Student Startup Fund is back: even more opportunities for Ukraine’s future founders
19 / 8 / 26
At the Demo Day teams will pitch their startups to investors and partners and will have a chance to secure funding for further growth. Student Startup Fund 2.0 is built for those who have long thought about a startup of their own but did not know where to start. To take part, it is enough to have an idea — or the desire to find like-minded people and build one together.
From idea to MVP in 12 weeks
Over three months participants will gain not only knowledge about launching a startup but also hands-on experience of building a product. The acceleration is designed as a practical bridge between an idea and a real business, and includes:
- An educational track: lectures and workshops from founders, investors and leaders of Ukraine’s tech industry.
- Mentor support: regular one-to-one sessions with experts to develop the product and the business model.
- Work on the startup: weekly practical assignments, hypothesis testing and building an MVP.
- Networking: meeting other teams, entrepreneurs, partners and members of the innovation ecosystem.
Ideas know no borders: build a startup from anywhere in Ukraine
The programme combines online and offline formats, so students from any region of Ukraine can join. The main activities take place online, while the key events and the final Demo Day will be held at the UNIT.City innovation park. This format gives everyone access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem regardless of where they study or live.
Support from the state, business and the innovation ecosystem
Student Startup Fund 2.0 brings together the state, business and leading players of the innovation ecosystem to create the best possible conditions for students launching their own startups. This synergy gives participants access to expertise, mentor support, professional networking and opportunities to develop their projects further.
The organiser is UNIT.City with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Startup Fund. The programme is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Youth Foundation. The title partner is OMD Optimum Media Ukraine. The ecosystem partners are EUNITED Digital Hub and 1991 Accelerator, and the programme partner is Bolt.
Demo Day: the final stage and a chance to secure funding
Student Startup Fund 2.0 will culminate in a Demo Day — the day when teams pitch their startups to investors, business representatives and experts of the innovation ecosystem. For participants this is not merely the sum of 12 weeks of work, but also a chance to get professional feedback, find partners, attract the attention of potential investors and take the next step towards scaling their product.
It matters that startups keep growing after the official part is over, so programme graduates will get access to post-acceleration support: staying in touch with mentors and help in planning their next strategic steps.
Behind every success story there is a person who once dared to try. At UNIT.City we want there to be more and more such people, because startups are part of our innovation park’s DNA. Student Startup Fund gives students the chance to walk this path not alone, but together with mentors, experts and a community that helps turn ambitious ideas into technology products.
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