Congratulations to the winners of the IV Business Ideas Competition "STARTUP with Zaporizhia Polytechnic"!

On April 24, the grand finale of the IV Business Ideas Competition “STARTUP with Zaporizhia Polytechnic” took place.

The competition started in February for all interested parties, regardless of age, field of study and level of education, and 34 teams participated. In order to best present their work, the participants took a training course of 5 webinars, organized jointly with the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations, the National Hub of Intellectual Property and Innovations and the Network of Technology and Innovation Support Centers. In addition to the contestants, everyone interested in entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, intellectual property and the art of presentation was able to participate in the webinars. In total, almost 100 participants joined the webinars.

11 teams were selected for the finals and presented their business ideas to experts and potential investors.

The finalists were congratulated by Vice-Rector Vadym Shalomeyev and Head of TISC of NU “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic” Natalia Vysotska, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations Ihor Parenchuk, Project Manager of the Ukrainian Startup Fund Anna Motrych, Mentor of Investhub Accelerator Anton Bogdanov, Director of the Regional Innovation Hub of NTU “Dnipro Polytechnic” Tetyana Bulana, Chairman of the Council of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Federation of Employers, President of the ZOSPPR “Potential” Oleksandr Holovko, Vice President of the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Andriy Kuts and representatives of the Zaporizhzhia Cluster “IAM”, Deputy General Director of the Enterprise for Scientific and Experimental and Testing Work of JSC “Ivchenko-Progress” Yuriy Torba, Head of the Personnel Training and Development Department of JSC “Motor Sich” Alena Gavrylenko and Head of the Personnel Motivation Department of JSC “Motor Sich” Dmitry Gradinarov, Leading Engineer of the Center for Testing and Certification of Products of the Zaporizhzhia Steel Plant Valeria Butkevych and Deputy Head of the Youth Organization of the Zaporizhzhia Steel Plant Serhiy Petrov, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Central Branch of JSC “Credit Agricole Bank” Taras Karlenko and Head of the Branch of JSC “Credit Agricole Bank” Olga Lobur, Head of the Council of Young Scientists under the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, Professor of the Department of Marketing and logistics Anastasia Zerkal and head of the NTSA of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic University Serhiy Leoshchenko.

The experts noted the serious level of project preparation and wished the teams successful development of their work and finding grateful users.

According to the results of the evaluation, the following teams took the prize places:

1st place — «Kerbot Drone» consisting of Oleg Savchenko (BK-615m) and Ivan Bushman (BK-612). They presented an engineering platform for designing, testing compatibility, and analyzing modular unmanned systems with AI and user extensions.

2nd place — «Farm2Home» by Artem Dygtyar (BTU–0813) and Hanna Zhuravel (BTU–0813). They presented a farm that produces natural dairy products and delivers them directly from the farm to the consumer’s door.

3rd place — «Wonderfacade» by Oleksiy Matyushkin (M–313) with a facade insulation system. The project also won in a special nomination from PJSC “Zaporizhstal”.

In the nomination “Audience Sympathy Award”, the “Kozak City” team consisting of Olga Trubai (BTU-1113) and Alina Lytvynenko (BTU-1113) together with their mentor – associate professor of the Department of Marketing and Logistics Nina Pavlishyna won. They presented an innovative theme park of entertainment, where through authentic attractions and interactive adventures children and adults immerse themselves in the world of Ukrainian traditions, studying their native culture in a playful way. The winners were awarded valuable prizes from the trade union committee of students of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University. The project also won in the special nomination from PJSC “Zaporizhstal”.

The following teams won in the special nominations from the competition partners:

• “ARMOR-LIFT” consisting of Oleksandr Elagin (T-413sp), senior lecturer of the Department of Automobiles, Heat Engines and Hybrid Power Plants Natalya Ryaboshapka, associate professor of the same department Oleksandr Slyusarov, accompanied by the mentor – head of the department Oleksandr Artyukh. They presented autonomous hydraulic complexes of rapid deployment for the safe lifting of heavy armored vehicles in field conditions. The project won in special nominations from JSC Motor Sich, JSC Progress, PJSC Zaporizhstal, JSC Credit Agricole Bank and Zaporizhzhia Cluster IAM;
• “Promt Pioneers” consisting of students of the Zaporizhzhia Professional College of Computer Technologies of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University Milana Mohylna, Timofey Deydey, Yegor Belka and Maria Nikolayenko, accompanied by a mentor – teacher Oleksandr Shcherbakov. They presented an AI-assistant for building a path from study to the first job. The project won in special nominations from JSC “Ivchenko-Progress” and Zaporizhzhia Cluster “IAM”;
• “Vector of Life” consisting of students of Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University Sofia Bogomaz, Victoria Tislenko, Karolina Shorokhova and Darya Sergienko (also a student of BTU-1015). The project won in special nominations from the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and JSC “Credit Agricole Bank”. The team was mentored by Associate Professor of the Department of Business and Management Tetyana Sergienko;
• “ROD” consisting of Oleksiy Matyushkin (M-313) and senior lecturers of the Department of Machine Parts and Lifting and Transport Mechanisms Roman Frolov and Dmytro Kozak, who presented a stump uprooter for mini loaders. The project won in the special nominations from JSC “Credit Agricole Bank”.

We sincerely congratulate the winners! We wish you not to stop and achieve the most ambitious goals!

We are sincerely grateful to our partners — IP Office, IP&I Hub, TISC, USF, JSC “Credit Agricole Bank”, Zaporizhzhia Regional Federation of Employers, ZOSPPR “Potential”, Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zaporizhzhia Cluster “Engineering – Automation – Mechanical Engineering”, PJSC “Zaporizhstal”, JSC “Ivchenko-Progress”, JSC “Motor Sich”, Center for Support of Public Initiatives “Vilni UA”, Engineering School Noosphere — for their constant reliable support!

We boldly step towards the implementation of the most daring business ideas together with Zaporizhzhia polytechnic!