Lev Dolgatsjov

The pulse is already palpable. Grateful to moderate a panel discussion at the key startup event of the year in Central EU, hosted by Startup Lithuania . Here's some context and hope you will join the 2k visitors and 420 investors from 68 countries on October 3rd: 🚀 "Oh Crap, I Just Got a Load of Money! Now What?" 💸 You’ve hustled your way to Series A and now; you’re sitting on a pile of investor cash. 🎉 Suddenly, it’s not just about building cool features. The board expects you to scale, organize, and lead! 📊 This panel digs into that weird trip from startup survival mode to long-term success. How do you become a leader when you’ve been the hustler-in-chief? 🤔 An insightful conversation about growing pains, cultural challenges, and leadership lessons. 💡 Move your startup beyond Series A to build something that lasts! 🌱 See you at www.startupfair.lt #FounderLife,#StartupCulture, #SeriesA,#ScalingUp, #startupfair

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❌ Fundraising Evolution: (Critical) Trends in Startup Fundraising in 2024 ❌ As the month comes to an end, so does the first fundraising period of the year. After weeks of intensive effort, many players are heading into their summer break. We, too, can look back on a successful first half of the year, noting not only quantitative but also qualitative improvements in our deal flow. Here are three (critical) trends that have caught my attention: 🚩 Notion Instead of Pitch Deck Some founders choose to skip a traditional pitch deck entirely when pre-seed fundraising, opting instead for a notion page that combines a data room with a pitch deck. While the benefits of flexible updates over a static document are obvious, I think it lacks personalization and impact. Much of the valuable information in a pitch deck is conveyed between the lines. 💡 My Tip: Create a small Notion data room together with a short teaser deck for the perfect information basis. 🚩 Variable Round Setup More frequently, fundraising starts without a clear target. Instead, all options are considered throughout the round, adapting based on circumstances and feedback before settling on the most suitable setup. While this flexibility has advantages, I believe every team needs clear goals within a well-defined framework to attract the right partners. 💡 My Tip: Establish a clear framework with a structured timeline to target investors effectively. 🚩 Fundraising as a Team Effort At most of my meetings in recent months, I have always met the entire founding team. From a resource allocation perspective, this is disastrous. It is important to get to know all the key players in a start-up, but all it takes is one in-depth conversation. Otherwise, valuable resources are wasted in the large number of fundraising meetings with various investors. 💡 My Tip: The CEO should centrally manage fundraising. This includes initial meetings, email communications, reference calls and closing. Involve your co-founders only in a detailed deep dive and use their resources more strategically. What experiences have you had with fundraising in 2024? How do you consider these developments? Do you have a different opinion? Let's discuss! #fundraising #startups #investment #venturecapital #datadrivenvc __ ROI VENTURES

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I am delighted to have contributed to Unmanned Defense Systems complex and highly significant EUR 3.2 million investment deal. Together with my colleague, Justinas Pasys, we assembled an investment syndicate of 41 business angels, most Lithuanian Business Angel Network LitBAN members. Each of us recognizes the critical importance of this startup in defending and protecting both us and our allies. More details in the article. #Defence #Startups #Miltech #Dualuse #Innovation #AngelInvesting #VC

