Posts Tagged ‘Lithuania’
Astrolight’s Lithuanian-built laser communications technology reaches space for the first time
Lithuanian space and defence technology company Astrolight has launched its ATLAS-1 laser communication devices into orbit, in what the company says is the first Lithuanian laser communications system to reach space.
The devices were launched on 30 March 2026 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket during SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission in California. According to Astrolight, the ATLAS-1 units will be used in three separate customer missions led by a French deep-tech company, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
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Originally published on 7 Apr
Read MoreWork has begun on the Rail Baltica Kaunas Node section in Lithuania
The Rail Baltica Design Division of LTG Infra, the infrastructure company of the LTG Group, has officially begun design work on the Kaunas Node section. This is one of the most complex sections of the Poland–Latvia corridor due to its surrounding urbanized and natural areas.
Last year, LTG Infra took the initiative to establish a centre of excellence for high-speed rail design, which will complement and strengthen market capabilities. In the long term, this division — having accumulated experience in the design of high-speed railways and modern infrastructure – will be able to offer its expertise beyond Lithuania, as well as contribute to the further expansion of the European standard gauge network.
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Originally published on 7 Apr
Read MoreEBU Executive Board expresses its serious concern over proposed changes to Lithuania’s public service media framework
Members of the Executive Board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have expressed their dismay to learn that the proposed amendments to the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) are currently scheduled to be discussed by the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) after Easter without any due consideration being given to recommendations from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, nor to the critical observations expressed by the Seimas’ own legal experts and both the national and international journalist communities
The Executive Board – whose members are the leaders of 8 public service media organizations throughout Europe – stressed again on behalf of the EBU and their own organizations that the current draft law would only further increase the vulnerability of LRT to political pressure and thus severely undermine LRT’s public service remit and vital role in providing the Lithuanian public with independent, reliable and pluralistic information.
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Originally published on 30 Mar
Read MoreBaltic microenterprises to get €15 million financing boost under EIF-backed initiative by alternative lender Capitalia
The smallest companies in the Baltics will be eligible for up to €15 million in loans as a result of an initiative that alternative financing provider Capitalia is undertaking with support from the European Investment Fund (EIF). Capitalia will use an EIF guarantee to offer crowdfunded loans to microenterprises in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania over three years.
Microenterprises, which have fewer than ten employees and annual turnover or total assets below €2 million, often struggle to secure funding from traditional lenders because of limited collateral or credit history.
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Originally published on 30 Mar
Read MoreTesonet invests €5 million in Finbee Group
Following approval from the Lithuanian Competition Council, Tesonet has completed a €5 million investment in the Finbee group (UAB Holbee). The investment is intended to strengthen the group’s capital base and expand financing volumes for consumers and small businesses in Lithuania and international markets.
The transaction represents a significant vote of confidence in Finbee’s long-term strategy and growth trajectory. The partnership is expected to accelerate the company’s expansion into new markets, enhance customer experience solutions for both borrowers and investors, and support broader marketing initiatives.
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Originally published on 5 Mar
Read MorePAYSTRAX to create up to 150 new fintech jobs in Lithuania as it scales operations across Vilnius and Klaipėda
PAYSTRAX, an international payment acquiring company headquartered in Vilnius, is accelerating its growth in Lithuania. The company plans to hire up to 75 new specialists in 2026 and bring on up to 150 new employees over the next three years. Founded in Lithuania by two Icelandic entrepreneurs in 2018, PAYSTRAX has grown from a startup to an established payments provider with more than 150 employees across six European offices.
The expansion will span both of PAYSTRAX’s Lithuanian locations – in Vilnius and Klaipėda – and will focus on strengthening the company’s IT, finance, marketing, account management, operations, and onboarding capabilities. In Klaipėda, PAYSTRAX has already moved into larger premises, and in Vilnius it added a second floor at its office to accommodate the growing team.
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Originally published on 9 Mar
Read MoreIgnitis Renewables marks record year with six projects reaching commercial operation in 2025
In 2025, Ignitis Renewables brought 714 megawatts (MW) of new renewable capacity online across the Baltics and Poland – the strongest delivery year in the company’s history. Six large-scale wind and solar projects entered commercial operation, reinforcing Ignitis Renewables’ position as one of the region’s leading renewable energy developers.
“In 2025, we delivered renewable capacity at scale and at speed. The projects commissioned last year significantly increase domestic electricity generation and strengthen the region’s energy independence laying the foundation for an energy abundant ecosystem and globally competitive prices for consumers,” says Frank Oomen, CEO of Ignitis Renewables.
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Originally published on 5 Mar
Read MoreFIRSTPICK Launches €25M fund to Back Overlooked Talent at the Heart of Baltic Tech
Foreign investment firms often look toward emerging markets to get in early on tech startups. But the toughest challenge is knowing from afar which founders to back. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Baltic startup scene. According to the recently published Baltic Startup Funding Report, foreign investors were involved in 43% of all Baltic deals in 2025, contributing significantly to last year’s overall €607M attracted in venture investments.
But quick market entry does not always guarantee access to the best founders, especially those who don’t fit the usual profiles. This mix of enthusiasm and local knowledge gap in the Baltics sets the stage for new kinds of venture investors: those in a position to spot early talent that others miss.
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Originally published on 5 Mar
Read MoreOpen arms Nato’s Baltic members agree to open their borders in the event of an emergency
The eight Nato countries bordering the Baltic Sea, together with Iceland and Norway, have pledged to open their borders to each other’s citizens should they be forced to flee in the event of a disaster. The agreement is an extension of a patchwork of arrangements among some of the countries in the region and will make it possible to co-ordinate responses and establish uniform procedures for doing so.
The bear not in the room is Russia. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that it does not intend to invade Nato countries, but western intelligence agencies have advised their governments to be ready for everything from small-scale shenanigans to an outright invasion. Military collaboration has long been a way to signal to their populations that they are doing what they can to prevent such things from happening. Now, civil-defence agencies are showing they will be taken care of in the event they do.
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Read MoreGEM 2025/26: Lithuania is Europe’s top-ranked economy for entrepreneurial environment
The latest 2025/2026 global report published by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) confirms that Lithuania leads Europe in the quality of its entrepreneurial environment and ranks among the world’s strongest economies in this field.
The most recent data capture entrepreneurial development at a time of heightened macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty worldwide. Around 67% of economies reported that in 2025 more people experienced a decline in income than an increase. In many countries, starting a business is now perceived as more challenging than a year ago, while structural imbalances are emerging as persistent, long-term obstacles.
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Originally published on 2 Mar
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