Startup Ecosystem

Why is Riga an excellent place for startups?

Gateway to the European Union – Establishing a startup in Riga provides immediate access to the EU Single Market while benefiting from a cost-efficient, founder-friendly and highly accessible business environment.
Accessible startup ecosystem – Riga offers something increasingly rare in Europe: direct access to people. Founders can quickly connect with investors, experienced entrepreneurs, ecosystem leaders, corporate partners and public-sector decision-makers. In a smaller and highly collaborative ecosystem, introductions happen faster, networks are more accessible and meaningful relationships can be built without layers of gatekeepers.
Startup House Riga – The heart of Latvia's startup ecosystem, bringing together founders, investors, startup organisations and ecosystem partners in a shared community environment. Following its recent expansion, Startup House Riga has become one of the most important startup hubs in the Baltics, hosting more than 60 organisations and hundreds of community events, meetups and networking opportunities.
Exceptional connectivity – Riga is home to the largest airport in the Baltics, offering direct connections to more than 90 destinations and easy access to major European startup, investor and customer markets.
Skilled and multilingual talent – Latvia offers a highly educated workforce, with 41% of the population holding higher education qualifications and 95% speaking at least one foreign language. Founders benefit from access to engineering, technology, business and creative talent.
International community – Startup events, accelerators, conferences and ecosystem activities are predominantly conducted in English, making it easy for international founders and talent to integrate into the local ecosystem from day one.
Startup Law and founder-friendly regulation – Latvia's Startup Law provides dedicated support mechanisms for startups, including tax incentives and support for attracting highly qualified employees.
Startup Visa programme – Non-EU founders can establish and grow their startups in Latvia through a streamlined Startup Visa framework. The programme supports up to five founders per company and is designed to be family-friendly.
One of Europe's most attractive employee stock option frameworks – Startups can use favourable share option schemes to attract, motivate and retain key talent while scaling their businesses internationally.
Competitive tax environment – Latvia offers one of the most competitive tax systems in the OECD, including 0% corporate income tax on reinvested profits and startup-specific support mechanisms.
Support for growth and scaling – Startups can access business incubators, accelerators, innovation programmes, export support, startup grants and dedicated public support schemes at both municipal and national levels.
Accessible venture capital ecosystem – Founders have access to active local and regional investors, including BADideas, Buildit, Outlast and other Baltic venture capital funds investing across software, fintech, AI, deep tech, hardware and defence technologies.
Built for innovation – Riga offers strong connections to universities, research institutions and innovation centres, while startups can pilot and test solutions in real-world environments through the city's testbed programme and innovation ecosystem.