Challenger Sustainability is a 3-month acceleration program for early-stage Ukrainian startups in green tech and related sectors, focused on growth, product development, and investment attraction — followed by post-acceleration support, including EU client matchmaking and a study visit to Sweden with participation in Tech Arena. Join us!
APPLY HERE
What we offer
Expert-Led Workshop Series
A curated program of interactive workshops delivered by international experts, experienced founders, investors, and industry professionals.
Networking & Partnership Matchmaking
Curated online and offline networking, including startup roasts, pitching sessions, Demo Day, partner matchmaking, and a study visit to Sweden.
Individual Mentorship Program
Personalized mentoring tailored to each startup’s needs, featuring one-on-one sessions, goal-setting, progress reviews, and pitch practice.
International Investor Access
Structured access to international investors through curated introductions, pitch opportunities, and investment-focused sessions.
What  We Offer
Expert-Led Workshop Series
A curated program of interactive workshops delivered by international experts, experienced founders, investors, and industry professionals.
Networking & Partnership Matchmaking
Curated online and offline networking, including startup roasts, pitching sessions, Demo Day, partner matchmaking, and a study visit to Sweden.
Individual Mentorship Program
Personalized mentoring tailored to each startup’s needs, featuring one-on-one sessions, goal-setting, progress reviews, and pitch practice.
International Investor Access
Structured access to international investors through curated introductions, pitch opportunities, and investment-focused sessions.
Who we're looking for
Ukrainian teams
Solutions in Sustainable Tech
Startups seeking investments
Driven & motivated teams of 2+ members
Startups with a pilot-ready prototype
Teams ready for international scaling
Challenger Prizes
The program Timeline
Our Alumni Say

We are extremely happy to be part of the program. We came to Challenger because we needed technical advice, and we definitely received it and even more. We were also matched with a business mentor who had already completed a successful exit, and he gave us direction and advice that saved us months, and possibly even years, by helping us take the right actions and avoid unnecessary steps. For us, Challenger was truly a program that changed everything during these five months.

‍

Olena Kleiner, Salesdep.ai

Challenger was truly transformative for us and our product. We joined the program to polish our AI and machine learning solution, and through it we refined our core technology and strategic focus. With the support of our mentors, we gained valuable insights on building a company in the European Union, including plans to open in Estonia, and on managing a growing team. We also received important technical guidance that helped improve our modeling and reduce infrastructure costs. Overall, these four months gave us a strong boost to accelerate our development and go to market faster.

‍

Vladyslav Kaliuzhka, Extra-Vision

Challenger is very transformative, memorable, challenging, and inspiring. We have managed to optimize the technical architecture of our product, and we have gained valuable insights about investments thanks to our mentors, colleagues, and partners.

Ilona Didukh, Josti

In my opinion, it is definitely one of the best programs I have ever seen in terms of the quality of content and the quality of mentorship. We applied to Challenger because we are scaling up, and we wanted to get more professional advice on how to scale, as it is tricky to grow. At every stage, when you already have some traction, you should scale more and more. We wanted mentorship, and we got it fully. We are very excited about our business mentor and our technical mentors. We are excited about the quality and level of the educational program.

‍

Sergii Kravtsov, Connective One

Our first communication with the mentors was super helpful because we redeveloped our business model, our financial model and our go-to-market strategy at all. So, on a nutshell, it was super helpful, super insightful and super supportive. Challenger is a pressure, is  a high pace you need to keep up with. It is mentorship, guidance, and I would say growth.

Alina Holovatiuk, InTempo

I'm very excited about the mentors involved in this program and very happy with the one-to-one sessions. We have dramatically improved our pitching, business model, and valuation for our clients. So it's a biggest value part of your acceleration program.  Thank you for that!

‍

Andrii Gulyi, Object Control

investors

No items found.

Mentors

No items found.

Speakers

No items found.

Project team

Iurii-Volodymyr Blavt
Co-founder of Challenger Accelerator
Olena Shershun
Program Manager
Linda Krondahl
CEO of THINGS
Daryna Prydka
Program Coordinator
Nataliia Kravtsova
Project Manager
Daryna Bubniuk
Communication Specialist

frequently asked questions

Contact
How will this program benefit me?

Selected sustainability-driven teams will join a 3-month acceleration program focused on scaling impactful solutions. They will receive tailored 1:1 mentorship, take part in expert-led workshops on business development, sales, marketing, and fundraising, and connect with founders, corporates, and impact investors. The program is especially valuable for startups raising or planning to raise funds, with dedicated post-acceleration investment support.

Is there a fee for participation in the program?

No, teams do not pay for participation. The program is equity-free. We only receive up to 5% of any investment secured within 12 months after the program.

Is the program online?

All core program activities — including sessions, trainings, peer-to-peer meetings, and other acceleration components — will take place online, while several in-person events will complement the experience, including a Mentorship Bootcamp at IT Arena in Lviv, an offline Demo Day (with the option to join remotely), and a Study Visit to Sweden focused on ecosystem immersion and strategic networking.

What is the time commitment needed to participate in the program?

Participation in the program requires an average commitment of approximately 4–6 hours per week. This includes twelve 2-hour online workshops with peer learning, participation in a one-day offline bootcamp, and 15 hours of tailored one-on-one mentoring aligned with each startup’s needs. An additional 4 hours are dedicated to goal-setting, interim and final check-ins, and pitch practice, with the possibility of further expert support depending on the team’s engagement.

What is the language of the program?

As the program brings together startups, experts, and partners from different countries, it is delivered in English. Participants are expected to have a confident working level of English to actively contribute and fully benefit from all activities.

Organizers
Civitta
Civitta is an international collaboratory, erasing artificial boundaries between digital, management consultancy, public advisory, innovation and funding services.
THINGS
General Partners
Swenska Institute
Partners
USF
Media & communication partners
Stay in touch with the opportunities
Success relies on networking and being informed.
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with new opportunities.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
© 2023 Challenger. All rights reserved