As part of Challenger 4.0, we hosted an internal Startup Roast for our EdTech, HealthTech, and AI startups. The event allowed teams to practice and refine their pitches, test their narratives on stage, and receive structured feedback from investors before the accelerator' culmination - Challenger Demo Day.
The internal Startup Roast is a mandatory part of the Challenger Accelerator because this is:
- A safe place to practice: you can pitch your solution, make mistakes, and tweak it without risking the big stage.
- Real feedback: Investors point out what works, what doesn’t, and how to make it sharper.
- Confidence on stage: every time you pitch, your message becomes clearer and stronger, and the nerves start to fade.
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Before the Challenger Demo Day, startups will also participate in online Startup Roasts and 1:1 pitch sessions with the Challenger team, ensuring every team walks onto the stage prepared, confident, and ready to deliver their best pitch.
We would like to thank all participating startups for reaching this stage. Softway, AtriaPRM, Seeklab.ai, Mindship, Pravozno, RobocodeXR, Moviso, Vetlyx.
Our sincere appreciation goes to the jury for their professional and insightful feedback: Markiian Moroz, Alex Orap, Michael Devoe, Dmytro Derkach.
We also extend our gratitude to our partners, Sigma Software Labs, for hosting the event and providing a welcoming environment that fostered engagement and learning.
Challenger Accelerator is organized by Civitta and Radar Tech, with support from ESTDEV and UMAEF.
Before we wrap up, we’d like to share some key takeaways from the Startup Roast — practical tips every founder can use to make their pitch sharper, more confident, and investor-ready.
Key Takeaways from the Startup Roast
- Lead with the problem: Begin with a challenge that immediately captures investor attention.
- One slide, one message: Keep presentations concise and focused.
- Demonstrate the product: Show the solution, don’t just describe it.
- Share meaningful metrics: Highlight MRR, CAC, LTV, and momentum to create a clear business case.
- Founder energy matters: Conviction and clarity are more impactful than polished slides.
- A pitch is an invitation: It is a chance for investors to join the startup journey.
