LATVIA – THE NEW HOME FOR GLOBAL FINTECH

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30 September

Riga, Small Guild

Latvia Fintech Forum

The annual Latvia Fintech Forum returns to Riga for the fourth time, bringing together leading voices in the financial technology industry for high-level discussions. This year, the Forum, organized by Latvijas Banka, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency, will take place on 30 September in the iconic building of the Small Guild, a historic venue in the heart of Riga’s Old Town.

The Latvian Fintech Forum serves as the country’s flagship platform for fostering growth in the fintech sector, facilitating an open dialogue between regulators, innovators, and investors, and reinforcing Latvia’s position as a strategic hub for building and scaling fintech businesses in the Northern Europe and the Baltics.

A key topic for the 2025 edition is the development and implementation of fintech strategies across Europe. The Forum will spotlight how different countries are building regulatory and innovation frameworks to enhance competitiveness and collaboration at the European level. Among the event’s highlights is an open Q&A session with the Latvian regulator, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency – be there and ask any question. Furthermore, this year’s event will once again feature the highly anticipated Fintech Factor 2025 startup challenge, powered by Tenity, one of Europe’s premier fintech accelerators.

With participants from across the European fintech ecosystem – including founders, regulators, policy experts, investors, and technology leaders – the Latvian Fintech Forum 2025 promises to be an unmissable meeting point for shaping the next chapter of digital finance in Europe.

Registration

Participation in the event is limited to registered and confirmed attendees. Save your seat! Registration will remain open until the venue reaches full capacity, or until 23 September, whichever comes first.

Due to strong interest and limited space, we kindly encourage you to register as early as possible, in order to maximise your chances of securing a place. Please note that submitting a registration does not automatically guarantee attendance, so kindly await a confirmation email.

Register now

Networking app

Participants whose registration is confirmed will receive an official confirmation email along with an invitation to join the event’s networking app. We encourage you to join the app if you wish to schedule meetings during the forum or connect with fellow attendees in advance.

Fintech Factor by Tenity

The Fintech Factor 2025 is a startup challenge designed to spotlight and boost early stage fintech startups from Europe. Hosted by Tenity, this competition provides a platform for innovators to showcase their solutions. At the Latvia Fintech Forum, selected startups will pitch their ideas to a distinguished group of up to 250 esteemed industry leaders.

Program

8:30
Registration & Networking at the Fintech breakfast

The day begins with a networking session. Attendees can use the event app to schedule meetings with fellow participants and connect over a cup of morning coffee. This exclusive, pre-booked meeting time is designed to foster meaningful connections before the formal program.

10:00 | By Arvils Ašeradens, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Latvia
Opening speech
Mārtiņš Kazāks
10:05 | By Mārtiņš Kazāks, Governor of Latvijas Banka
Welcome address
10:15 | By Ieva Jāgere, Director General of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Welcome address
10:20 | By Fredis Bikovs, Director of Riga Investment and Tourism Agency
Welcome address
10:30 | By Santa Purgaile, Deputy Governor of Latvijas Banka
Keynote: Latvia’s Fintech Strategy (2025–2027)
An overview of Latvia’s Fintech Strategy – its core pillars, key goals, and the vision for building a thriving fintech ecosystem.
10:45 | Panel discussion
From vision to action – building a forward-looking fintech strategy and improving the economic competitiveness

This strategic panel explores how national fintech strategies can enhance Europe’s competitiveness on the global stage. Experts from countries that have already implemented fintech frameworks will share key lessons, insights, and practical tips.

The discussion will highlight how public policies and regulatory approaches have contributed to the development of vibrant fintech ecosystems, and will examine the role of the public sector in achieving long-term strategic goals.

