The final event of Startup Pre-Acceleration Program CUnicorn Batch 5  — Demo Day — was held at Caucasus University, organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center with the support of Baumer, the program’s general sponsor.

As part of Demo Day, seven startup teams — whose members included Caucasus University students, alumni, staff, and, for the first time in program history, high school students— presented their startup ideas in front of investors, industry experts, potential partners, and ecosystem representatives. Within the framework of the fifth batch, individual mentoring sessions were held with members of the investment board and angel investors from Axel – Georgian Business Angel Network.

At the event, welcome remarks were delivered by:

• Dr. Kakha Shengelia, President of Caucasus University
• Irena Melua, Vice President for Internationalization of Caucasus University
• Avtandil Kasradze, Chairman of Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA)
• Levan Kirimlishvili, Founder of Baumer and Director of Infinity Venture Holding

As part of the Demo Day,  a special guest speaker session was held, led by Iro Tsagareishvili, Managing Director of Axel. During the session, the speaker addressed the topic of Investor-Founder Fit, highlighting the key factors that contribute to successful collaboration between investors and startup founders.

During the event, Irakli Svanidze, Acting Head of  Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, presented the center’s ongoing and upcoming projects — including regional initiatives, international partnerships, and long-term goals for empowering young entrepreneurs and strengthening the local startup ecosystem.

At the end of the event, the jury announced the winning startups, who received prizes from Caucasus University and the program’s general sponsor, Baumer:

1. 1st Place – Shieldify – 5,000 GEL;
2. 2nd Place – GreenPoint – 2,000 GEL;
3. 3rd Place – EcoShade – 1,000 GEL;
4. President’s Choice – News Tracker – 1,000 GEL.

The Demo Day jury was composed of distinguished and highly qualified representatives of the business and technology sectors, who actively contribute to the development of the innovation ecosystem both in Georgia and internationally.

Jury Members:

• Dr. Kakha Shengelia – President of Caucasus University
• Avtandil Kasradze – Chairman of Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA)
• Levan Kirimlishvili – Founder of Baumer and Director of Infinity Venture Holding
• Giorgi Simongulashvili – Member of the European Business Angel Network (EBAN), Axel Angel Investor and Investment Board Member
• Sopho Chkoidze – Co-founder and COO of Pulsar AI, alumna of Caucasus University

Participating Startups:

• Shieldify - Startup offers a web application firewall focused on repelling cyber attacks quickly and efficiently, with minimal server resources. 
• GreenPoint - The ecosystem for electric vehicles, based on sharing economy principles, driving accessible and sustainable charging through a decentralized system and connecting drivers to dedicated EV service centers. 
• EcoShade — A virtual agronomist that offers a farmer a personalized plan to protect your farm’s crops from UV radiation, extreme weather, diseases, and pests, by selecting optimal treatments and providing ongoing monitoring.
• BalanceBuddy - A platform where personalized services from certified fitness coaches, nutritionists, and psychologists are accessible to users at their preferred time and location, to help them achieve life balance
• TeamBuilder - is a platform that helps HR managers and team-building service providers organize and manage team-building events more effectively.
• It makes planning easier with tools for scheduling, communication, and performance tracking for in-person and virtual events, including interactive virtual game rooms.
• News Tracker is a platform that collects news from  information sources in real time and delivers it through a mobile application.
• VITA - A  startup that offers a mobile-friendly application designed for pupils. The app helps users identify the professions that best match their personalities, guiding them to find and apply to the most suitable universities.

The event was hosted by Ana Dolidze,  Manager of  Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.

Over the course of 10 weeks, program participants attended thematic sessions covering key stages of startup development — from customer discovery to business model design and pitch preparation. Mentorship was provided by both local and international experts.

The mentors of the program’s fifth Batch were:

▪️ Sandro Kandelaki – Co-founder and CEO of Student Hunt;

▪️ Giorgi Razmadze – Co-founder and CEO of Awork;

▪️ Zura Kvinikadze – Digital Marketer;

▪️ Ketevan Khuntsaria – Entrepreneur, Member of Axel's Investment Committee, and Angel Investor;

▪️ Iro Tsagareishvili – Managing Director at Axel;

▪️ Irakli Svanidze – Acting Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, Visiting Lecturer at CU;

▪️ Giorgi Chugoshvili – Co-founder of Phubber and Amadeo;

▪️ Mari Datisvili – Co-founder of My Gallery and Visiting Lecturer at CU;

▪️ Iako Jikia – Co-founder and CEO of Helio AI.

Program Supporters: Baumer, Axel, Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), George Washington University’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Sandora, Zigzag.