Latitude59, Estonia’s flagship startup and technology conference, officially opened in Nairobi, setting the stage for European-African tech collaboration while spotlighting startups, investment, and agentic AI at the center of Africa’s innovation conversation.
The global event, which also runs editions in Singapore and Cape Town, was opened by Daniel Schaer, Estonia’s Ambassador-at-Large for African Affairs; Henriette Geiger, the European Union Ambassador to Kenya; and William Kabogo, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy.
Now in its third Nairobi edition, Latitude59 Kenya 2025 has brought together over 2,500 participants, including nearly 500 startups and close to 200 investors, with delegates from 50 countries.
Kenya-Estonia Digital Partnership
During the opening ceremony, Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo described Latitude59 as a platform that connects ecosystems, capital, and ideas, adding that it offers Kenya and Estonia a practical way to strengthen digital cooperation based on shared values and mutual economic interests.
He encouraged participants to form new connections, test bold ideas, and explore opportunities beyond national borders.
H.E. Daniel Schaer reaffirmed Estonia’s long-term commitment to Africa, saying the country is in Kenya to stay and is ready to cooperate, co-create, and learn together.
Latitude59 CEO Liisi Org described the event as a symbol of global connection. She noted that Estonia, despite its small size, understands the importance of collaboration.
Drawing from Africa’s concept of ubuntu, she said Latitude59 is building a “global village” where local solutions can scale globally.
This year’s conference is centered on digital and green innovation, with a strong focus on building solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and people-focused.
The program is designed to connect African founders with global capital and technical expertise while giving policymakers, investors, and corporate leaders space to co-create solutions that can scale responsibly.
Pitch Competition
One of the highlights of Latitude59 Kenya 2025 is the Pitch Competition, which attracted 222 startup applications from 27 countries. From these, 30 startups were shortlisted, with only 10 selected to pitch live on the main stage.
The startups operate across fintech, AI, climate tech, health-tech, agri-tech, and enterprise software, with the top 10 teams gaining direct access to investors, partnerships, and international markets.
Beyond pitching, agentic AI has emerged as one of the most important themes at the event. Unlike traditional AI that relies on constant human input, agentic AI involves autonomous systems that can make decisions and execute tasks independently.
Panel discussions showed how startups are applying this technology in healthcare, agriculture, climate monitoring, education, financial inclusion, and civic tech.
Speaking at the conference, Liisi Org, CEO of Latitude59, said Kenya must continue opening up to foreign capital, simplify regulations, and strengthen public-private partnerships to compete globally.
The Nairobi edition has attracted over 100 investors from more than 22 international markets, indicating growing confidence in Kenya’s innovation economy.
Org added that being an early-stage ecosystem is not a weakness, noting that global hubs like Silicon Valley, Israel, and Estonia all began the same way.