MODERATOR
Ian Hall, Global Government Fintech’s editor

SPEAKERS
Herman Ciappara, Senior Technical Advisor at the Malta Financial Services Authority
Charles Moussy, Head of Innovation and Digital Finance at the Autorité des Marchés Financiers
Marine Krasovska, Head of the Financial Technology Supervision Department at Latvijas Banka

12:00
Lunch
13:00 | By Caroline Malcolm, Independent Advisor on Fintech Strategy and Global Regulation
Keynote: Embedded, Tokenized, & Intelligent: What the future of fintech means for firms, markets and regulators
13:20 | Panel
Ask us anything: Meet the regulator & investment agencies

This open, informal Q&A session brings together experts from Latvijas Banka, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency. This is a great opportunity to ask regulatory experts about licensing, supervision, crypto-assets, payment services, and anti-money laundering, and to consult investment experts on the full range of national and municipal support available for fintech startups in Latvia

MODERATOR
Edgars Pastars, Advisor to Finance Latvia Association, partner at COBALT Latvia

SPEAKERS
Jānis Katkovskis, Head of Payment Systems Operations Division of the Payment Systems Department of Latvijas Banka
Mārtiņš Grakauskis, Chief Supervision Expert of the Financial Technology Supervision Department of Latvijas Banka
Guna Janelsiņa, Chief Legal Advisor of the Licensing and Sanctions Department of Latvijas Banka
Olga Rehova, Chief Financial Technology Expert of the Financial Technology Supervision Department of Latvijas Banka
Elīna Upeniece, Chief Supervision Expert of Compliance Division of the Anti-money Laundering Department at Latvijas Banka
Fredis Bikovs, Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency
Laura Štrovalde, Deputy Director General at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia 

14:20 | By Tenity
Startup Challenge "Fintech Factor 2025"
The startup challenge "Fintech Factor 2025" is designed to spotlight and boost early-stage fintech startups from the Baltic region and across Europe. Hosted by the innovation ecosystem and early-stage investor Tenity, this challenge provides a platform for innovators to showcase their solutions at the Latvia Fintech Forum to a group of up to 250 esteemed industry leaders.
15:30
Refreshments & networking
After a day of insightful discussions, the afternoon networking session offers participants a valuable opportunity to reflect on key takeaways, to exchange ideas, and to build new connections in a relaxed atmosphere. Whether in informal conversations or pre-scheduled meetings, this dedicated time encourages meaningful engagement. Attendees are encouraged to use the event app to arrange meetings in advance to make the most of the session.

Meet Industry Leaders

Arvils Ašeradens

Minister of Finance of the Republic of Latvia
Mārtiņš Kazāks

Mārtiņš Kazāks

Governor of Latvijas Banka

Santa Purgaile

Deputy Governor of Latvijas Banka

Fredis Bikovs

Director of Riga Investment and Tourism Agency

Ieva Jāgere

Director General of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Marine Krasovska

Head of Financial Technology Supervision Department at Latvijas Banka​

Jānis Katkovskis

Head of Payment Systems Operations Division of the Payment Systems Department at Latvijas Banka

Olga Rehova

Chief Financial Technology Expert of the Financial Technology Supervision Department of Latvijas Banka

Artis Ozoliņš

Experienced event and discussion moderator

Ian Hall

Global Government Fintech’s editor

Caroline Malcolm

Independent Advisor on Fintech Strategy and Global Regulation

Edgars Pastars

Advisor to Finance Latvia Association, partner at COBALT Latvia

Mārtiņš Grakauskis

Chief Supervision Expert of the Financial Technology Supervision Department of Latvijas Banka

Guna Janelsiņa

Chief Legal Advisor of the Licensing and Sanctions Department of Latvijas Banka

Charles Moussy

Head of Innovation and Digital Finance at the Autorité des Marchés Financiers

Elīna Upeniece

Chief Supervision Expert of the Financial Technology Supervision Department of Latvijas Banka

Laura Štrovalde

Deputy Director General at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia 

Herman Ciappara

Senior Technical Advisor at the Malta Financial Services Authority
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Fintech Forum will take place at

