Three startups, three lessons: the real impact of Tehnopol’s AI Accelerator

Technology alone isn’t enough – especially in AI. That’s the shared takeaway from three startups that completed Tehnopol’s AI Accelerator and received €10,000 in funding at the end of the programme: Pocobit, Grainflow, and Neocortex Link.

Although they operate in very different fields – from training games to grain dryer optimisation and AI infrastructure for game characters – the same pattern runs through all three stories: success comes from a clear focus, real user feedback, and measurable value.

The accelerator helped sharpen the focus

Pocobit is building a platform that enables companies to create AI-powered training games, making learning more interactive while keeping outcomes measurable. The team entered the accelerator with strong confidence in their technology and a desire to move quickly to market, but the biggest shift was in mindset.

“Before, we mainly focused on what our product is capable of,” said Paul Sokk, CEO of Pocobit. “After the accelerator, our focus shifted to why it creates value – and for whom. We realised that product–market fit is always hidden between the lines, and without understanding it, a company is essentially operating in the dark.”

For Pocobit, the accelerator also brought a clearer understanding of how large organisations make decisions. “During the accelerator, it became clear that our biggest value shows up particularly in larger organisations, where training needs are high-volume, recurring, and business-critical,” Sokk explained. A multi-layered decision process means the value proposition must be clear, measurable, and grounded in business outcomes.

Asked how Pocobit proves that an AI-based training game actually works, the answer is straightforward: “Companies don’t buy emotions – they buy results.” Their key indicators include time saved (both in creating training content and completing training) and effective knowledge gains through short, interactive learning games. One of their standout strengths is how quickly customers can see value: “The initial value of Pocobit is visible in as little as three minutes during a demo.”

Pocobit’s ambition is clearly international. “Our success story starts in Estonia… but the goal is global,” Sokk said, pointing to relationships already built across multiple international markets.

The real world put the plan to the test

Grainflow operates in agri-tech and is developing an AI-based system to make grain dryers more efficient. Entering the accelerator, the goal was clear: to build a prototype that would lead to initial sales revenue.

In practice, this meant solving more than algorithms – it also required ensuring data reliability. “Before the accelerator, we collected data manually. Working with mentors, we realised that manually entered data can contain errors, so during the accelerator we developed an automated data collection system,” said Ago Täkker, CEO of Grainflow.

A major “before and after” shift also happened in focus. Their original direction – AI-based automatic control – turned out to be more complex than expected. As a result, the near-term priority shifted to a solution that is faster to implement and delivers quicker customer value: improving the dryer’s economic efficiency. “Automatic control is our next stage,” Täkker added.

According to Täkker, dryers are often run based on experience and intuition, which can lead to inefficiencies. Grainflow’s real-time measurement-based decision support system helps operators better understand the process and keep the dryer in a more efficient operating mode. “What convinces customers most is seeing real heat loss. The best proof is a clear graphical output,” Täkker said.

The accelerator also delivered “real world” lessons: hardware delays, longer-than-expected installation time, and data anomalies pushed the team to simplify their solution and plan a significantly faster, easier installation process for the next season.

Looking five years ahead, Grainflow has set an ambitious target: their systems will be operating in at least 15 countries, and a dryer manufacturer will integrate the solution directly at the factory level.

Better decisions, lower costs, faster teams

Neocortex Link develops tools that help game developers create intelligent AI-based characters and interactive systems. Founder and CEO Sercan Altundas joined Tehnopol’s accelerator with a very practical goal: to sharpen decision-making as a first-time founder.

“I went in with strong technical conviction, but exposure to experienced mentors helped me reduce assumptions and become more deliberate about product priorities,” he explained. While the direction stayed broadly the same, “the timeline, strategy, and trade-offs improved significantly.”

One striking example of Neocortex’s impact came from a team building an AI companion app. They had lost their developer to a competitor and were looking for a replacement. After learning about Neocortex’s platform, they decided to integrate an existing solution instead – avoiding the need to hire. According to Altundas, their estimated annual cost dropped from about €30,000 to €300, while development accelerated because integration overhead disappeared and an “unnecessary role” was removed.

Altundas’ advice to other applicants is direct: validate early and honestly. “Strong ideas and solid engineering are not enough on their own. Talk to real users, test willingness to pay, and apply with something you can clearly defend,” he said – adding that every team needs someone who truly understands the customer problem and can communicate it clearly.

Neocortex’s ambition is to become “dependable infrastructure for intelligent characters and interactive systems” – starting with games, while also supporting adjacent areas such as AI companions and training applications. The goal is to build a globally relevant, developer-first product in Estonia and contribute to the local ecosystem.

Apply to the AI Accelerator by 2 February

If your startup is building an AI solution, now is the right time to apply to Tehnopol’s AI Accelerator. The six-month programme helps early-stage AI startups and spin-offs move faster from experimentation to market – and reach their first customers and investors sooner. Learn more and apply!