According to the official statistics portal, 62.2 thousand people work in the field of information and communication in Lithuania, but only 31% of them are women. In 2023, the number of women in this field has fallen by 5% compared to the year before, while the number of men has grown by 17%. Closing the gap and tapping into the pool of female talent in the technology sector could add €16 billion to Europe’s economic GDP. For its part, an analysis by the Boston Consulting Group has shown that if women and men were to become equal in business, global GDP could increase by around 3-6%, and the economy would grow by between USD 2.5-5 trillion.
“The problem is certainly not unique to Lithuania, but our solution could boost the country’s competitiveness. Inspiring examples can bring change, and attitudinal change is also important – a review of internal and external company processes, with a focus on the individual needs of employees. Working in the technology sector must become an organic choice for a woman who wants to take it up without sacrificing her personal life, her family, or her health – it is an untapped potential today,“ says Inga Langaitė, CEO of Unicorns Lithuania.
15 women who are making a difference in Lithuania’s tech sector:
1. Milda Mitkutė, Vinted: Author and co-founder of Vinted, Lithuania’s first unicorn, an online second-hand fashion shopping platform. Valued at €3.5 billion, Vinted currently has a community of more than 100 million members and more than 1,800 employees in 20 markets.
2. Toma Sabaliauskienė, Nord Security: Toma graduated in IT and from the very beginning contributed to the successful development of Nord Security and helped the company grow into Lithuania’s second unicorn by joining forces with Surfshark. Today, Sabaliauskienė is Nord Security’s Marketing Manager and participates in the Tesonet accelerator.
3. Toma Dilė, PVcase: After gaining experience in HR and corporate operations management, she became Managing Director of PVcase, a solar park design software. In 2023, PVcase raised €100 million. PV PVcase raised an investment of USD 100 million in 2011 and acquired the US company Anderson Optimization – the team and the start-up continue to grow rapidly this year.
4. Monika Paulė, Caszyme: With a PhD in Management from Vilnius University and more than 20 years of managerial and leadership experience, Monika is currently the CEO of Caszyme, a biotechnology company that develops CRISPR Cas gene editing.
5. Monika Snitkė, TransferGo: Monika, who joined TransferGo last year as Operations Manager of the international transfer company with more than 7 million customers in 160 countries, was previously the head of the financial operations team. She is one of the key leaders in business processes, culture, and team building across the company.
6. Dalia Lašaitė-Kamantauskė, CGTrader: Co-founder and CEO of the world’s largest 3D modeling platform, Dalia started her first business while still at school. Today, CGTrader has more than 900,000 customers, including more than 100 companies in the Fortune Top 50.
7. Agnė Selemonaitė, ConnectPay: After studying law and graduating in architecture and urban planning, she has worked in senior management roles in urban development, investment attraction, and business marketing in the UK, Sweden, China, and Lithuania. A mother of 3 children, she manages one of the largest financial technology companies in Lithuania at a strategic level.
8. Vlada Musvydaitė, Walk15: Founder and CEO of Walk15, a sustainable mobility platform and app that is now used by over 650,000 users and over 1,300 businesses worldwide.”Dealroom analysts have recognized Walk15 as one of the fastest-growing startups in Lithuania, with a valuation of over EUR 15 million.
9. Jekaterina Govina, Amlyze: After graduating in law, she worked at the Bank of Lithuania and later applied her knowledge to the development of the financial technology (Fintech) sector. Today, Govina is part of the team of Amlyze, a startup providing automated anti-money laundering solutions, a partner in a law firm, and an investor.
10. Monika Katkutė-Gelžinė, Vedliai: After graduating in politics, she jokes today, engages in technology diplomacy – she founded bit&Byte, a creative technology academy for children, and is leading Vedliai, a startup that provides an immersive computer science education system for pupils in grades 1-8, combining a platform, educational content, and community.
11. Vaida Greičiūtė, Corner Case Technologies: Greičiūtė, who has been building global businesses and serving on their boards for 13 years in IT, is currently focusing on developing a software and digital product development team, investing in and developing startups in the financial technology, tourism, and agriculture sectors.
12. Irma Bučinskaitė, founder and CEO of Benme platform, with more than 15 years of experience in HR: Thanks to Benme, benefits suppliers grow sales revenue and awareness, employees choose individual benefits from a global list of suppliers, and companies save on budgets, benefits choices, and supplier administration.
13. Rita Sakus, LitBAN and EBAN: Worked in Fortune 500 high-tech companies, returned to Lithuania 20 years ago to develop her business. After graduating from Harvard Business School’s executive course, she helped found the Lithuanian Business Angels Association, represents Lithuania in the European Business Angels Association, serves on boards, and is an active investor.
14. Ieva Vaitkevičiūtė, Mindletic: After graduating in psychology and working in HR, she founded a startup – an emotional sports club for those who want to strengthen emotional intelligence and prevent burnout and stress. Mindletic is internationally recognized, has won numerous awards, and is used by both private and public organizations. 15. Monika Laukaitė, Wix: Head of the Lithuanian division of one of the largest website development and web technology platforms in Israel, with over 200 million customers worldwide, voted the youngest CEO of the year in 2022.
