Deep Tech Accelerator results: Serhiy Tokarev spoke about the winner and investment in hardware

The Deep Tech Accelerator programme by AI HOUSE ended on 25 April at MacPaw Space. Over the course of four months, hardware teams attended lectures, refined their products, and engaged with leading experts and business founders. Serhiy Tokarev — the driving force behind AI HOUSE, founder of Tokarev Foundation, and an investor — spoke about the results of Demo Day.

Why AI HOUSE chose the hardware sector

Due to high risks and long development cycles, hardware start-ups find it more difficult to raise capital. That is why AI HOUSE opted for a structured acceleration programme, which helped reduce the time it takes for teams to reach the market. As a result, Deep Tech Accelerator: Hardware Edition was established with the support of the Ukrainian Startup Fund and the Kyiv Aviation Institute.

According to Serhiy Tokarev, over the four-month programme, nine teams attended lectures by 30 speakers, worked with 25 mentors, and took part in AMA sessions. In addition, they visited the Esper Bionics production facility and gained access to manufacturing partners.

Participants and winner of Demo Day Hardware Edition

Nine hardware teams from the fields of industrial tech, robotics, agrotechnology, and energy completed the accelerator programme. As part of their support, each team received $25,000 in AWS credits from the Ukrainian Startup Fund.

Three projects received additional recognition: Snipel Systems, Tova Industries, and Watcher AI. Each of these teams was also awarded $150,000 in Microsoft Azure credits to further develop and scale their solutions.

The winner was TechNovator, whose team received a $10,000 grant for scaling. The start-up’s main goal is to develop next-generation wireless power transmission. TechNovator’s product is designed for robots, medical implants, and drones. It will help solve the problem of powering devices remotely without cables, contact stations, or overheating.

The founder of Tokarev Foundation also speaks about other participants:

• Robol — autonomous coffee shops and humanoid robots;
• SeedMe — tools that help farmers automate greenhouses and control indoor climate conditions;
• Vuzoll — an assistant for the service industry with CRM system integration;
• Watcher AI — an edge AI video surveillance platform with a chat interface, designed for the military and security sectors;
• Snipel Systems — a solution based on artificial intelligence technologies for the autonomous detection and neutralisation of drones;
• Ukrainian Laboratory Instruments — a laboratory station that automates chemical processes;
• Tova Industries — a hybrid lighting system that uses fibre optics to transmit natural light;
• UA GREEN — vertical wind turbines with an AI-based predictive maintenance system.

Deep Tech Accelerator: Hardware Edition enabled teams to establish direct collaboration with industry experts, significantly improve their products, and expand their professional networks.

The founder of Tokarev Foundation Serhiy Tokarev explains that nine teams over four months represent only the programme’s first test. AI HOUSE’s central hypothesis was that, given the right conditions, Ukrainian hardware engineers would be able to compete globally. Demo Day proved this to be true.