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Let's hear from Andris K. Berzins, Partner at Change Ventures, on his views about the 🇱🇻 Latvian startup ecosystem growth, challenges, promising startups and future potential. 👇 🟣 WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST THESE DAYS? Same as always, we are excited to meet amazing founders who have the ambition and talent to build companies. We still see no shortage of them in the Baltics. I hear some investors complaining about a shortage of quality deal flow, but we certainly do not see it, so we have no intention of investing elsewhere. 🟣 WHAT SURPRISES YOU ABOUT THE LATVIAN STARTUP ECOSYSTEM? Latvia is still clearly in third place in the maturity of our startup ecosystem in the Baltics, a point that pains me to admit but is true. We are a late bloomer, you could say! But I continue to see progress as the scale-ups from Latvia, including Printify, Giraffe360, and Lokalise continue to spin off talent even before they have exited. And with Startup House / TechHub Riga, we have a magnet for that talent to gather in one place. 🟣 WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU'VE SEEN IN THE LATVIAN STARTUP ECOSYSTEM? Since my good friend Ernests Stals pioneered the first startup meetups 15 years ago, the change has been immense. Now there are real scale-ups, founders who are way more ready to tackle the difficult task of building a company, and many more investors. Incomparable. But the best is yet to come. 🟣 HOW HAVE INVESTMENT TRENDS IN LATVIA CHANGED RECENTLY? There are multiple investments in Latvia by top-tier funds such as Accel, Index Ventures, and Founders Fund. Like our neighbouring countries, we are on the map of locations to search for the best founders. The differences between all three countries are shrinking in that respect, and we see the three countries converging more and more. If anything, you might say that Latvia has more undiscovered talent than Estonia and Lithuania as the ecosystem boom has been later. 🟣 WHICH TOP 3 LATVIAN STARTUPS ARE MOST PROMISING FOR 2024? Of course, I see our portfolio closer than others, so it will be no surprise that we see them as most promising. From our older investments, you will see great growth at Giraffe360, which has hit its stride to scale in the USA, growing its hardware-as-a-service business selling to real estate agents and brokers. Our two newer investments, Trace.Space and RivalSense, are both extremely promising in their respective niches, adding customers and product features as they grow. 🟣 WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FOUNDERS FUNDRAISING IN LATVIA? As usual, I advise founders to look for investors who can be long-term partners, rather than think of them as merely sources of capital. Not only do great investors help in many ways beyond capital, but you also have to live with them for many years, so I suggest picking carefully. Andris K. Berzins, thank you for your honest thoughts and insights, always a pleasure! 💜 #FIRSTPICK #interview #startups #investor #funding #vc

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Do you know how to properly manage your finances and avoid the most common investment mistakes? 🤔 And do you know why investing in real estate is still one of the most reliable ways to achieve long-term financial success? 💸 In the 15min studio, two financial literacy experts— Viktorija Cijunskyte and Jurijus Clavas—share their insights on investing, personal finance management, and the path to financial freedom. 🤓 You'll get answers to these and other questions that matter to you. The discussion is moderated by PROFITUS Chief marketing officer Miglė Grybinienė. We invite you to listen and expand your knowledge! 🤩 Listen to the discussion here: https://lnkd.in/d_hpgqar #PROFITUS #investment #finance

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📢 HealthTech of the Week 2.0 - start now! 🚀 This second edition is not just a platform to showcase exceptional Polish projects combining technology with medicine and mental health. This year, we're going a step further: we want to not only inspire but also support emerging startups on their path to success. The series will feature both Polish and international companies, and offer a different perspective from funds and investors as well. 💡 "The days of Leonardo da Vinci are over" is not only a quote from one of our experts but also a phrase that perfectly captures the realities of the Med and Health Tech industry. Success in this field requires not just innovative ideas but, above all, teamwork and specialization. In the modern world of health technologies, individual skills are not enough – it's all about the team and collective effort towards a common goal. 🎯 The mission for the 2024/2025 project? To showcase the best success stories, share knowledge, experience, and perspectives from both startups and investors and above all, to support communication and the building of recognizable brands. Why are medical and health startups different from other projects? Check out the opening article of the new series. 👇👇 👉EN: https://lnkd.in/dk8WqX9A 👉PL: https://lnkd.in/dWE8fh6m 🔔 Are you interested in innovative medical technologies? Follow our new articles "HealthTech of the Week" series, every Wednesday! #HealthTechofTheWeek #Startups #Innovation #Medicine #Health #NewTechnologies

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Best Thing About the Job? 🗣️ Speaking to great founders. 🌟 Meet Paulius Taraškevičius, Justin B., Irmantas Motiejūnas and Tomas Martunas. And of course also the fact I'm working with Mauro 😉😉. 🤝 Tomas and I, from completely different backgrounds and countries, clicked instantly. It’s amazing how much we had in common right from the start! 🛠️ They’ve crafted an incredible product – even simple souls like me get it (and use it daily now)! 📈 Our Passion: Helping founders gain access to growth, revenue, key contacts, and capital. These guys are a perfect match... 🔗 Open conversations about challenges and opportunities, plus a good laugh? It’s simply the best way to wrap up the week. 👉 Want to learn what they're doing so great? WhiteBridge.ai Happy Friday, enjoy your weekends. #founders #changethewaywework #thefutureofworkisnow #firstdegree

