Baltic startups raised a record €607M in 2025 — more than ever before

In 2025, startups in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania raised €607M in venture capital — an all-time record for the region and a 20% increase compared to 2024 (€505M). This is a turning point after two years of decline: the ecosystem has matured, rounds are less frequent but significantly larger, and foreign investors are actively returning.

Total volume and breakdown by country:

  • Estonia — €293M (leader in growth stage and Series A — 73% of all Baltic rounds at this stage)
  • Lithuania — €238M (record for exits and largest round of the year)
  • Latvia — €73–76M (growth of 190% thanks to large deals and new local funds)

Foreign investors participated in 43% of deals (compared to 20% in 2020). In 2025, nine new Baltic funds were launched with total capital of around €300M.

By stage:

  • Pre-seed: +42% by 2024 with a decrease in the number of deals — average checks increased significantly.
  • Seed: a record €56.5M, with an average check of €2–2.4M (+94% compared to previous years).
  • Series A and above: sharp growth (+167% in some segments) due to mega-rounds.
  • Growth stage: sporadic but very large deals, with Estonia leading the way. 

Key deals in 2025:

  • Cast AI (Lithuania, AI infrastructure) — €98M Series A (led by Index Ventures / G2).
  • Aerones (Latvia, robotics for wind energy) — €53M (more than 70% of all Latvian capital for the year).
  • Pactum (Estonia, AI autonomous negotiations) — €47.3M Series A.
  • Major growth rounds in Estonia: Blackwall (cybersecurity), Starship Technologies, Frankenburg Technologies (DefenceTech — triple valuation growth).

AI dominated absolutely: from infrastructure and generative tools to applications in biotech, defense, and robotics. In second place — defense/dual-use (especially Estonia), energy, hardware & robotics. FinTech is growing steadily, but is no longer among the leaders.

The number of exits doubled — a record year. Lithuania led with 25 deals (€77M in volume). A striking example is the sale of Ready Player Me (Estonia) to Netflix. 78% of founders build businesses in their previous areas of expertise, and half are serial entrepreneurs.

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