Launch platform – “Unicorn Hub”
The aim of the project is to create the “Unicorn Hub” Home Platform, which will support the development of innovative startups through a comprehensive incubation program. The applicant and Animator of the Start Platform is the Polish Foundation for Economic Development Assistance Centres “OIC Poland” in Lublin, with extensive experience in the implementation of projects in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation. The “Unicorn Hub” platform, through a unique ecosystem involving university cooperation, VC funds, SMEs and large companies, IOB and local government units, assumes support for start-ups from IT/ICT, Medicine/Public Health, Smart city (including Transport and Automotive) interested in launching business in Eastern Poland. The incubation programme within the Unicorn Hub Platform assumes an individual and unique model of action at two levels: a) design-operational (project milestones, formal elements, documentation of cooperation, preparation of cyclical/final reports describing the progress of companies, etc.), b) substantive and development (project development and project team development, achievement of subsequent product versions as a result of iterative approach, experimentation and validation of the product in the natural environment, application of methodologies supporting the development of projects such as Lean Startup, Customer Development, Design Thinking). Start-ups will be subjected to an incubation programme of max. 4 m, with a wide range of basic services (including providing organizational support, work space, mentoring, accounting services, legal services, tax advice, basic marketing support and access to workshops in the field of public speeches, preparation of presentations for pitching sessions) and specialist (e.g. refinement of business models, verification of the idea, possibilities of financing, or development services).