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The U.S. economy thrives on new (Anduril Industries) and old startups (NVIDIA, Google), from digital to heavy industries like Hadrian and Commonwealth Fusion Systems Fusion. Europe, however, faces challenges, with early-stage funding often only a fraction (less than 1/10th in case of fusion startups) of what U.S. startups receive and even our most important bets like Marvel Fusion relocating to the US. "In America, in addition to the state, people like Bill Gates, Salesforce founder Marc Benioff, or Jeff Bezos from Amazon are involved in fusion research with huge sums," and criticized: "Here everyone always looks to the state!" The answer isn’t more government grants or committees but cutting red tape: - streamlined company registration, investment and even closure processes - reduced bureaucracy when operating and employing cross-border - and a unified market. Europe’s ambitious founders need fewer regulatory hurdles, not 12+ month waits for EU grants. When we nail a modern European interface for founders and investors alike, capital will follow. Let’s clear the path for Europe’s best to scale without excessive paperwork. https://lnkd.in/e-cQvTD7

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🎯 We just Reached our Goal with our Fundraising Campaign on Dealflow–with still one day left to the close- 🎉 ⌛ Now, the Real Work Begins 🚀🛠️ It's been a tough few weeks. Running a startup is no easy task, and let me tell you, fundraising is even tougher. But, despite the ups and downs, our belief in what we're building at Tørn makes all the hard work worth it. Yes, the world is unpredictable, and yes, it can be scary sometimes. But we've got a team here that meets every challenge head-on. We put our hearts and minds together to find ways through any hurdle. I’m proud of how far we've come. Over the past four years, we've done a lot right at Tørn, and we've made our share of mistakes too. But we talk about these openly, learn from them, and use them to get better at what we do. We would keep setting big goals, trying out new ideas quickly, and learning fast from both successes and failures. We will hold each other accountable, but most importantly, we will continue to learn from every experience. Our fundraising campaign closes tomorrow. If you are interested, then there is still some space left for new investors. It’s been hard, but the real work starts now. We're excited about what’s next and we'd love for you to be a part of this journey. https://lnkd.in/di2gy4AS Thanks for all the support. We're ready to keep pushing forward, no matter what comes our way. #StartupLife #Fundraising #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #TechStartup #BusinessGrowth #StartupChallenges

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Dear Community, if you like to read what are the trends of 2025+, below a good summary article. Two of the trends, are below. At the InnoQube Batch 1, we had a startup from of each. If you are an investor or company, these are two technologies you can't escape. Trend #5 is like in the past mobile Apps. Every company will have one! Check this company www.grizoon.com (Swiss) , which can make AI Avatars with your own face! or this company https://workkiai.com/ (Finland) that has amazing technology. So, my dear European friends, take your Checkbook out and Invest! you want to get in early. Companies: embrace these technologies and don't wait to be the last. DM if you like their contacts Trend #5 AI Avatars: Simulate human interaction across channels Trend #6 Deepfake Defense: Counter AI-powered attacks https://lnkd.in/gsMdRsjt InnoQube Switzerland Bündner Stiftung INNOZET Canton of Graubünden

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As the CEO of Brysk,, I've had the privilege of working on cutting-edge autonomous checkout technology, but today, I want to shine a spotlight on something equally important: supporting the startup dreams of friends and acquaintances. Building a startup can be an exhilarating yet challenging journey, and having a network of supporters can make all the difference. Recently, I've been taking time to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, offering guidance and sharing insights from my experiences. Whether it’s brainstorming sessions, strategic advice, or just lending a listening ear, I'm committed to helping others navigate their startup journeys. Collaboration and mentorship are powerful catalysts for innovation, and I believe in giving back to the community that’s been so supportive of me and Brysk. If you’re working on a startup idea and need a sounding board, or if you just want to chat about the ups and downs of entrepreneurial life, let’s connect. Helping each other grow and succeed is what makes this ecosystem thrive. Here’s to building a vibrant network where we all rise together! #StartupSupport #Mentorship #Entrepreneurship #Community #Innovation #Networking

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When discussing potential masterclass topics for Lithuania with my esteemed colleague, Dr. Peter Crow, at govern&, we drew on our diverse experiences across different regions to identify the most pressing governance issues faced by board directors today. We found out that despite geographical differences, many challenges are strikingly similar: the evolving global landscape—shaped by increasing ESG requirements, emerging technologies (particularly AI), complex compliance demands, and geopolitical instability—places heightened expectations on boards to govern effectively amid uncertainty. This raises the question: how can boards perform at a high level? Internationally renowned governance expert Dr. Peter Crow will bring his vast expertise to the forefront by leading two highly practical masterclasses, and I will join him as a co-lead to provide additional insights into the local Lithuanian governance context. ✔ The masterclass, "The High-Performing Board," will delve into what it takes for a board to excel in its role. ✔Another critical issue, how boards can drive company performance and deliver outstanding outcomes despite economic and geopolitical turbulence, will be explored in the masterclass, "Governing with Impact: Staying Ahead of Change." The link to register is in the comments. Join us for a dynamic, highly interactive learning experience featuring real-world case studies, group discussions, and actionable insights.

