Data-intensive, early-phase ideas based on artificial intelligence need capital to enter the market. Without that capital, those ideas will remain in the laboratory or as hobbies for the development teams.

The pilot project round brings funding, support and advice from mentors, and acceleration for the pilot projects that have been through the development marathon and been selected by the expert panel. This step helps artificial intelligence solutions become market-ready and attract additional private capital!

To recieve funding, all the pilot projects will be evaluated in 5 different categories:

• Complexity and uniqueness of the pilot project
• General impact of the implemented project
• KPI’s, timeline and budget
• Team.

The pilot project round is for:

• Teams that have taken part in the Tehnopol AI development marathon and whose project plans and operating schedules have been voted worth funding by the expert panel;
• Pilot projects that have been technically and commercially validated, that are feasible, and that could demonstrate a return on investment;
• Teams that are ready to launch their project as they have access to the data they need and are prepared to put in the time needed;
• Teams that are ready to consider their pilot project as a research and development activity and that are ready to publish a description of a methodology of the pilot;
• Teams that are ready to put up at least 30% of the funding themselves.

The Tehnopol AI development programme supports the launch and research work of 8-12 pilot projects. The projects are selected by the expert panel of the development marathon.

The amount of investment depends on the plans submitted by the team and on their capital needs, and can range from 25,000 to 75,000 euros. The decision on the amount of funding is also taken by the expert panel. The eligible costs are labour costs, the costs of bringing in external experts, research work that is bought in, and technical hardware and software tools.

A total of € 370,000 will be distributed for the implementation of pilot projects!

A contract is signed with the legal entity representing the team or company receiving the pilot project funding, and it regulates the implementation of the project receiving the funding, the use and commercialisation of intellectual property, and the financial reporting obligations. Tehnopol supports the pilot projects in achieving their goals through mentoring and the Startup Incubator AI accelerator from the first project round.

The time for implementing the pilot projects is September – December 2022, i.e. 4 months. At the end of that time, the results of the project are submitted to the expert panel and, to the extent agreed, are released to the public through the Tehnopol channels.

The Tehnopol Startup Incubator AI accelerator helps bring to the market new and strong technology companies working with artificial intelligence, whose solutions can take the production, processes or products of small and medium-sized businesses to a new level.

The AI technology accelerator is open to startup companies and spin-off teams from established companies, and to teams of researchers and students whose ideas and solutions use artificial intelligence and are aimed at industrial or data-intensive companies.

The AI accelerator programme of the Startup Incubator helps:

• AI technology companies to grow strong under the guidance of experienced mentors using a training programme;
• Bring together participants in the artificial intelligence ecosystem and experts;
• Ideas based on AI reach the pilot phase faster and with less testing;
• Make contacts who can help bring in additional capital.

To enter the programme:

• The team must have the skills needed and be able to develop the idea proposed into a pilot during the accelerator programme;
• The business ideas must suit not only the needs of one individual company, and must be possible to scale up in foreign markets as well;
• The team must be ready to commit the time needed to reach the minimum level of pilot readiness by the end of the accelerator programme.
• It would be good to have an agreement to pilot the idea with at least one potential client or partner.

The following development cycles will be completed during the programme:

• Defining the problems of clients and designing the value proposition;
• Putting together a business model and a strong team;
• Creating product development and prototypes based on AI technology;
• Protecting intellectual property and agreements about it with other parties;
• Being ready for investors and finding sources of funding;
• Validating client cases, piloting, and setting a strategy for market entry.

A specialist training series focused on AI together with mentors and experts who are among the best in the business will help participants complete the development cycle, and the mentors will work each week with the teams. The teams participating in the accelerator programme can use the physical working space of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator.

The AI accelerator will run after the development marathon and will offer teams taking part in it immediate support in growing into strong startups developing AI technology. It is not required to take part in the development marathon to access the AI accelerator, but the winning teams in the development marathon are guaranteed direct entry into the accelerator.