If you already have an idea in the field of AI in digital healthtech and want to turn it into your own business but need help knowing where to start, we will help you bring your dream to life.

The Digital Health Testbed closely collaborates with the All-Ukrainian Innovation Ecosystem "Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine" (SCU).

SCU is an open innovation ecosystem that unites institutions interested in developing the Ukrainian innovation economy: universities, research institutions, state authorities, local authorities, business companies, funds and NGOs, international representations, and foreign partner organizations.

The free Startup School Sikorsky Challenge operates based on the Ecosystem.

The Startup School is the first step of knowledge and skills, providing an environment where creative individuals receive not only theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the creation of innovative technology startups but also the conditions for implementing their ideas into a functional business.

The Startup School operates throughout the year. To register for the training, you must fill out an application form on the website. After that, the managers of the Startup School will contact you and provide information about the start date of the training.

The preparation based on SCU methodologies consists of 4 stages.

Stage 1. Training:

• Learn all about startups and take the first steps in building a startup
• Dive into the psychological aspects of team collaboration
• Validate your business idea hypotheses with potential customers.
• Develop and shape the financial business model
• Formulate the vision of your business product or service prototype
• Understand how to position your project on the internet and learn effective promotion strategies
• Create pitch decks and prepare for pitching startup projects to investors, business angels, and venture capital representatives

Stage 2. Incubation:

• Preparing the startup project for investment
• Mentoring the team by Ecosystem professionals

Stage 3. Participation of selected teams in local startup competitions:

• This takes place in the format of a pitch day, either in-person or online.
• It concludes with registering the winning startups on the SCU website and submitting an application to participate in the International Sikorsky Challenge Festival.

Stage 4. Acceleration of startup projects according to the needs of investors:

• Refining the startup project to meet the requirements and needs of investors.

However, the work doesn't end there. Successful startup projects enter the portfolio of the ecosystem, where interested investors can continue to learn about the teams and invite them for pitching, investing and further collaboration. The ecosystem mentors provide guidance and support at every stage of your business's development and implementation. This makes your business competitive, successful, and capable of easily overcoming market entry barriers and scaling up.

Let's turn an idea into a real business together!