From idea to prototype: winners of the "KIU Accelerator - 2026 (spring)" program were awarded at KIU.

      At the Kazan Innovative University, a solemn award ceremony was held for the winners of the "KIU Accelerator – 2026 (Spring)" program. This event marked not only the final point of a large-scale acceleration program but also an important start for students ready to continue developing their own technological solutions. Over four months of intensive work, participants underwent a rich educational and project journey. Within the program, 65 startup project teams were formed, 530 participants completed the educational track, and 50 teams presented their developments during the defenses.

      The best projects gathered in the assembly hall of the Kazan Innovative University to find out which teams the expert commission recognized as the most developed, innovative, and promising.

      Welcome speech to the participants

      With a parting address to the finalists, the Vice-Rector for Corporate Governance of KIU, Timur Kramin, the head of the "KIU Accelerator – 2026 (Spring)" program, spoke. In his speech, he emphasized that the path the participants traveled required high concentration, willpower, systematization, and true entrepreneurial persistence.

      "We have together made an amazing journey into the world of technological entrepreneurship. You have come a long way in creating your projects, overcoming numerous obstacles, and successfully completing the program. The secret to your success is determination and hard work.

      I want to highlight two innovations of our current program. First, we focused primarily on the market of the National Technological Initiative Neuronet. Experience has shown that this was the right decision, as this market effectively combines artificial intelligence technologies and cognitive technologies. At the center of our attention is the human and behavioral economics. This combination has enormous prospects.

      To form the necessary competencies in the Neuronet market before the program began, we held a training event called "Technological Sandbox."

      Secondly, during the program, a Prototyping Workshop was created, which made product prototyping technologies accessible to almost all our startup projects. Creating a prototype during the acceleration program became standard practice. By the end of the second stage, all projects had prototypes, MVPs, or finished products.

      But our program has one more special secret: you were not alone. You were supported by assistants and like-minded people — experienced track teachers, the best graduates of previous KIU acceleration programs, mentors, experts, industrial partners, and curators in technological areas. Such synergy leaves no chance for failure.

      During your participation in the program, you became not just technological entrepreneurs — you joined a large team of young professionals whose goal is to strengthen Russia's technological sovereignty and its socio-economic development. I wish you success! Keep it up!"

      Awarding the TOP-35 accelerator projects

      The first part of the ceremony was the awarding of participants who made it into the TOP-35 accelerator projects.

      Diplomas were presented to the finalists by program expert L.Sh. Khabibullina, Deputy Head of the Innovation Support Department of the Entrepreneurship Support Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan. She congratulated the teams on their achievements and wished the participants courage in scaling, sustainable project development, and new professional victories.

      Nomination "Millionaires": projects that received grant support

      A separate stage of the ceremony was the awarding of winners in the "Millionaires" nomination. This included projects that won a grant of 1 million rubles as part of the federal competition "Student Startup."

      The winners in the "Millionaires" nomination were:

      1st place — NeuroUniDrive Plaster Pro (intelligent cyber-physical system for managing plastering works)

      2nd place — Graffy Mobile application for task tracking with gamification elements to enhance personal efficiency.

      Winners of the main nomination of the accelerator

      The climax of the ceremony was the awarding of prizes to the winners of the main nomination of the "KIU Accelerator – 2026 (Spring)" program. The awards were presented by program head Timur Kramin.

      Before announcing the results, he noted that each accelerator participant is already a winner, as they gained valuable experience in project work, entrepreneurial thinking, and creating technological products. Such experience becomes a serious competitive advantage for future employment, professional growth, and launching their own initiatives.

      The winners of the main nomination included:

      1st place — AgroSystem Project for the digitalization of agriculture.

      2nd place — MalGamma Production Creation of an AI platform for producing digital content.

      3rd place — NeuroZumik Creation of a cognitive AI platform for the adaptive development of children's higher mental functions.

      4th place — RLX Implementation of an AI sales manager.

      5th place — digital platform "Your Taste" Recommendation system in the field of public catering.

      6th place — "My Food Compromise" Creation of an intelligent assistant for healthy eating.

      7th place — NeuroGreen Concrete Intelligent selection of concrete mix.

      8th place — Harmmeet Intelligent leisure and travel planning system.

      New opportunities for young technological entrepreneurs

      The award ceremony has concluded, but the path for the accelerator teams is just beginning. During their participation in the program, students not only refined their ideas but also took an important step towards creating real technological products that are in demand by the market, industrial partners, and society.

      KIU congratulates all participants of the "KIU Accelerator – 2026 (Spring)" program and wishes the teams further development, successful scaling of projects, new grant victories, and confident promotion of their solutions in the Republic of Tatarstan, throughout Russia, and on the international stage.

      The achievements of the participants have already become a source of pride for the university. Ahead of young technological entrepreneurs are new horizons, opportunities, and professional victories.

      It is important to note that the "KIU Accelerator – 2026 (Spring)" program is implemented as part of the federal project "Technologies," which underscores its significance for forming an innovative ecosystem in the region and the country as a whole.