Grow Nordic and Baltic (GNB): A New Scale-Up Programme for Startups in Estonia, Sweden and Finland
If you’re a founder in Estonia, Sweden, or Finland building a digital startup and dreaming of scaling beyond your home market — this one’s for you.
LIFT99 is proud to be a partner in Grow Nordic and Baltic, a new cross-border scale-up programme co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Central Baltic Programme. Running from May 2026 to October 2028 in two cohorts, the project brings together four organisations from three countries to help ambitious, growth-oriented digital startups take their next big leap - from validating their business model to standing in front of international investors.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Grow Nordic and Baltic?
Grow Nordic and Baltic is a structured, cross-border scaling-up programme designed specifically for innovative, growth-oriented digital startups from Estonia, Sweden, and Finland. The goal is simple but ambitious: help 64 startups across two cohorts build the skills, networks, and investment readiness they need to scale — with a target of 30 companies reaching scale-up status by the end of the project.
The programme is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027. It is delivered by a consortium of four organisations:
Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland) — Lead Partner
University of Helsinki (Finland)
Uppsala Innovation Centre (Sweden)
LIFT99 (Estonia)
Each partner brings its own network, expertise, and local startup ecosystem to the table, giving participating founders access to mentors, coaches, and investors across all three countries.
Why LIFT99 is involved
LIFT99 has spent years building bridges across borders - through our hubs in Tallinn and Kyiv, our community of founders from more than 60 countries, and our role co-founding Latitude59, Estonia’s flagship startup and tech event. We’ve run crisis-response initiatives like HELP99, supported founders through #FuckCorona, and worked closely with Startup Estonia, the Estonian Founders Society, and Garage48 to strengthen the regional startup ecosystem.
Grow Nordic and Baltic is a natural extension of that work: connecting founders in Estonia with peers, mentors, and capital across the Nordic-Baltic region - and giving Nordic and Finnish founders a stronger foothold in Estonia’s investor and startup community.
What’s in it for your startup?
The programme is built around a structured six-phase scaling-up journey, combining hands-on coaching, market immersion, expert training, and - crucially - direct access to investors. Here’s the value proposition in a nutshell:
A structured 6-step scaling-up process - from baseline analysis all the way to investment readiness
Innovation Readiness Level (IRL)-based monitoring - track your progress across six dimensions
Cross-border expertise - mentors, coaches, and networks in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia
Tailored support - individual coaching and a roadmap built around your company’s specific needs
Market immersion - networking events and workshops to help you explore new markets
Investment readiness - pitch training for Latitude59
An alumni network - long-term support and community even after the programme ends
The six phases of the programme
Phase 1: Selection & Onboarding (week 1–2)
Baseline IRL assessment, a 1-on-1 needs analysis workshop, creation of your individual roadmap, an online kick-off event for the whole cohort, and an introduction to the programme’s tools and platform.
Phase 2: Baseline Analysis (month 1–2)
Continuous coaching plus tailored workshops chosen based on your startup’s specific gaps.
Phase 3: Market Immersion & Networking (month 2–4)
Online cross-border workshops on market entry strategies, peer-to-peer learning sessions, and in-person networking events - including a 2-day event in Uppsala (Cohort 1) and a 2-day event in Helsinki (Cohort 2) - where you’ll meet local entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and potential partners.
Phase 4: Specialized Training & Expert Mentorship (month 2–6)
On-site, online, and hybrid thematic workshops covering business model development, team building and expansion, international talent acquisition, advanced digital marketing and sales, financial modelling for growth, storytelling and communication, and legal/IP management - plus at least three expert mentoring sessions from a cross-border mentor pool.
Phase 5: Investment Readiness & Pitching (month 5–8)
Pitch deck creation workshops, individual pitch coaching, and storytelling training, culminating in participation at Latitude59 in Tallinn — including pitching to an international investor panel and networking with the wider investor community.
Phase 6: Post-Programme Support & Alumni Network (month 8+)
Follow-up sessions, ongoing access to the alumni network, check-ins throughout the first year after the programme, continued access to templates and tools, and a final online showcase event celebrating success stories.
Who can apply?
Grow Nordic and Baltic is looking for digital, growth-oriented startups that meet the following criteria:
Digital startup - your product or service is digital, or digital technology is core to your business
Innovation level - your product/service is sufficiently innovative and differentiated
Scalability - your business model has real potential for rapid growth and international expansion
Founder-driven - at least one founder works full-time (or equivalent) on the company
Age - your company is no older than 5 years
Geographic affiliation - your company is based in Finland, Sweden, or Estonia
The programme aims to select 32 companies per cohort (out of 8 from Estonia) with a good mix across geography, industry, and maturity level, so founders at different stages can learn from one another.
How the selection process works
Call opens - published 8–12 weeks before the programme starts
Initial screening - written applications reviewed against the basic criteria
Interview - qualified candidates invited to an interview
IRL assessment - a self-assessment, supplemented by an evaluation from the partner team
Decision - a joint assessment made by all four partners
Notification - candidates hear back within one week of their final interview
Applicants apply by submitting a short pitching video and filling in a registration form.
Timeline
Project runs: May 2026 - October 2028
Cohort 1 call opens: 18th of August, 2026
Cohort 1 programme: November 2026 - June 2027
Cohort 2 call opens: [date to be confirmed]
Cohort 2 programme: [dates to be confirmed]
LIFT99 info sessions / local events in Tallinn: [dates to be confirmed]
We’ll update this post as soon as exact dates for the info sessions and names of the mentors are confirmed - so bookmark this page or follow LIFT99’s channels for updates.
What does “success” look like?
A company is considered to have reached scale-up status if it achieves at least one of the following by the end of the programme:
Secures new external funding (an investment round or significant grant)
Grows revenue significantly (at least 2x from baseline)
Expands into at least one new market outside its home country
Grows its team significantly (at least +50% FTE)
Advances from prototype/MVP to a market-ready product
Reaches target levels on at least 4 of the 6 IRL dimensions
Get involved
Whether you’re a founder looking to scale internationally, or simply want to stay close to what’s happening in the Nordic-Baltic startup ecosystem, Grow Nordic and Baltic is worth watching.
Applications for Cohort 1: https://www.lyyti.fi/reg/Application_for_the_Grow_Nordic__Baltic_GNB_Programme_6154
Questions about the programme in Estonia: Johanna-Maria Värgården, johanna@lift99.co
Follow updates: LIFT99 LinkedIn, Instagram and Blog
LIFT99 will be advertising the programme through our hubs in Tallinn and Kyiv, and directly to our community of founders. If you know a startup that fits the profile - or if that startup is you - keep an eye on this space.
Grow Nordic and Baltic (CB1000555) is an Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 project co-funded by the European Union.