Carpathian University Science Park, together with the startup accelerator, is holding the student startup competition “Startup Competition 2026”.
The competition brought together teams of young innovators who will present their own developments in defence technologies, artificial intelligence, ecological materials, business analytics, logistics, inclusive services, sustainable fashion, and smart solutions for water quality monitoring.
Today, the finals of the competition were held, where interesting student solutions in the fields of electronics and computer engineering (“Winged Shadow”); organic plastic production technologies; • AI solutions for video stream analysis (axiovent.ai); financial planning platform (LightBiz); sustainable clothing design project (EidosCraft Lab); logistics system (Tranzio); inclusive platform (IncluseTech), and a management system in the field of renewable energy were presented.
Participants represented various faculties and educational and scientific institutes of the university, demonstrating a combination of science, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking.
The university’s rector, Valentyna Yakubiv, congratulated the finalists and emphasised that today, student startups are not only a space for creative ideas but also an important tool for the development of Ukraine’s innovative economy. She noted that the university consistently supports young people who strive to develop technological solutions with practical social significance and expressed her belief that it is such initiatives that are shaping a new generation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists.
The Chairman of the Academic Council of the KNUVS, Ihor Tsependa, noted that the competition will serve as a platform for developing student entrepreneurship, fostering an innovative ecosystem, and supporting promising ideas capable of transforming modern technological and social challenges into practical solutions.
Representatives of “Prykarpatenergotrade LLC” were also present.
The competition jury included leading experts in science, innovation, digital transformation, and business.
The jury was chaired by Ihor Tsependa, Chairman of the Academic Council of the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University.
The jury also included:
— Ihor Finyak — Director of the Department of Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalisation of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Military Administration;
— Roman Shchur — Doctor of Economics, Professor, Deputy Director of the Carpathian University Science Park for Economic Development;
— Svitlana Kropelnytska — Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Director of the Project and Educational Centre “Agents of Change”;
— Viktor Vintonyak — Member of the Board of the Business Association of Ivano-Frankivsk;
— Lubomyr Nykyruy — Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Deputy Director of the Carpathian University Science Park for Innovation and Investment, Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The Carpathian University Science Park Startup Competition is organised jointly with the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University startup accelerator.
The event is held as part of the celebration of University Day and the birthday of the university’s patron, Vasyl Stefanyk.
In addition, the competition takes place within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Science Week and with the support of the People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Oleksandr Matusevych.
The guests of honour at the event were Igor Fedyk and Natalia Fedyk, owners of the Fedyk company, as well as representatives of the military-industrial complex.
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Startup name |
Faculty |
Startup description |
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WINGED SHADOW Zempleni Roman, Yurchenko Vitaliy |
Faculty of Physics and Technology |
The need for reconnaissance uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the military today is extremely high. They provide rapid receipt of intelligence information, battlefield observation, and detection of enemy positions without risking personnel’s lives. Thanks to UAVs, the military can plan actions more accurately, respond more quickly to changes in the situation, and use resources more efficiently. The development of such technologies is becoming a priority area of modern defence strategy. |
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Organic plastic production Marko-Andriy Dmyterchuk |
Faculty of Physics and Technology |
Application: All areas where regular plastic is used What decides: The problem of environmental pollution Military sphere The problem of organic waste disposal |
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LightBiz – a business planning app Kohut Anastasia, Vyklynets Victoria, Klykaylo Nadiya, Bunyk Andriy, Budziak Roman, Berezin Yevhenii |
Faculty of Economics |
provides a simple and intuitive financial tool for small and medium-sized businesses Helps plan expenses, control profits and avoid financial risks. Ready-made templates for different business areas – quick start without special knowledge. Automatic analysis of deviations, calculation of taxes and financial ratios. Interactive dashboards and notifications – full control of finances in real time. |
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EidosCraft Lab: Sustainable design and clothing culture Artur Kharchii Anastasia Balanda Maria Bilyk Marta Birakovska Anastasia Volovenko Victoria Dragun Tetyana Zilinka Lespukh Hanna Panchyk Tetyana Anna Rovinska Kateryna Savchenko Victoria Semko Sofia Fedorych |
Educational and Scientific Institute of Arts |
The startup is focused on sustainable clothing design, combining artistic approaches, environmental principles, and Ukrainian cultural traditions. The startup’s products will contribute to the formation of a culture of conscious consumption and to the popularisation of aesthetic, high-quality, multifunctional clothing through exhibition activities (fashion shows), workshops, and social network information. The group plans to design, create, and popularise modern clothing based on the principles of Ukrainian traditional costume: a combination of aesthetics, functionality, and quality. Environmental practices will be applied, including the use of natural materials, upcycling, resource reuse, and rational cutting. The group’s exhibition and educational and creative activities will popularise an ecological approach, the aesthetics of clothing and the culture of responsible consumption. |
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IncluTech Natalia GOSHOVSKA |
Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics |
Inclusivity and accessibility in the service sector (HoReCa, retail, public spaces). IncluTech is an innovative accessibility system for businesses that combines a portable ramp, a call button, and a digital platform for rapid staff response to requests from people with disabilities. The system allows establishments to provide physical accessibility without costly renovations, while simultaneously collecting service analytics and forming a public rating of businesses’ accessibility. IncluTech turns accessibility into a measurable, transparent, and manageable service. |
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AI platform for optimising energy consumption The student team of the EnerMind Grid startup was presented by Anastasia Mikula — CEO, Victoria Lega — CFO, and Volodymyr Tsizhma — COO. Strategic mentor of the project — Visiting Scholar, MIT Sloan School of Management, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship, Trade and Applied Economics, Nadiya Pylypiv. Strategic advisor on the development of the energy sector — Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prykarpatenergotrade LLC, Oleh Datsko. The event was also attended by project partners from Prykarpatenergotrade LLC, led by Yulia Andriivna Prystay, Head of the General and Administrative Support Department. |
Faculty of Economics |
EnerMind Grid is an AI platform for optimising energy consumption. We also suggest replacing the startup description with the following text: EnerMind Grid uses artificial intelligence algorithms to support decision-making, predict risks, and improve energy efficiency in the context of Ukraine’s energy system transformation. The solution is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, energy traders, industrial enterprises, and the distributed and green energy segment. |
