Sesame Summit 2026 – application open

Just right @ TechChill

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TechChill

For those who may never have heard of TechChill before, how would you describe this year’s main event in Riga? What sets it apart from others in the region?

TechChill is a leading startup and tech event in the Baltics that brings together innovative minds from across Europe and beyond. TechChill always has had a mission to fill in the gaps of knowledge, network and skills.

We are community driven and try to get the community involved with content, side-events and even a prize pool for Fifty Founders Battle. Last year we had great success with the Silent stage. This year we are experimenting with a community “bar camp” style stage. Also this year we are introducing no strings attached community funding. It’s not a big amount but a nice spark to get you going. One more thing, TechChill keeps the amount of people fixed to have this laid back atmosphere. Not too little, so you still can meet new people, not too much, so you are not overwhelmed by the crowd. Just right! We strive to create a sense of community where attendees can connect with each other, share ideas, and collaborate on projects.

TechChill is all about networking, especially when it comes to connecting investors & founders. Who are some of the key investors attending this year that startups should look out for?

It’s challenging to single out a few investors from the many attending TechChill, as each investor is genuinely interested in this region and seeks to invest in or expand their network. Nevertheless, a handful of prominent names come to mind, such as Atomico, Eight Roads, Notion Capital, Practica Capital, Inventure, HV Capital, Flashpoint Venture Capital, Plug and Play, and Karma Ventures. These investors represent a diverse range of sectors and stages and offer a wide array of investment opportunities for startups seeking funding. However, it’s essential to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other investors to meet and network with at TechChill.

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TechChill

Speaking of, we love all the energy surrounding this year’s Fifty Founders Battle!

Unfortunately the applications for Fifty Founders Battle are now closed but we are pleased to announce that we received an overwhelming response this year. We received over 250 applications from 30+ countries, and the evaluation process is currently underway. The top 50 startups will be selected by the end of March and will get an opportunity to pitch on the stage at TechChill. The level of activity for Fifty Founders Battle this year has been immense, and we are excited to see the innovative ideas and solutions that the selected startups will bring to the table.

And last but not least, congrats on yet another stellar speaker lineup for this year’s main event! Which one speaker are you personally the most excited to hear from on stage?

Isolating one speaker only would be like choosing your favourite child – we just can’t do it! That being said, there are a few verticals that we’re particularly excited about. From one end, there’s the health and DTx track, which will be breaking down barriers in terms of taboos – we’ll be talking about drugs, mental health, sextech, femtech, and more. On the other end, we also have another topic that is extremely close to our hearts – the war in Ukraine. We as Latvians are acutely aware of the need to support Ukraine by all means necessary, and like last year, there will also be a focus on how the tech community can work towards moving the dial and supporting Ukrainians in their quest for freedom and democracy. There is literally nothing more important. But there are so many other topics we will dive into – climate tech, web3, AI – all of which are SO important at the moment, all of which will have their chance to shine. There’s something for everyone, and everyone will leave with nourished minds.

So don’t miss out on this opportunity – join us in Riga on April 26-27 for TechChill and be part of this exciting event. Get your tickets now and find out more at techchill.co. We can’t wait to see you there!


Looking to connect with other TechChill fans? Join the club smrs.link/TechChill23

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Events 2 days ago

Last week, I spent three days at Bits and Pretzels in Munich — a startup-focused event with a distinctly Bavarian flavor. Think Oktoberfest meets startup conference, complete with dirndls, lederhosen, and more beer than you might expect. As someone building an AI-powered event platform, I went in with a specific mission: Observe how startups actually market themselves at events. Here’s what I discovered: GoodBytz: The power of good demos What they did: Robotics startup GoodBytz set up a booth where its robots prepared kaiserschmarrn (a traditional German dessert) all day long. Why it worked: Nothing beats seeing a product in action. While other booths had brochures and demos, GoodBytz’s robots were actually cooking. The smell, the movement and the end result stirred together an experience that people will remember and talk about. The lesson: If you have a physical product, show it in action. The old writing adage generalizes well: Show, don’t tell.  Let people see, hear and touch the product. WeRoad: The bathroom hack What they did: Posted “Missing Investor” flyers in bathroom stalls with QR codes pointing to their website. Why it worked: Pure genius. Every startup at the event was looking for investors, but the “Missing Investor” headline, while a bit on the nose, proved irresistible. Plus, bathroom stalls are one of the few places where people have 30 seconds to actually read something. The lesson: Think about where your target audience’s attention will remain undivided. Sometimes, the most effective marketing leverages the most unexpected places. Emqopter: Visual impact matters What they did: Designed a bright orange booth that displayed their drone prominently. Why it worked: In a sea of grey, white, beige and brown, Emqopter’s bright orange booth was impossible to overlook. The drone was real, too, and proved a real conversation starter. The lesson: Your booth is competing with hundreds of others. Make it visually distinctive and ensure your product is the hero. Quests: Community building using the product What they did: Created a busy, branded booth with accessories (toy car, traffic cones, a bulletin board) and used their anti-loneliness app to build communities among founders at the event. Why it worked: Quests used their product to solve a real problem right at the event, and the busy booth design generated energy and curiosity. The lesson: Use your product to solve a problem at the event — if it’s possible, of course. Demonstrate your value in real time. Dyno: Event-themed marketing What they did: Distributed branded electrolyte packs with the tagline “Your hangover ends. Your pension lasts – with Dyno.” Why it worked: Dyno aligned its messaging perfectly with the Oktoberfest theme. Every attendee was thinking about beer and hangovers, so Dyno’s goodies were quite relevant. The tagline was clever, memorable, and directly addressed a pain point most people at the event might have to deal with later. The lesson: Tailor your marketing to the event’s theme and culture. The more you tie your messaging and product to the context, the more memorable you become. So, what did I learn? Event marketing is about more than just showing up and setting up a booth; you have to understand your audience and create experiences that people will remember. Here’s what really struck me: most startups and even big companies don’t know how to leverage events properly. They book the booth, show up and hope for the best; maybe they bring some branded pens and a pop-up banner. Then they’ll go back home and wonder why they spent €5,000 in exchange for 50 business cards that never convert. The startups that stood out at Bits and Pretzels understand something fundamental: event ROI isn’t about booth size or location; it’s about strategy, creativity and planning. None of the startups above improvised on-site, or planned something the night before the event in their hotel rooms. They laid everything out 4-6 weeks before the event. A solid pre-event strategy is what separates successful event marketing from expensive booth rental.  But what matters most for early-stage startups is that you don’t need a massive budget to stand out. WeRoad’s bathroom stall hack probably cost €50 to print the flyers. A standard booth package at Bits and Pretzels would go for €3,000 to €5,500. The ROI difference is staggering when you compare the cost per meaningful conversation. That’s the difference between simply spending money and investing smartly. Building Sesamers has taught me that helping startups find the right events is only half the equation. The other half is helping them understand how to maximize ROI once they’re there. Good props aren’t a marketing expense; they’re opportunities to meet customers, investors and partners, and strike up engaging conversations.

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