Small Guild / Mazā Ģilde
Riga, Amatu iela 3/5

Organizers

Latvijas Banka

FintechLatvia.eu

fintech@bank.lv

riga-logo

Riga Investment and Tourism Agency

LiveRiga.com

invest@riga.lv

LIAA logo balts_mazais

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

liaa.gov.lv

startup@liaa.gov.lv

Startup Challenge Organized by

Tenity-White-logo
Fintech-Latvia-Logo

Privacy policy

Cookie policy

Mārtiņš Kazāks

Mārtiņš Kazāks

Governor of Latvijas Banka

Mārtiņš Kazāks has lectured at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (1996–2008), the University of London, Riga Stradiņš University and Riga Business School.

He has been a member of the following bodies: the Strategic Analysis Committee of the President of Latvia (2006–2011), Counselor Convention of BA School of Business and Finance, Counselor Convention of Liepāja University and Fiscal Discipline Council of the Republic of Latvia (2014–2018). He is a member of the Economists Association 2010 and National Association for Business Economics (USA).

Mārtiņš Kazāks has authored and co-authored numerous publications in the fields of financial markets and their integration, the economic development cycle and financial crises, fiscal policy and competitiveness of the economy.

In his capacity as Governor of Latvijas Banka, Mārtiņš Kazāks is a Member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank and the General Council of the European Central Bank. Mārtiņš Kazāks is the Governor of the International Monetary Fund for the Republic of Latvia.

Santa_Purgaile-fintech

Santa Purgaile

Deputy Governor of Latvijas Banka

Santa Purgaile became a Member of the Council of Latvijas Banka on 1 January 2023. She served as the Chair of the Financial and Capital Market Commission of Latvia from 24 October 2019 to 31 December 2022. 

Santa Purgaile is a Member of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank and promotes Latvia’s interests at the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Securities and Markets Authority. She has also contributed to the work of the Board of Supervisors of the European Banking Authority. 

Santa Purgaile had been the Corporate Business Director at AS “Citadele Banka” and co-chaired the Credit Committe of the Finance Latvia Association, and has worked at AS “SEB Banka”. 

Santa Purgaile holds a Master’s degree in International Economics and Business. 

fredis-bikovs

Fredis Bikovs

Director of Riga Investment and Tourism Agency​

Fredis Bikovs is the Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency. He holds dual master’s degrees in Business Management and Finance from the BA School of Business and Finance and the Swiss Business School. Bikovs has extensive experience in international project and financial management, having worked with companies such as Transcom Worldwide Latvia, Runway BPO, and Nordea Bank AB in Latvia. He was the director of Evry Latvia from 2017 to 2021 and led ABSL Latvia from 2019 to 2021. Before his current role, he managed operations for Wolt in Latvia. 

As the agency’s director, Bikovs is dedicated to attracting investors, a key focus that promises growth and development. He also concentrates on enhancing sales capabilities and promoting Riga internationally. Leveraging his private sector experience, he aims to improve the investment environment and strengthen collaboration between investors and the public sector. 

Ieva Jagere

Ieva Jāgere

Director General of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Ieva Jāgere is the Director General of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and a seasoned financial expert with over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, securing investment, and M&A advisory. 

As of November 2024, Ieva has been in charge of LIAA, driving strategic initiatives to position Latvia as a hub for innovation and investment. Before that, she managed transactions exceeding EUR 200 million in value, and worked with firms such as Callidus Capital, Oaklins M&A Baltics, and Swedbank. 

Her expertise spans raising capital, company valuation, due diligence, and strategic business advisory. Ieva holds an EMBA from the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, and degrees in economics and marketing.  

