parent public institution of Startup Lithuania responsible for the broader Lithuanian innovation ecosystem, including grants, EU funding programs, and enterprise innovation support. Functions as both the structural parent and an adjacent ecosystem player.

Regional players

• Startup Poland: Polish national startup ecosystem organization operating across CEE with founder programs, reports (e.g., Polish Tech), and policy advocacy. Comparable mandate and program mix but serves a much larger domestic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StartupLithuania
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-lithuania
• Facebookfacebook.com/startuplithuania

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Lithuania