Civitta’s Challenger Accelerator is accepting applications from Ukrainian teams in the fields of EdTech, HealthTech, and AI. Participation is free and without transfer of shares, and the best team will receive a $25,000 grant from UMAEF.
Civitta’s Challenger Accelerator is accepting applications from Ukrainian teams in the fields of EdTech, HealthTech, and AI. Participation is free and without transfer of shares, and the best team will receive a $25,000 grant from UMAEF.
The launch of the recruitment was announced in a press release from Challenger Accelerator. Program co-founder Yuriy Blavt directly outlines the focus: «Startups with EdTech, HealthTech, and AI products can apply to the accelerator. This year, we want to especially support EdTech and HealthTech startups, as we see great potential in these areas. At the same time, there remains a separate AI track, open to teams in other areas that are already working with artificial intelligence or plan to integrate it into their product.»
Equity-free program: there is no fee to participate and no stake to give away. At the same time, if investments are raised during the acceleration or within a year after it, the Challenger can receive 3–5% of the round amount. The winner will receive a $25K grant from UMAEF, and three more teams will receive a $75K+ package in the form of credits for cloud services from USF and other partner benefits. The best startups will also get a trip to Latitude59.
Participants will receive 30+ hours of individual mentoring (business and technical experts), 15+ hours of hands-on workshops (product-market fit, investments, marketing and sales), sessions with Ukrainian and international investors, and regular networking events. According to Anton Vashchuk from UMAEF, «Over the past 5 years, Ukraine’s startup ecosystem has grown almost 9 times… in the first quarter of 2025 alone, they attracted a record $450 million in investments. This clearly confirms their huge potential and entrepreneurial spirit.»
Teams of 2 people with an MVP-level product can apply. Having the first customers or validation will be a plus. Registration is open until November 20 on the Challenger website
The acceleration will take place in a hybrid format from January to April 2026, culminating in a Demo Day in April. Upon completion, participants will receive post-acceleration support. The language of the program is English.
To meet the team and get quick feedback on your pitch, you can register for the Challenger Startup Roast on October 14 in Kyiv — as a pitcher or as a guest.
Challenger has already launched 32 startups, including CheckEye, Getpin, GIOS, Beholder, Rythmex, Apixmed, Object Control, Inspira, Connective One, Extra-Vision, and others. The new set aims to help teams attract investment, refine their product, scale sales, and enter new markets, drawing on the program’s network of mentors and partners.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Linkos Group, together with Vector media , established a special award for the most interesting startup at IT Arena 2025. This partnership was a new step in supporting young teams presenting their ideas at the country’s largest technology event.
