Finance

"FINTECH CLOSE-UP" WITH TOMS NIPARTS, JEFF
2026-01-21 16:40 - 17:40 (Europe/Riga)
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to connect with top FinTech professionals at “FinTech Close-Up”, organised monthly by the Baltic Finance Centre of the RTU Riga Business School.
In the 1st episode of Season 3, we will meet Toms Niparts, a co-founder and CEO at Jeff.
Founded in 2019, Jeff is a Latvia-based digital financial marketplace that uses AI and alternative data, including behavioral analytics, device metadata, and social media activity, to assess creditworthiness and connect consumers with providers of loans, insurance, and other financial services. The company operates in emerging markets, with a strong presence in Southeast Asia and Latin America, and has reported over 10 million users. Jeff is expanding access to financial services for underbanked people worldwide.
Venue: RTU Riga Business School, located at Ķīpsalas Street 6 (ADI building), Room 201.

Register by January 20: https://forms.office.com/e/hAPTvD7TfS
Online participation is also available.
The event will be held in English.
This activity is carried out within the project “Knowledge and Research Capacity Strengthening of Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Sector Technology and Analysis” funded by the EC Recovery and Resilience Facility.

FINTECH CLOSE-UP WITH Sigita Kotlere, Nectaro
2026-02-18 16:40 - 17:40
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to connect with top FinTech professionals at “FinTech Close-Up”, organised monthly by the Baltic Finance Centre of the RTU Riga Business School.
In the 2nd episode of Season 3, we will meet Sigita Kotlere, a CEO at Nectaro, with prior experience in banking and fintech. Her career includes roles related to retail banking, lending, and investment platforms within regulated financial environments.
Nectaro is a Latvia-based investment platform licensed and supervised by the Bank of Latvia, operating within the European Union regulatory framework. It provides investors with access to financial instruments, including asset-backed securities, through an online platform. Nectaro is positioned as an investment platform designed for ease of use, including by younger investor groups.
Venue: RTU Riga Business School, located at Ķīpsalas Street 6 (ADI building), Room 201.

Register by February 17: https://forms.office.com/e/F7Jsjtnbhw
Online participation is also available.
The event will be held in English.
This activity is carried out within the project “Knowledge and Research Capacity Strengthening of Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Sector Technology and Analysis” funded by the EC Recovery and Resilience Facility.

From Company Experience to Teaching Material
2026-02-24 10:00 - 12:30
This event will be focused on the potential of the case study method in Latvian higher education. It will bring together university lecturers and study programme directors, case study authors, and company representatives to share the experience of Riga Business School at RTU and outline the next steps for developing this method in Latvia.
Until now, Latvian higher education has largely relied on international case studies. However, to ensure that study content is more closely connected to the local business environment, it is essential to develop teaching materials based on the real experiences of Latvian companies.
Through this event, we aim to:

showcase what has been achieved so far – locally developed case studies created by RBS through a structured process involving trained faculty members;

encourage the creation of a local case study base, enabling universities to use Latvian business situations and data more widely in teaching;

strengthen collaboration between academia and industry by involving companies as partners in the development of educational materials;

inspire new authors and companies to participate in the creation of new case studies;

enhance the quality of higher education by making the learning process more practical, relevant, and grounded in real business situations.

During the event, we will present the work completed so far, share insights into the case development process from both academic and company perspectives, discuss the future development of the case study method in Latvian universities, and jointly work through one of the case studies developed by RBS. The event will conclude with coffee and networking.
Participants: lecturers and study programme directors from universities across Latvia, as well as companies interested in transforming their experience into teaching material and building long-term collaboration with higher education institutions.

Register by February 20: https://forms.office.com/e/TzQtJaV3Yy

Programme
10:00–10:10 Opening remarks: The Case Study Method in Modern Higher Education– Dr. Zane Oliņa, Learning and Teaching Consultant
10:10–10:20 RTU RBS/BFC initiative in developing local case studies: progress so far and opportunities to get involved– Linda Liepkalne, Baltic Finance Centre, RBS
10:20–10:25 Company perspective: participating in the development of a case study– Jānis Līcis, Marketing Director, Paynt
10:25–11:00 Panel discussion: The Potential of Case Study Method in Latvian Higher Education – Experience, Practice, and ChallengesModerator: Inese Muzikante, Director of RBS
Participants:
Irēna Komarova, Deputy Director for Higher Education, Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia
Liene Voroņenko, Head of Education and Employment Sector, Employers’ Confederation of Latvia (LDDK)
Aija Pilvere, Associate Professor, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU)
Nellija Titova, Director of Master’s Programmes, RTU Riga Business School

11:00–11:50 Case study demonstration: “Paynt – Differentiation in a Saturated Payments Market”Facilitated by Nauris Bloks, RBS Lecturer, Case Study Author, CEO of TWINO
11:50–12:00 Q&A
12:00 Coffee and networking(opportunity for companies and potential case study authors to connect)

FINTECH CLOSE-UP WITH JANIS STIRNA, HANDWAVE
2026-03-18 16:40 - 17:40
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to connect with top FinTech professionals at “FinTech Close-Up”, organised monthly by the Baltic Finance Centre of the RTU Riga Business School.
In the 3rd episode of Season 3, we will meet Jānis Stirna, CEO at Handwave

Handwave is a Latvian biometric payment startup that has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to launch its palm-based payment and identity platform in Europe and the US. This innovative technology allows users to pay, verify their age, and activate loyalty programs simply by scanning their palm.

Venue: RTU Riga Business School, located at Ķīpsalas Street 6 (ADI building), Room 201.

Register by March 17: https://forms.office.com/e/hGyDFX7zrm
Online participation is also available.
The event will be held in English.
This activity is carried out within the project “Knowledge and Research Capacity Strengthening of Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Sector Technology and Analysis” funded by the EC Recovery and Resilience Facility.

FINTECH CLOSE-UP WITH MĀRTIŅŠ VIĻUMS, ABILLIO
2026-04-15 16:40 - 17:40
We invite you to meet leading FinTech professionals in the “FinTech Close-Up” talk series, hosted monthly by the RTU RBS Baltic Finance Centre.
In the next episode of Season 3, we will speak with Mārtiņš Viļums, co-founder of Abillio.
Abillio is a Latvian FinTech startup offering a “company-as-a-service” solution primarily for freelancers, solopreneurs, and independent professionals. The platform enables users to issue invoices globally and receive payments without establishing their own company, while handling accounting, tax compliance, and legal requirements. In addition, Abillio provides infrastructure for businesses and digital platforms to manage and pay freelancers internationally, helping streamline cross-border operations and compliance.
Date: April 15, 16:40-17:40.

Venue: RTU Riga Business School, located at Ķīpsalas Street 6 (ADI building), Room 201.

Register by April 14: https://forms.office.com/e/cTkxPXcq5q
Online participation is also available.
The event will be held in English.
This activity is carried out within the project “Knowledge and Research Capacity Strengthening of Anti-Money Laundering, Financial Sector Technology and Analysis” funded by the EC Recovery and Resilience Facility.