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🚖 The Forus journey in the Baltics 🇪🇪🇱🇹🇱🇻 Forus International started in Estonia with a team of experienced entrepreneurs and has expanded rapidly across the Baltics. Since entering Latvia in the summer of 2022, they’ve achieved impressive milestones: ✅ 1,000,000+ rides in Latvia within the first year ✅ 2,500 drivers connected in Latvia ✅ 200,000+ app downloads across three countries ❗ Only 3.2/5 app rating 🧑 Team size: 35+ 💸 Their core market remains Estonia, where Forus (Forus Takso Eesti AS) expects 4.7M EUR in revenue with a 50%/30% split between taxi services and vehicle rentals to drivers. Forus continues to rely on a strong user base from previous years and minimal marketing spending (75,000 EUR/year). 💡 Interestingly, the b2b contract with "Tallinn's social transport for disabled people" brings in around 850,000 EUR or 35% of taxi-related revenue. 🌏 On international markets (Latvia and Lithuania), Forus (Forus International OÜ) expects 669,000 EUR turnover this year. They are still heavily investing in marketing, spending 1.1M EUR in 2022 and 460,000 EUR in 2023. 👉 Cool fact: Forus has a unique offering—the US Token, allowing customers and drivers to earn and trade tokens based on their usage and activity in the app.🚖 This adds a community-driven layer to the service, providing stakeholders the option to "own" part of the company. Have you used Forus in the Baltics? What’s your experience? We’d love to hear your feedback! 👇 https://forus.eu/en/ https://lnkd.in/dDkM9_xC #ForusTaxi #Sharedmobility #Baltics #ATOMMobility

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Record Funding for Baltic Deep Tech Startups: The Baltic region has seen a remarkable surge in venture capital funding for deep tech startups, securing €160 million in the first half of 2024 alone. This amount exceeds the total investments in previous years, emphasizing the region's growing prominence in the deep tech and AI sectors https://lnkd.in/dfmA5Xsz.

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We partnered with two legends from Central and Eastern Europe—serial entrepreneurs who know how to build companies and excel at angel investing. Bartek Pucek & Zbigniew Sobiecki, Founders, CEO & CTO at Proofs. I had many questions. We did our due diligence and went through the process. Bartek, like no other, optimized for the perfect value-added cap table. When we finally agreed, I asked him, "Will you do this full-time?" He said, "Yes." The rest is history. I couldn’t be prouder to partner with them. Bartek invested in companies like ElevenLabs, Ramp, Kick, Zeta, Wordware, and more. I introduced them to our Venture Partner, Jerome Ternynck, and now Smartrecruiters is a Design Partner. There is much more to come. I am thankful to have been a tiny part of the journey! Read the interview yourself. We hope you like it. We also love great co-investors! Here are some of the standout names we're proud to collaborate with: Jens Lapinski, AngelInvest; Mehmet Selcuk Atici, Earlybird Venture Capital East (Lead Investor); William Lehmann, StepFunction; Gareth Jefferies, RTP Global, whom we introduced to Bartek; Stanisław Kastory; Nick Davidov; Patrick Friday; Filip Rakowski. Their expertise and support are invaluable to our journey.

