More than 1 500 startups from around the world participated in the contest to get a ticket for the program of the major Kickstart Accelerator in Europe, in order to get training and finish products in Switzerland. 30 winners were chosen and among them is the Ukrainian agro-startup BIOsens. BIOsens develops products for the Internet of Things (IoT) using biosensors for rapid diagnosis of food safety testing mycotoxins.
The Swiss Kickstart Accelerator facilitates the implementation of technologies in order to solve complex societal problems. This is one of the largest programs in Europe for start-ups, operating with many corporations including more than 80 founders from around the world. The ambitious entrepreneurs are offered unprecedented opportunities for the development of their companies and projects working closely with the outstanding R&D companies, corporations, international investors and the local startup ecosystem at Kickstart Accelerator. The accelerator invites the most promising start-ups from different areas of specialization to Switzerland for a period of 11 weeks to gain access to the global ecosystem.
"It was not easy to win. Startups were selected from more than 1,500 applications from around the world, in the final part of the contest of the 2-days boot camp in Zurich. We had the opportunity to present our ideas for the experienced jury that consisted of the industry professionals, investors and representatives from the corporate sector. Subsequently, only 30 startups or only 2% of the total number of participants have been selected to participate in the 11-week program. The program will start on 4 September and last until 17 November, 2017. We look forward to meeting with mentors and the Kickstart Accelerator team in September," said Andrey Karpiuk, developer of BIOsens.
"In mid-July 2017 in Zurich, we competed in the final part of the contest for a place in the Kickstart Accelerator. And we are very pleased that our Ukrainian creation, that is a biosensor for testing the quality of food products got the ticket. BIOsens has been recognized by the jury as an important and promising project. Today we are working on the development of a method for a rapid diagnosis for mycotoxins to step forward and create a mobile laboratory. Our goal is to protect and secure lives. And we hope that the program of study and work in the Kickstart Accelerator will help us to improve the product by meeting international companies and identifying trends in the field of food safety," told Ekaterina Zvereva, a member of the team of BIOsens, the CMO of the project.
This year, the program hosted startups from 15 countries including South Korea, South Africa, Finland, Ukraine, and Singapore. Almost two thirds (19) of startup winners are from Europe, 5 startups are from the USA, 3 - from Asia, 2 - from Africa and 1 - from Australia.
