Jüri Kaljundi, the co-founder of Garage48 Foundation, visited KiP and delivered a small group lecture and discussion for us, the startup ecosystem builders, based on Estonian examples.

Garage48 Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting startup entrepreneurs. Since its founding in 2012, it has hosted over 250 hackathons in more than 50 countries and built over 1,000 prototypes. They are also the organizers of Latitude59, the flagship startup and technology event held annually in Tallinn, Estonia. Latitude59 is one of Europe’s coolest and most vibrant events, attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and tech enthusiasts from around the world to showcase products, participate in workshops, and compete in various competitions.

Estonia is a small country with a population of 1.3 million, but it leads the world in the number of startups and unicorns per capita. With a population of 1.5 million, Kobe has a lot to learn from Estonian experience, making our time together very inspiring.