Deep Tech Atelier — Startup Pitch Competition 2026

Competition · Riga, Latvia

Upcoming dates to be announced

Ten finalists are picked across the competition's categories. They go through a training bootcamp on 13 May 2026, semi-finals on 14 May and the final and award ceremony on 15 May at Fantadroms in Riga, with mentorship and exposure to the investors and corporates in the room. The organisers state that selected participants receive prizes, but do not publish the amounts. Cheque

None Equity

10 Cohort

Riga, Latvia Where

The Startup Pitch Competition is run at Deep Tech Atelier in Riga.

It is open to deep tech startups built on IP-rich science or engineering, pre-revenue or at early revenue, with a balanced team of scientists and entrepreneurs, a lab-scale prototype or better (TRL 4, or TRL 3 for AI) and strong scalability. Entry is open worldwide except to entities in Russia or Belarus and anyone under EU or international sanctions.

Ten finalists are picked across the competition's categories. They go through a training bootcamp, semi-finals, and a final and award ceremony at Fantadroms in Riga, with mentorship and exposure to the investors and corporates in the room. The organisers state that selected participants receive prizes but do not publish the amounts, and no equity is taken. Applications for the 2026 edition are closed; the competition ran on 13-15 May 2026 and Deep Tech Atelier returns to Riga in April 2027, with the next call not yet open. Queries go to deeptechatelier@liaa.gov.lv.

What it actually costs you

ChequeTen finalists are picked across the competition's categories. They go through a training bootcamp on 13 May 2026, semi-finals on 14 May and the final and award ceremony on 15 May at Fantadroms in Riga, with mentorship and exposure to the investors and corporates in the room. The organisers state that selected participants receive prizes, but do not publish the amounts.

Equity takenNone

Market rate for the same chequeDeep tech startups built on IP-rich science or engineering, pre-revenue or at early revenue, with a balanced team of scientists and entrepreneurs, a lab-scale prototype or better (TRL 4, or TRL 3 for AI) and strong scalability. Open worldwide except entities in Russia or Belarus and anyone under EU or international sanctions.

Riga hosts this competition for deep tech startups built on IP-rich science or engineering, pre-revenue or at early revenue, with a balanced team of scientists and entrepreneurs and a lab-scale prototype at TRL 4, or TRL 3 for AI. It is open worldwide except to sanctioned entities and those in Russia or Belarus. Ten finalists go through a bootcamp, semi-finals and a final, gaining mentorship and investor exposure. Prizes are unpublished; no equity.