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𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴? Entrepreneurs in smaller regions, like the Baltics, must adopt a global mindset to stay competitive in today’s tech-driven world. Estonia is renowned for integrating technology into its economic ecosystem, making it highly innovation-friendly. Meanwhile, Lithuania is attracting fintech investments, and Latvia is emerging as a logistics hub, following Estonia’s lead. Check the link to the Dodires article in the comments. #baltic #lithuania #latvia #estonia #opportunity #qualitativeresearch

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Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift––that is why it is called the present.” - Let's open the mystery box now! We (CapitalBox) choose to have ambitious, bright, curious future developing high tech solutions that would benefit us all. So in the present of AI - let's create something meaning. Join #AILithuaniaHackathon organized together with Artificial Intelligence Association of Lithuania and Linkedist. Registration: https://lnkd.in/diKQt2xY

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MOMENTUM X seeks an inspired, visionary entrepreneur to build its latest new startup company, REGIMO. The company is currently in development and has secured startup capital. REGIMO is a groundbreaking service-as-software platform designed to revolutionize the public procurement landscape for the 33.2 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), disadvantaged, and minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses in the United States. By automating the cumbersome registration process across thousands of federal, state, regional, and local government agencies, Regimo transforms this daunting task into a streamlined, user-friendly experience. This democratizes access to lucrative public contracts, enabling SMEs to compete more effectively for these opportunities. As imagined, REGIMO leverages agentic AI, automating the registration process, ensuring that businesses can efficiently navigate and complete necessary registrations without the typical administrative burden. The platform features an intuitive, step-by-step interface that simplifies document submission, tracks application statuses in real-time, and provides powerful backend analytics. Its customizable platform might include actionable insights and notifications, keeping businesses informed and compliant with all regulatory requirements. Regimo also develops executable AI-enabled government procurement strategies tailored to the unique needs of its clients, ensuring that SMEs can effectively manage both the required registration and ongoing compliance. Initially, our beachhead market will serve SMEs seeking to execute successful government procurement strategies in clean technology, advanced transportation, renewable energy, and grid and utility modernization—all well-positioned to capitalize on massive new government procurement spending in these areas. Why Join Us? - Get paid to be a cleantech founder. Guaranteed income and startup capital. - Supportive Ecosystem: Leverage Momentum X's deep bench of seasoned climate and cleantech finance professionals. - Resource-Rich Environment: Access to industry and investor relationships, top-tier developers, and comprehensive back-office support (marketing, accounting, HR, sales). - Impactful Work: Help democratize access to public contracts, empowering SMEs to thrive. About Momentum X: Momentum X (www.momentumx.ventures) is a venture studio dedicated to accelerating the global adoption of clean technology. We focus on scalable platforms that merge clean technology and financial technology (Climate Fintech), driving the transition to zero-emission and carbon-friendly solutions. Since 2005, we've deployed over $20 billion in advanced technologies, and we're just getting started. Ready to take on this challenge and build something transformative? Join us and be part of a mission-driven team making a significant impact! **Apply Now!** #entrepreneur #jobopportunity #venturestudio #publicprocurement #AI #cleantech #innovation #joinourteam

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📣 How Do Polish Health Tech Companies Communicate? Let's summarize it! 🔥 After 8 months of conversations and interviews with representatives of Health Tech companies in Poland, I am happy to share my insights on the communication challenges Polish startups face. The development of technology and AI solutions can undoubtedly improve our everyday lives and save time, but health remains the most important aspect of our lives. For this reason, with great interest, I and my Come Creations Group team created the HealthTech of the Week series, in which on Wednesdays we presented innovative HealthTechs that are changing the medical industry. 🚀 Congratulations to the organizations featured in the 1st edition: Talkie.ai, SDS Optic Inc., FEYENALLY, Calmsie, GeneMe, upmedic, HearMe.pl, eOS, BioCam, AILIS Care, finECRF, Locon Sp. z o.o., CliniNote, Clebre, VR TierOne, and The Linghos! 🚀 I encourage you to get to know this HealthTech better! I would also like to thank the support of experts such as Olivia BLANCHARD from Health Venture Lab, Jakub Chwiecko from the Medical Innovation Institute, and Kazimierz Cięciak from Comarch Healthcare, thanks to whom I could understand the challenges of the medical industry better. 🤝 📖 For a full summary of the HealthTech of the Week series, visit my blog. 👉EN: https://lnkd.in/d9yRTFgc 👉PL: https://lnkd.in/dTuEjraD 📅 The series will continue in September, and we are looking for more innovative projects to feature. If you know a startup at the intersection of new technologies and medicine, or if you have a project to recommend, please tag it in a comment or contact us! 🔥 Or maybe your project is the one that deserves the spotlight? Tell us about your business, and maybe your HealthTech startup will be featured in the next series! #HealthcareInnovation #Startups #Reports #HealthTechOfTheWeek #MedTech #DisruptorsinHealthcare

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