Ukrainian Startup Fund held the ninth Pitch Day

11.08.2020

On August 7, the Ukrainian Startup Fund held the ninth Pitch Day. The event took place in an offline format on the territory of the Unit.City innovation park. Ten startups made presentations (pitch). All of them are at the seed stage (applying for state grant funding of $ 50,000 each).

The event began with a solemn congratulation from UNIT.City managing partner Konstantin Yevtushenko:

“Before building UNIT.City, we traveled half the world with a team. We looked at how the innovative infrastructure works, in order to create the same with us: a place where you will be comfortable creating innovative products. Once you reach the limit “we are so cool: we have a product, we have verified it, and our team is awesome. Now we have to conquer the world!” – we, at Unit, will create these opportunities for you! For example, we invited Dominik Piot, who had been successfully working for 16 years in Silicon Valley, who can mentor you, tell you how you can move and grow. It’s very cool that we have this culture and you move it. And also know: failing a startup is normal! In the States or Israel, no one will talk to you If you have never failed a startup. It’s okay to fail, create something new and move on. Ukrainians are super talented! But, unfortunately, not very ambitious. Do not stop there, you can earn more!”.

Yulia Fediv, executive director of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, made a presentation, in which she told details about the work of the UCF:

“The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation is almost the same age as the UFS and we also aim to invest in cultural and creative industries, as well as products that go at the intersection of culture and other spheres. In particular, on August 3, we introduced the Culture + program, which is designed to combine culture with IT, eco-theme, social sphere, healthcare. Therefore, if you are interested, you can apply for this program until August 31. Funding will be provided per year. UCF has already supported more than 1000 projects for 3 years. The strategic goals of the UCF are: promoting the creation of a cultural product, strengthening the role of culture in the development of society, internationalizing Ukrainian culture, developing institutional capacity. We have 16 grant programs. I am sure that you will find the one that suits you. Also, now we have an institutional program. support, which is designed to support you as an organization, because we understand that now, during the quarantine period, there are many other organizations that suffered losses. Therefore, if you now have such a need, apply by August 14 and receive a subsidy from the state (up to UAH 1 million) by the end of the year”.

Olga Polotska, Executive Director of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, made her first public speech in her new position:

“The National Research Foundation of Ukraine, like the UFS, was also created relatively recently, in 2018, and its main task is to support the intellectual and scientific potential of Ukraine. We are in a certain way an alternative to other institutions that finance scientific research. Today the word innovativeness and I hope that it is precisely this that is the heart of our foundation, taking into account the methods of selecting researchers, carrying out expertise and automation of many processes that we use in our work. The philosophy that is laid in the foundation of our foundation is to enable talented Ukrainian scientists to receive grants to be able to implement our own developments and research. Therefore, we have a lot in common with the start-up fund, because for young scientists their projects are also a kind of startups”.

The ceremonial part was completed by Sergiy Shkurakov, acting Chairman of the Board of State Institute of Physical Culture:

“First of all, I want to congratulate Pavel Kartashov together with the Ukrainian Startup Fund, as well as the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the successful implementation of such an initiative that helps startups, which is especially important in the context of the global crisis. But any crisis is also an opportunity that startups should use and I would like to use this moment to make a gift. This is one of our inventions – a multiple signaling devices that will illuminate the path to victory”.

Who evaluated?

Sergiy Dovgopoly. Managing partner of the FeelGoodLabs business accelerator.
Mikhailo Khaletsky. Senior Investment Analyst, Simpact VC.
Hanna Tolstanova. Head of the research department and professor at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Roman Kirigetov. Co-founder and CEO of FlashBeats, founder of Kabanchik.ua and Crafta.
Olexandr Yatsenko. Managing Partner at BRISE Capital.
Andriy Zinchuk. Demium Managing Director.
Vadym Rogovsky. Head and Founder of Startup School Online.

The main criteria for evaluating projects at the seed stage are: team, market, technology, product, strategy. In each category the maximum is 5 points (total maximum 25). The passing score for recommendation to the Supervisory Board for a grant is 15 points.

Results

Based on the results of the assessments of the Competition Commission, the following rating list of startups was formed (from the highest score to the lowest):

ORTY. Restaurant management system, through the introduction of self-service, delivery and chatbots, helps restaurants sell more.
COMIN. Allows content websites to generate income from the content without additional steps, labor or special skills. Comin provides an e-commerce widget that automatically matches the product to the post content. The process of purchasing goods is carried out directly on the content website without the transition of visitors to the store site, and order processing is carried out by the owner of the goods.
Nutritionista. An intelligent mobile app that recommends healthy food to users in nearby restaurants based on personal preferences such as food types, allergens, AI and computer vision eating habits.
TRADOMATIC. A B2B marketplace that helps farmers and traders interact and close deals online with just a few taps. The analytics and indicative pricing tool allows farmers to see daily price updates from over 200 buying companies and professional market analytics. Buyers can report purchase price updates to more than 5,000 manufacturers at the same time. Online auctions allow you to sell your crop at the best price. Tradomatic helps to get the honest and highest price, saving time on phone calls.
AssayMe. Personal Wellness & Health Assistant, allows users to monitor their health and prevent possible medical problems using medical rapid tests at home. It is also a comprehensive tool for better telemedicine.
AMO CITI. Discount network for a new generation: get cash back at your favorite establishments and save the world! We have united 1500+ entrepreneurs and 30,000+ clients in one platform. Each entrepreneur has his own page. On it, he posts photos, opening hours, the amount of the discount, a description of his establishment and special offers. AMO CITY helps businesses turn casual shoppers into loyal customers. And for users, AMO CITY is an easy tool to save money and make your city the best, because part of the cashback goes to support local initiatives. And all this within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Сіті-бот Назар. City chat bot (Viber, Telegram, Facebook), which warns about the disconnection of any city communications, the reasons and timing of their restoration at the specified address. Accepts and controls the execution of applications. Simplifies life and saves time for residents and businesses.
DESNOVATION. Helps homeowners make repairs with a guarantee and for less. The marketplace of ready-made designs ($ 100), auto-shop algorithm. Repair process management service, settlements with contractors upon completion; free technical supervision and insurance.
Flamingo Chair. Robotic chair for active seating. Change your body position and stay as concentrated as possible.
БОСІ. The first Ukrainian brand Boso-footwear. These shoes are lightweight, flexible and anatomically shaped. Barefoot shoes strengthen the feet, improve posture, increase endurance and do not restrict foot movement. Preventive wearing of Boso shoes prevents pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.