Challenger AI: accelerating the future of AI-driven startups

Despite the ongoing war-related security and economic challenges, Ukrainian startups continue to drive innovation and help keep the country among the three fastest-growing ecosystems in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and the fourth most valuable—following Poland, Estonia, and the Czech Republic.

However, there are still critical gaps in Ukraine’s innovation landscape that hinder the smooth and active growth of local innovators. These include a lack of business expertise among startups, a limited number of accelerators and support programs, a shortage of experienced and qualified business angels, and restricted access to smart early-stage investments.

That’s why we continue to support Ukrainian tech founders and have launched the third batch of the international acceleration program — Challenger AI.

The comprehensive implementation of Challenger AI 3.0 spanned nine months. The program was structured into three stages and included the organization and delivery of the AI for Ukraine Recovery Hackathon, the Challenger AI Pre-Acceleration Program, and the Challenger AI Accelerator

This multi-stage approach enabled us to support startups at various levels of maturity, providing them with access to knowledge and opportunities to improve their solutions or existing products.

Challenger AI 3.0 was focused on advancing AI startups, as well as teams planning to integrate artificial intelligence into their products or services. The project is  initiated and implemented by Civitta and Radar Tech, and supported by ESTDEV – the Estonian Centre for International Development. It is a 3-month, online, equity-free program that offers deep expertise from leading international mentors, as well as networking opportunities with investors and top-tier corporations.

Challenger AI is a strategic initiative that helps startups grow, scale, and succeed globally. We support them in entering new markets, building partnerships, gaining customers, driving innovation, and improving their products. Through tailored resources, expert guidance, and global networks, we give startups the tools they need to overcome key challenges and reach their full potential.

Stage 1. AI for Ukraine Recovery Hackathon 

The project kicked off with a 3-day hybrid hackathon held simultaneously in Kyiv and Tallinn. It was designed to inspire and support the development of innovative AI-powered solutions for Ukraine’s post-war recovery.

• To ensure broad reach and engagement, we launched a promotional campaign in Kyiv and Tallinn, resulting in 209 applications, from which 42 teams were selected to participate.
• We partnered with organizations including Helsing, TRINITI, UNICEF, and others, who contributed to a €15,000 prize fund and provided additional perks for participants.
• To support teams throughout the event, we brought together 45 mentors, including 7 from our Challenge partners, and hosted 4 hands-on workshops. In total, we delivered 81 mentorship sessions that helped teams shape and refine their solutions.
• The hackathon concluded with a final awards ceremony, where the top-performing teams were recognized and awarded prizes. Winners in general category – AFterMath, GR2, Magic Fight, Sparonix; winners in mental health category – AIREST, YOUME, AnInspiRise.
• 10 of the most promising teams were invited to join the Challenger AI Pre-Acceleration Program, where they continued to develop their ideas with the support of structured mentorship and targeted resources.

Stage 2. Challenger AI Pre-Acceleration Program

After the Hackathon, 10 most promising teams received additional support to further develop their ideas. Specifically, we provided the following services:

• We appointed 6 lead mentors to work closely with each team throughout the program, conducting 15 individual mentoring sessions.
• We conducted 8 focused workshops on key topics such as: product–market fit, value proposition design, customer discovery, lean product development & testing for AI startups and more. 

Our team supported the teams in refining their ideas and preparing to pitch.
6 teams presented their projects at the Demo Day, receiving valuable feedback from an expert panel.
The most promising team – Object Control was invited to join the next stage — the Challenger AI Acceleration Program.

Stage 3. Challenger AI Acceleration program

The Challenger AI Acceleration Program ran for 3.5 months in an intensive online format and marked the most comprehensive stage of the initiative. It was designed to help advanced AI startups grow, scale, and prepare for entry into global markets. Here’s how we made it happen:

• We secured the support of our partners, UMAEF and USF, who provided valuable prizes for the program:  $25,000 grant for the winning startup, and $75,000 in AWS credits, distributed equally among the top 3 teams.
• We launched a 2-wave promotional campaign, supported by 2 community events, to raise awareness and attract high-potential applicants.
• From 127 applications, we selected 29 teams to join the Selection Bootcamp. With the support of mentors and industry experts, we evaluated the teams and selected the top 14 startups to join the accelerator.
• Each selected startup was matched with both a business mentor (10 hours) and a technical mentor (5 hours) for personalized, hands-on support throughout the program.
• We delivered 5 thematic workshop modules, covering topics such as product–market fit, investment readiness, sales strategy, marketing, and more.
• We organized 2 offline networking events to boost visibility and strengthen ecosystem connections.
• Also we set up an online Startup Roast, where 12 teams pitched their solutions to representatives from 5 VC funds — Zaka VC, Horizon Capital, Specialist VC, Nesprit VC, and SID Venture Partners — receiving direct feedback from investors.
• The program culminated in a Demo Day in Kyiv, where startups pitched their solutions. The Demo day brought together over 80 attendees, including mentors, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
• Top-performing teams were awarded valuable prizes: a $25,000 grant for the Object Control team; $75,000 in AWS credits, divided equally among Object Control, Connective One and if.team; 6 teams received tickets to the TNW Conference in Amsterdam.