TechChill is Organizing the First Olympic Games for Baltic Startup Founders This Summer

This summer, the startup and technology conference TechChill is organizing an event in a new format for the first time, inviting people to enjoy outdoor sports together and, who knows, perhaps even form new partnerships and businesses. Both startup founders and anyone interested in getting to know the startup ecosystem are invited to take part in the Founder Olympics. The competition will feature several sports disciplines in which previous experience will not be the deciding factor. The winner is more likely to be determined by a willingness to participate, enthusiasm and probably a little bit of luck as well.

The idea of organizing Founder Olympic Games in the summer came to the TechChill team during conversations with members of the startup community who organize similar events themselves with family, friends or colleagues at their companies. With people who have not met before shared activities remove the need to overcome the first networking barriers, which many find the most difficult: how do you start a conversation? Here, all participants will be united by an interest in an active lifestyle as well as the startup environment.

“Summer is a time to enjoy the sun and warm weather. That is why we decided this would be the right moment to create an event under the TechChill brand that would help very busy startup founders leave the office, even if only for a while, and enjoy active recreation outdoors. Given that this event is taking place for the first time, we certainly expect the greatest participation from local startup founders, but we will also be looking forward to welcoming participants from Estonia and Lithuania,” says TechChill CEO Annija Mežgaile.

The Startup Olympic Games will take place this summer on July 23 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at ESENA Pārdaugava Garden in Riga. The organizers promise there will be none of the usual conference format: no presentations and no panel discussions. Instead, participants will enjoy sports activities and a friendly taste of competition. The competition disciplines will also be designed so that every participant has a chance to compete for victory without any special training.

“Sport and entrepreneurship have many things in common. For example, both sport and business require strategy, preparation, teamwork and the ability to think several steps ahead. Personally, sport and movement have always been an integral part of my daily life. They help not only to develop and maintain physical fitness, but also to discipline the mind, regulate the nervous system and explore one’s own limits. That is why events like this are very valuable for entrepreneurs. They not only provide an opportunity to meet outside the usual work environment, but also to get to know one another better and discover new opportunities for collaboration. This can lead to new ideas and partnerships,” says Pauls Pujāts, a pole vaulter who competed at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, entrepreneur and co-founder of the Buddas holistic center.

The event is organized by TechChill with the support of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency.

More information about the event and tickets is available here.