if.team Won First Place at the Unicorn Startup Contest

The Ukrainian startup ecosystem is growing fast, and every win at a respected competition confirms its strength and potential. For our team it is also proof that the product has value and a future.

What the Unicorn Startup Contest is

The contest is run by Sigma Software Labs — the venture arm of Sigma Software — together with the Ukrainian Startup Fund and SID Venture Partners. It is open to teams with a presence in Ukraine, whether an office or a team, that are more than half owned by Ukrainian founders and have raised no more than €500,000.

The format is two intense weeks: registration and mentoring sessions with experts, then two qualifying Crash Test pitches, and a final Demo Day in front of investors. The prizes have one important feature — winners receive grants without equity dilution, so the company keeps control of its cap table.

Our result

if.team took first place. That is meaningful recognition of the product and its potential, especially given that the jury judged us with an investor’s eye rather than a purely technical one.

About the pitch

We are often unhappy with our own pitches, but this time we are definitely happy with the outcome. Most importantly, the jury was able to see the product and where it is heading.

What this means for the product

The contest format involves working with mentors and iterating on the pitch several times. For the team it was not only a win but a chance to check how clearly we explain the value of if.team to people outside the project management industry. The feedback from the jury and other participants feeds directly into how we build and position the product.

Thanks

Thank you to our team — this win would have been impossible without working together. And thank you to the startup ecosystem that lets us move, collaborate and ask questions.