The Duke of York is to launch his digital incubator into Eastern Europe at a technology conference in Estonia

Since then it has helped more than 200 businesses get off the ground and is now expanding its reach to other parts of Europ.

Estonia has emerged as one of the world’s digital leaders, with the highest number of start-ups per head in the world.

A TechLink initiative was established with Britain last November to support partnerships between the two countries in areas such as financial technology, cyber security and digital government.

Now the Duke of York will cement the relationship further when he opens Latitude59 on May 31.

Chris Holtby, British Ambassador to Estonia, said: “It is very exciting that the Duke of York will be returning to Estonia for Latitude 59, to engage with Estonia’s tech leaders and to bring Pitch@Palace to a new audience.

“The UK is already benefiting significantly from its commercial and governmental digital and technology links with Estonia, including through the new UK-Estonia TechLink programme, and I am sure that this partnership will become even closer and more productive through this visit.”

Pitch@Palace was founded to support entrepreneurs by connecting them with potential supporters including CEOs, angels, mentors and key business partners.

Its success stories to date include a stem cell product that improves surgical healing to a fin-tech start-up helping to combat diamond fraud.

This year Latitude59 is holding a pitching competition in cooperation with Pitch@Palace and Startup Wise Guys, a leading B2B start-up accelerator in Europe.

Organisers expect more than 100 start-ups from all over Europe and further afield to submit their applications.

The best pitches will get a chance to present their business ideas and models to the Pitch@Palace and Startup Wise Guys ‘joint jury’.

Latitude59 is now in its ninth successive year and has become the go-to event for the Nordic and Baltic start-up scene.

This year, delegates will be discussing topics ranging from Virtual Nation (building services on the Estonian e-Residency platform), Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual/Augmented Reality.

Other leading speakers include:

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas

Tim Draper, the Founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) and Draper University

Hardi Meybaum, General Partner at Matrix Partners

Ari Eisenstat, the Founder and CEO of Draem Ventures

Herman Narula, CEO of Improbable.

Some 1,500 delegates are expected from Northern Europe, Silicon Valley, Europe, Russia, and Asia.

Latitude59 is organized by the Estonian startup community, Estonian Investment Agency, Startup Estonia, Startup Wise Guys, and tens of volunteers from different fields of life.

More information can be found at http://www.Iatitude59.ee.