Ieva combines strategic insight with deep financial expertise to foster growth, innovation, and impactful investment. 

marine-krasovska

Marine Krasovska​

Head of Financial Technology Supervision Department at Latvijas Banka​

Marine Krasovska holds a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of Latvia, professional diploma in management from the Open University Business School (United Kingdom), as well as an IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate and a RegTech certificate from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

She built her professional experience while working at AS SEB banka, AS DNB banka and Luminor Bank AS Latvian branch in several positions related to lending and product and business strategy development. She was the co-founder of a FinTech startup. From 2020, Marine Krasovska worked as Director of Financial Innovation Department.

Following the integration of the Financial and Capital Market Commission and Latvijas Banka on 1 January 2023, she became Head of Financial Technology Supervision Department.

Jānis Katkovskis

Jānis Katkovskis

Head of Payment Systems Operations Division of the Payment Systems Department at Latvijas Banka

In the capacity of an expert and a team lead in payment systems and related services, including Eurosystem and SEPA-related initiatives, Jānis has more than 20 years of experience at Latvijas Banka. 

He is responsible for onboarding both banks and non-bank institutions to TARGET-Latvija, the EKS system, and the Instant Verification Service. 

Olga Rehova

Olga Rehova

Chief Financial Technology Expert of the Financial Technology Supervision Department of Latvijas Banka

Olga Rehova is a fintech expert with knowledge in PSD2, crypto, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. She has 11 years of work experience in the financial sector, including 2.5 years at Latvijas Banka as a fintech expert. 

At Latvijas Banka, she is involved in advising, licensing, and supervising crypto-asset service providers, contributes to the development of regulations related to fintech services, and assesses the technological and fintech-related risks when market participants introduce new services. 

She holds two Master’s degrees – in mathematics and in information technology. 

Artis Ozolins fintech forums

Artis Ozoliņš

Experienced event and discussion moderator

Experienced event and discussion moderator with hands-on experience in radio: for several years, has authored the Latvian Radio 1 and Latvian Radio 6 – NABA technology programme #DigitālāsBrokastis (Digital Breakfast). 

Ian Hall fintech forum

Ian Hall

Global Government Fintech’s editor

Ian is the Editor of Global Government Fintech, a media and community for public sector professionals interested in the use of financial technology for improving operations and delivery. He has formerly held several roles including the UK Director of the pan-European media Euractiv (2011-2018), an Editor of Public Affairs News (2007-2011) and a News Editor of PR Week (2000-2007).

He was shortlisted for the ‘Editor of the Year’ at the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) Awards in 2010. Ian began his career in the Balkans at an English-language weekly the Sofia Echo (Bulgaria: 1998-1999). 

Caroline Malcolm fintech forum

Caroline Malcolm

Independent Advisor on Fintech Strategy and Global Regulation

Caroline has been at the centre of innovation in the financial services sector for more than a decade – from digital assets to data to AI, working for governments, industry and academia.  She founded Tax Inspectors Without Borders as well as the Global Blockchain Policy Centre while working at the OECD, during which time she was also the co-chair of the FSB’s 2017 work on decentralised finance.

At Chainalysis, the data analytics unicorn, she built the global policy team and developed a new data set for regulators overseeing the digital assets sector. More recently, Caroline has been a Policy & Practice Visitor at Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics in AI, while also lecturing on AI in Finance at the European University Institute and writing a forthcoming book chapter on international cooperation. 

Edgars Pastars fintech

Edgars Pastars

Advisor to Finance Latvia Association, partner at COBALT Latvia

Edgars Pastars is a partner and an attorney at COBALT Latvia, an advisor to Finance Latvia Association, and the host of the podcast “Finanšu dialogs”. He is active in the financial policy matters in Latvia, and an active contributor to the European Banking Federation and Europol’s EFIPPP platform. He is also a lecturer and a trainer in banking law and compliance. He holds CAMS and CGSS certifications in anti-financial crime compliance. 

Guna Jenelsina fintech forum

Guna Janelsiņa

Chief Legal Advisor at Latvijas Banka

Guna Janelsiņa is the Chief Legal Advisor at Latvijas Banka, where she is responsible for regulatory matters in payments, electronic money, payment systems, and crypto-assets at both national and the European level. With extensive expertise in financial supervision and regulatory policy, she plays a key role in shaping Latvia’s financial regulatory landscape and is currently contributing to the development of the EU’s Open Finance framework, aimed at promoting innovation and data-driven financial services. 

