Gundars Kulikovskis

Good topic, way much to share! Both great partners 🤝 Did many investments together. NGL: 👉 Established in late 2022 by Justinas Pašys, former head of LitBAN, NGL consists of nearly 200 angel investors. 👉 NGL invests exclusively through syndicates, with average check sizes of €300k involving up to 30 angels. 👉 So far, NGL has invested around €3M into 9 startups. 👉 NGL conducts 5-6 investments per year, organizing syndicates quarterly. 👉 Startup applications are submitted through the Dealum platform, with selections based on a rigorous screening process. Lithuanian Business Angel Network LitBAN: 👉 Founded in 2018, LitBAN has over 350 members but a significant portion of them are yet to make their first investment. 👉 LitBAN angels have collectively invested over €30M in startups, with 50% of that sum coming in 2022 alone. 👉 Majority of LitBAN investments target Lithuanian startups, with a focus on Fintech, AI, B2B SaaS, Deeptech and other tech sectors. 👉 Applications are submitted via Dealum, with a process followed by selection for a pitch event. 👉 LitBAN angels often prefer startups with a lead investor already in place and can work alongside CoInvest and other angel groups. Our experience shows -> Accelerator Angels = 💣 for kick-off. P.S. Our new batch is starting soon -> Apply now!

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🇷🇺 russia's Military Relies on Tantalum Capacitors Despite Sanctions 🚀 • Tantalum capacitors are crucial for electronics, especially in military, aerospace, and telecommunications 📡 • russia produces only 2% of tantalum ore globally and lacks processing capabilities 🔧 • Tantalum is considered a "conflict mineral" due to its association with armed conflicts and child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 🇨🇩 • Despite sanctions, russia's military industry continues to import tantalum capacitors for use in drones and missiles 🔫 • Capacitors from Japanese-American company Kyocera AVX 🇯🇵🇺🇸, manufactured in El Salvador 🇸🇻, have been found in russian weapons • American company Vishay 🇺🇸, with a production facility in Israel 🇮🇱, supplies capacitors to russia via China 🇨🇳 and Hong Kong 🇭🇰 • Kemet, another American manufacturer 🇺🇸, produces capacitors in Mexico 🇲🇽 that end up in russia through Hungary 🇭🇺 • Lithuanian 🇱🇹 customs brokers, such as Vinges Terminalas and Autoverslo Logistika, facilitate the import of capacitors into russia • The russian military-industrial complex benefits from tantalum capacitors despite international sanctions and the efforts of conscientious companies 💰 • The use of tantalum capacitors in russian weapons raises concerns about the effectiveness of sanctions and the role of intermediaries in circumventing them ❗ https://lnkd.in/gpQd4JWd #TantalumCapacitors #ConflictMinerals #Sanctions #GlobalTrade #Electronics #Defense #Geopolitics #AML #CTF #CPF

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We at #EuroResilience talked to Georgijs Ivanovs, founder of #UkraineMatters YouTube channel, and he explained how Russia manipulates the West, and why Ukrainian resistance has totally changed this world. A deep going discussion on topics of nuclear #proliferation, #propaganda, #internationallaw, Russian #imperialism, and Ukrainian resistance. https://lnkd.in/dee4jyFf

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🚨 The President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics has proposed a new legislative initiative to the parliament aimed at combating the misuse of deep fakes in political advertisements by establishing criminal responsibility for their use. This measure is designed to protect the integrity of elections and prevent the spread of deceptive content. Similarly, a representative from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed requiring disclosures for AI-generated content in political ads on radio and TV. This rule seeks to ensure transparency and help voters identify AI-manipulated media. Online platforms like Meta are also addressing AI in political ads, mandating campaigns to disclose the use of deep fakes and banning the use of in-house generative AI tools for political advertising. However, it is crucial to balance this rise of legislative initiatives with considerations for free speech and innovation. Over-regulation could stifle creative and beneficial uses of AI technology and infringe on free speech rights. Laws should be carefully targeted to address only the harmful aspects of deep fakes without hindering technological advancements. At the same time, we can compliment the efforts of those in power in Latvia, as they do not lag far behind their US peers. #AI #DeepFakes #ElectionIntegrity #FreeSpeech More details about the U.S. use case:

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A well-organised European Business Association event with high-calibre speakers. The discussion on the defence sector in Ukraine with Alexander Kamyshin was very interesting. Despite the fact that Ukraine's defence budget is much smaller than ruzzia's (3-4 times the difference), our arms manufacturers are showing significant growth in this sector every month. 💙 Ukraine 💛 finances these producers from its own budget, although there is certainly not enough money for all of them. See the comment 👇 below for more information on the specifics of defence procurement in Ukraine. Foreign countries are already supporting Ukraine by directly financing Ukrainian defence producers. A good example is Denmark's purchase of Ukrainian howitzers for the Ukrainian armed forces. It's a lot cheaper and a lot quicker than buying abroad.

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