Kyiv, Ukraine | May 6, 2026
The first international competition MSCA Lviv 2026, organized by the Melville Sikorsky Challenge Accelerator (MSCA), was successfully held in Lviv, bringing together innovators, investors, experts, universities, and companies from around the world.
The event was conducted in English and featured startup pitching, prototype demonstrations, expert discussions, and investor meetings.
Key Results
A strong international response, with 44 finalists selected from 126 applications.
Strategic Tracks
Focused areas shaped around security, healthcare, and resilient energy infrastructure.
Innovation Highlights
Practical technologies designed for wartime needs, recovery, and long-term resilience.
Defense & Security
Prize: $5,000
Biomedical Engineering & Health
Prize: $5,000
Renewable Energy & Energy Security
Prize: $5,000
Additional investor interest was noted in multiple finalist projects, including ALLIGATOR boiler (Ukraine).
Angel investments were also announced for:
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MSCA will continue working with selected teams through acceleration programs and investor matchmaking.
Terms include:
3% success fee on investments raised
5% equity for startups (or negotiated terms for growth-stage companies)
The next MSCA competition is scheduled for September 2026, with a focus on three urgent innovation areas:
Protecting critical systems, infrastructure, and data in high-risk environments.
Applying AI to security, productivity, decision-making, and scalable innovation.
Supporting technologies that protect, restore, and manage essential water systems.
