Those who have outgrown their startup T-shirts come back to give back to the community that helped them grow. This is one of the most common motivations driving successful entrepreneurs to join the monthly Startup Social Kaunas meetups. Businesses that have already built a global reputation — such as Kaunas-based TutoTOONS — have sent their founders to speak at these events and share their experiences. Others, such as Confluence Investment, support these gatherings both to nurture the local startup spirit and to scout promising new projects from emerging creators.

Over the past three years, what began as a temporary initiative has become a regular platform that brings together more than a hundred active community members each month.

From Startup to Structured Creative Lab

“Every team under our roof is like a small startup within the umbrella of TutoTOONS. We experiment, test, discard products that don’t work, and invest in what shows potential. It’s a culture you can’t just copy,” says Modestas Povilaitis, co-founder and CEO of the company. Together with fellow co-founder Mantas Radvila, he shared their startup journey at the 32nd “Startup Social Kaunas” event.

And there’s plenty to share. TutoTOONS started in Kaunas over a decade ago, with a few creators working on educational mobile games for children. In 2021, the company was sold to Swedish investors, and its revenue that year quadrupled to €6.3 million, while profit surged fifteenfold.

At the meetup, the co-founders discussed not only what fueled their global success, but also the challenges they faced along the way – including the story of how they later exchanged leadership roles. Such candid discussions are rare in business circles – but it’s exactly this openness that draws more and more participants.

“I just want to share our experience. On one hand, it’s a deeply human desire – to give meaning to our journey; on the other, it’s about giving back to the community that nurtured us. The impulse to share knowledge so others can go further is, I think, among the oldest in human history,” says M. Povilaitis.

Kaunas Locals for Kaunas — and Beyond

Confluence Investment, a long-time supporter of Startup Social Kaunas, sees both the values and strategic potential of this platform and contributes for two main reasons.

“First, as locals, we want to support the homegrown ecosystem, which we believe is critical to the city’s future growth. But at the same time, we aim to invest in the founders and projects with the greatest potential. We hope that initiatives like this will help the community grow and give us a broader pool of opportunities for future investments.”

Investors monitoring the Kaunas startup ecosystem note that the city has unique strengths, which insightful entrepreneurs are leveraging effectively:

“Kaunas has always been a business-oriented city. Combine that with the abundant technical talent coming out of strong universities, and you get a powerful combination. The city is also just the right size — big enough to host a diverse, complementary startup community, yet compact enough to avoid fragmentation.”

Working With Startups Means Acting Like a Startup

Those who run and curate this community know it best. One of the organizers – Santa Vozbutaitė,  a Business Project Manager at Kaunas IN – joined the team when the project was already underway. In just a year and a half, she has seen how a simple meetup idea has grown into a stable, recognizable series of events that makes a real impact.

“Until today, Startup Social Kaunas has hosted over 30 meetups, with attendance remaining steady because the format meets the community’s needs. When participants say they come back for useful contacts, the atmosphere, or the chance to meet people they wouldn’t otherwise reach, it means we’ve done something right,” S. Vozbutaitė explains.

Santa Vozbutaitė

Kaunas IN

The events evolve with the community. Sometimes investors join the discussions, sometimes academics or industry representatives. Some meetups take the form of “fail nights”, where guest speakers share their setbacks, while others feature presentations from investment funds. “Our versatility is our strength. If someone is just starting to explore startups, they’ll find context and like-minded people here. If they already have a startup, they’ll find an audience, mentors, or potential partners. The most important thing is to know what you’re looking for,” she adds.

Kaunas Is Gaining Visibility Beyond Lithuania

This initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Kaunas’ position in both national and international startup scenes. In just a few years, the city has become more visible at national events and on international platforms.

“Kaunas has become far more noticeable in the startup world than it was four or five years ago. We now host events that attract investors from other cities and partnerships with organizations like LitBAN and Unicorns Lithuania. In October, an Estonian startup delegation attended one of our meetups, showing that our community is fascinating not just locally,” says S. Vozbutaitė.

Recent success stories also help make Kaunas more visible. This year, several local startups shared exciting news: Luna Robotics raised €1 million, BrachyDOSE €554,000, VUGENE €1 million, and Supernaut AI €530,000.

At the recent Startup Fair in Vilnius, Kaunas startups stood out again: out of the seven winners of the Pitch Battle competition, four are based in Kaunas: Boldr, DNAMIC, Fivrec, and Luna Robotics.

“These aren’t just individual achievements – they show that Kaunas’ innovation ecosystem is thriving. Our talent, universities, and businesses are now equal players on the international stage. At the same time, it signals to national and international organizations to pay closer attention to Kaunas as an important part of Lithuania’s startup ecosystem,” S. Vozbutaitė notes.

“Who knows, maybe soon we’ll be able to host the Startup Fair in Kaunas itself, so winners don’t have to travel to another city?” she adds with a smile.

Startup Social Kaunas meetups take place on the first Tuesday of every month and are open to everyone. Follow updates online and join the community where ideas not only emerge but grow alongside the city.

• December 2: Kaunas Startup Awards will gather the best and aspiring entrepreneurs.