From Idea to Product: Key Takeaways from Lviv IT Cluster’s First Startup School

In collaboration with startup entrepreneur Oleksandr Reminnyi, Sigma Software and Sigma Software University, Lviv IT Cluster has successfully conducted its first startup school. For over a week, the best student teams refined their projects with the guidance of industry professionals.

The bachelor’s programs supported by Lviv IT Cluster are focused on fostering student entrepreneurial skills. That’s why students and mentors begin creating their own projects as early as starting from the first year of studies. To further support students and provide them with additional knowledge and tools to turn their projects into full-fledged startups, Lviv IT Cluster along with its partners, organized this first startup school.

“My primary goal was to show young students that their projects could genuinely fulfill a real need. Their ideas shouldn’t just inspire them; they should address a specific problem. This is essential for identifying a target audience, finding effective marketing channels, and ultimately transforming an idea into a startup,” said Oleksandr Reminnyi, a startup entrepreneur, lecturer at Lviv Polytechnic, and author of the YouTube podcast and book Startup Kitchen.

Students had the opportunity to refine their products and develop initial prototypes. They also analyzed market demand, created marketing strategies, addressed legal aspects of their future businesses, and learned how to pitch their products or services. The students were mentored by experienced professionals, including CEO of Knopka Ivan Osadchyi, Product Strategist Anna Kulchytska, and Digital Marketing Expert Nazar Dziadyk. The training sessions took place in Sigma Software‘s modern facility.

“Our economy now needs a lot of new energy, effort, and ideas for development. Therefore, we must support the youth because the knowledge, resources, efforts, and experiences students gained during the startup school will undoubtedly be beneficial for Ukraine’s revival, startup culture, and the tech industry,” said Myroslava Oseredchuk, L&D Manager at Sigma Software University.

A total of 11 teams participated in the startup school. The projects included: EasyCyberStudy — a platform for learning cybersecurity; Code — an educational game on programming; FAID — a charitable marketplace; Mirror [R] — an AI-powered app for creating digital clones; ShieldSync — a threat-tracking app; BookLoop — a book exchange platform; Shpatser — an app for leisure activities in Lviv; SpiritPleasure — a website for finding relaxation spots; Kapibara — a platform supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the sale of handcrafted goods; TimeSquad — a web-based planner; and OCP — a project to improve communication in universities.

“During the training, I identified several issues in my startup that require more attention. I found new channels for reaching the audience and realized the need to focus on a narrower target group. I’m grateful to Lviv IT Cluster for this opportunity,” said Hleb Tovsteniuk, a Business Analytics & Data Science student and co-founder of the FAID project.

“The main thing we gained in these four days was experience. We particularly enjoyed the real-case stories from Ivan and the marketing lectures from Nazariy. Our team plans to continue developing our project,” said Khrystyna Overko, a Robotics program student and co-founder of the Mirror [R] project.

Students now have a few weeks to refine their startups. Soon, Lviv IT Cluster will hold a special pitching event where teams will showcase their achievements and improved products.

We invite Lviv IT Cluster member companies to join the event and support the teams both financially and with their expertise. For ideas, questions, and proposals, please contact the University Programs Lead at Lviv IT Cluster, Oleh Leskiv, at oleh.leskiv@itcluster.lviv.ua.