Guna has represented Latvia in high-level negotiations with the European Parliament during the Latvia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. She is also a regular speaker at international and regional industry events. 

Charles Moussy fintech forum

Charles Moussy

Head of Innovation and Digital Finance at the Autorité des Marchés Financiers

Charles Moussy began his career with the Forvis Mazars Group, first in financial audit and then as a team lead on restructuring key accounts. In 2015, he joined the Corporate Finance Department of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) in charge of monitoring financial transactions and information provided by listed companies in the technology and media sectors.

As of 2018, he has been involved in the design and implementation of the French framework for crypto–asset offerings (ICO) and, more generally, in topics related to the issuance of crypto-assets. In 2021, he was appointed the Director and the Head of Innovation and Digital Finance at the Regulatory Policy and International Affairs Directorate of AMF. The main mission of the Innovation and Digital Finance team is to monitor and analyze innovations in the financial services sector, to identify competitiveness and regulatory issues, and to steer the efforts aimed at changing the European or the French framework, including blockchain and crypto-asset sectors.

Charles Moussy is a graduate of the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and holds a double Master’s degree in Finance and Economics. He has worked as a lecturer at Paris Dauphine University since 2021. 

Elina Upeniece fintech forum

Elīna Upeniece

Chief Supervision Expert, Compliance Division of the Anti-money Laundering Department at Latvijas Banka

Professionally, Elīna Upeniece has mostly focussed on anti-money laundering (AML) area in which she has worked for more than 10 years. 

She gained most of her professional experience at the Financial and Capital Market Commission (FCMC), where she worked as an AML specialist. In this role, she was responsible for both onsite and offsite supervision of financial market participants. Since 2023, when the FCMC was integrated in Latvijas Banka, Elīna Upeniece has continued to be active in AML compliance supervision in various sectors, including payment institutions, investment brokerage firms, and banks. She has also been involved in the licensing of crypto-asset service providers. 

Elīna holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Latvia. 

She has a CAMS certificate and an ICA certificate in Crypto Financial Crime Risk.

Laura Strovalde fintech forum

Laura Štrovalde

Deputy Director General at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

Laura Štrovalde is the Deputy Director General and the Director of the Investment Promotion and Business Growth Department at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). With over a decade of experience at LIAA, she has been instrumental in shaping Latvia’s investment landscape with a focus on attracting foreign direct investment, implementing innovation strategies, and accelerating the startup ecosystem. 

Her leadership has been pivotal in areas such as strategic initiatives, e. g. smart specialization approaches, reindustrialization efforts, and the development of flagship projects. In 2024, under her guidance, LIAA supported €655 million in investments across 45 projects, with a focus on high-value-added manufacturing, ICT, energy, and aviation. 

Laura holds an MBA and is recognized for her commitment to fostering sustainable economic growth and innovation in Latvia. She actively represents Latvia in international forums, promoting its investment opportunities and collaborating with global partners to drive economic development. 

Herman Ciappara fintech forum

Herman Ciappara

Senior Technical Advisor at Malta Financial Services Authority

Herman Ciappara currently holds the position of the Senior Technical Advisor at the Fintech Supervision Function of Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). Herman joined the MFSA in September 2019 as the Head of the FinTech Supervision Function, who is responsible for setting up a new team to supervise the Virtual Financial Asset sector and to grant authorisations, and in 2023 he took over the supervision of non-bank financial institutions in Malta. 

Herman has been very active in providing cross-sectoral expertise on digital finance and fintech-related policy and supervisory initiatives at the MFSA. 

Before joining the MFSA, Herman spent 30 years at the Central Bank of Malta holding senior management positions in technology, risk management, and payments.