During the visit of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden to Latvia, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) organised a meeting between Latvian women entrepreneurs and Swedish female investors on 21 October to discuss access to finance and business growth. On the same day, LIAA Director Ieva Jāgere met the Crown Princess at a roundtable discussion entitled “Women in Business” at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. Both events focused on women’s entrepreneurship, talent development and opportunities for cooperation between Latvia and Sweden.

LIAA Brings Together Women Entrepreneurs to Discuss Investment and Growth

At the LIAA Lounge, Latvian women entrepreneurs met with Lisen Oliw, Partner at the venture capital fund BackingMinds, and Michaela Berglund, Founder of Feminvest. The meeting was moderated by LIAA Director Ieva Jāgere.

“Gender equality is part of the cultural fabric of Nordic societies. In business, it must also be reflected in opportunities to access capital and turn ideas into reality. We have talented women with experience in leading teams, developing products and operating in international markets. I want to see more of this expertise and ambition translated into internationally successful women-owned businesses.

“For Swedish investors, Latvia offers capable teams and companies with growth potential, while partnerships can provide our entrepreneurs with capital, market knowledge and access to new customers. LIAA helps identify the right partners to turn these ambitions into reality,” emphasised Ieva Jāgere, Director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).

The meeting brought together representatives of Latvian companies and startups from various sectors: Egija Gailuma (Engycell), Anna Ramata-Stunda (Alternative Plants), Elza Priede (StartSchool), Anna Gabuniya (L-Blend), Jekaterina Romanova (PrintyMed), Solvita Kostjukova (P-Agro Minerals) and Laura Sičevska (Smart Indicators).

The participants presented their businesses, growth ambitions and interest in the Swedish market. In discussions with investors, they explored business models, financing requirements and their companies’ investment readiness. Beyond access to capital, the participants highlighted the value of investors’ expertise and international networks in helping businesses attract new customers and establish partnerships.

BackingMinds is a female-founded venture capital fund that seeks promising companies and founders beyond traditional investor networks, including women entrepreneurs whose business potential may previously have been overlooked.

Feminvest, meanwhile, promotes women’s participation in investing and invests in women-owned businesses through its fund. Both investors’ approaches create opportunities for entrepreneurs seeking financing and strategic partners to support further growth.

“Latvia needs more venture capital funds that invest in our companies and help them expand internationally. Access to financing at both early and growth stages remains insufficient. We have many experienced women leaders, but management experience alone does not guarantee access to capital for developing their own businesses.

“That is why investors who actively seek out women-founded companies and recognise their potential are particularly valuable. Through meetings like this, we help Latvian entrepreneurs gain visibility among these investors,” said Vita Balode-Andrūsa, Director of LIAA’s Export and Innovation Services Department.

Ieva Jāgere Meets Crown Princess Victoria at Women in Business Roundtable

LIAA was represented at the “Women in Business” roundtable discussion at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga by Director Ieva Jāgere and Director of the Export and Innovation Services Department Vita Balode-Andrūsa.

During the event, Ieva Jāgere met Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. Representatives from the business, financial and public sectors discussed opportunities for women to develop businesses and fully utilise their knowledge and talents.

In her address, the Crown Princess emphasised the importance of education in developing talent and future leaders, noting that no society can fully realise its potential when opportunities are unequal. She highlighted gender equality as a foundation of democratic society that also contributes to a stronger economy.

“I welcome the Crown Princess’s emphasis on the connection between talent development, equal opportunities and economic growth. Investment in education delivers greater returns when women can fully apply their knowledge — leading businesses, creating innovations and bringing entrepreneurial ideas to life,” said LIAA Director Ieva Jāgere.

The Crown Princess also acknowledged Latvia’s and Sweden’s achievements in women’s representation in management positions, while stressing that challenges remain.

The two countries’ strong positions are reflected in Eurostat data. In 2024, women held 44.4% of managerial positions in Sweden and 43.4% in Latvia — the two highest shares in the European Union, where the average proportion of women in management was 35.2%.

Latvian Expertise and Swedish Capital: Opportunities for Joint Growth

During the roundtable discussion, Ieva Tetere, Chairwoman of the Management Board of SEB Bank, highlighted the opportunity to combine the expertise and growth ambitions of Latvia’s highly educated professionals with Swedish capital.

Anastasija Oļeiņika, President and Head of Platform at the global e-commerce and technology company FYUL, emphasised the importance of Swedish experience and financing in supporting Latvian innovators and startups.

Lisen Oliw, Partner at BackingMinds, pointed to growing interest among Swedish investors in the Baltic region and positively assessed the support available in Latvia for business development and acceleration. Such initiatives help international investors discover Latvian companies and identify potential investment opportunities.

Michaela Berglund, Founder of Feminvest, drew attention to the importance of joint Latvian-Swedish policy initiatives in encouraging investment.

The discussion also included a call to view the Baltic and Nordic countries as a single, interconnected business and investment region, strengthening cross-border investment and cooperation in innovation.