Caucasus University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center held the final event of Startup Pre-acceleration program CUnicorn – Demo Day (Batch 1) at CU.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center’s pre-acceleration program CUnicorn aims to promote the development of tech startups at the university.
Participation in CUnicorn is free of charge. It is open to teams of Caucasus University students, graduates, and administrative, and academic staff (at least one team member) with early-stage startups/ideas that create or are based on tech and have Minimum Viable Product MVP or an established action plan for its implementation.
Over the past 10 weeks, 5 startup teams went through intensive mentorship sessions led by experienced local and international mentors and invited speakers, and learned the basic principles of startup creation and development.
Demo Day was led by Giorgi Burduli – Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. Kakha Shengelia, President of Caucasus University, and Salome Khachiauri - Zoltau, Head of the Department of Grant Programs Management at Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency addressed the participants.
On Demo Day, Startups presented their ideas to industry experts and investors, answered questions of the judges, and met potential partners.
A panel discussion “The Evolution of Startup Ecosystem” was held during the event. Invited panelists were: Chris Burry – CEO at US Market Access Center, Keti Kvartskhava - Managing Partner at BLC Law Office, Giorgi Chugoshvili – Co-Founder at Phubber, and Guri Koiava – Co-Founder of Axel Georgian Business Angel Network and Startup Buro.
At the end of the event, the judges –President of Caucasus University - Kakha Shengelia, CEO of US Mac – Chris Burry, Managing Partner of BLC Law Office – Keti Kvartskhava, Executive Director of Gazelle Finance – Natia Janelidze, and Co-founder of CrocoSquad – Giorgi Barnabishvili announced the winners, who were awarded with prizes by CU and the event supporters.
- 1st Place: Rollycks was awarded a cash prize of 3000 GEL by Caucasus University. CrocoSquad, also awarded the first-place startup with 3000 GEL as an event supporter.
- 2nd Place: AI Farmer received a prize of 2000 GEL from CrocoSquad.
- 3rd Place: E-Flow was awarded with 1500 GEL by Gazelle Finance, an event supporter.
Caucasus University and other Demo Day supporters including Clevertone, VISA, PAYZE and Startup Georgia awarded their chosen startups with special prizes.
During the event, an exhibition space was organized for startups developed with the support of Caucasus University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center , where they had the opportunity to present their products and prototypes to the Demo Day participants.
The Demo Day was supported by the following organizations: CrocoSquad, TBC, Gazelle Finance, Clevertone, VISA, PAYZE, PAVILION WINES, US Mac, Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), AXEL, Business Formula, and Startup Georgia.
