By Jonas Deveikis, LRT.lt.
“The sale of Waze was a life-changing moment for me. But more importantly, it was life-changing for everyone in the company,” says Uri Levine, one of the creators of the navigation app. In 2013, the start-up was sold to Google for over $1 billion, making around 100 of its employees millionaires.
Levine visited Vilnius in October to attend the Startup Fair 2025 conference. In an interview with LRT.lt, he spoke about the origins of Waze, the principles behind building a successful start-up, and the future of mobility.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Lithuania?
I know the start-up ecosystem here is very strong – not just here, but across the Baltic region. One reason is the concentration of talented people in a relatively small area, which creates a solid foundation for innovation.
You praise Lithuania’s ecosystem, but we know Israel has an exceptionally high number of startups, with 42 unicorns. What advice would you give Lithuania to strengthen its ecosystem further?
There are four pillars: entrepreneurs, investors, engineers, and experience. Entrepreneurs are crucial, and media should portray them as heroes trying to change the world. Investors can be encouraged through tax incentives and shared investment mechanisms. Lithuania has excellent universities and an influx of Ukrainian engineers. Finally, experienced entrepreneurs must return to mentor and inspire the next generation.
Read more: LRT.LT
