3N Startups

🎤 Today at 18:30 at FAST: Startup Grind Yerevan Open Mic Night Join fellow founders for honest stories and practical lessons from building their companies. No slides or pitches—just experiences to learn from and time for questions. Don’t miss the chance to learn from fellow founders. RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-yerevan-presents-startup-grind-yerevan-open-mic-night-real-experiences-behind-startups/

Top 100 Christian Startups: online session for Armenian founders Armenian founders can learn how to apply for the Top 100 Christian Startups award at a free online session on October 7. The Christian Entrepreneurs Organization and DOMINUS Lab are organizing the session. The award is for founders who combine entrepreneurship with Christian values. Dominik Tarolli, Founder and CEO of DOMINUS Lab, will explain: • How to apply and how startups are selected. • Opportunities to connect with international mentors, investors and founders. • What selected startups can receive. • Participants can ask questions directly and assess whether the initiative fits their startup. October 7, 2026 | 17:00–18:00 Yerevan time Online. Free, with advance registration. Register to attend: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/top-100-christian-startups-2026-tickets-2002502901083 #ChristianStartups #Webinar #Event ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

STAN to hold its next pitching session in Los Angeles on October 14 STAN – Science & Technology Angels Network will host a startup pitching session and networking event in partnership with Triple S Ventures, as part of LA Tech Week. The event takes place on Wednesday, October 14, at CBRE’s Downtown Los Angeles office. An invite-only pitching session will connect selected startups with STAN angels and invited investors for presentations and direct feedback. Open networking for founders, operators and the wider tech community will follow. Founded in Armenia in 2018 by the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST), STAN is now an independent angel network supporting early-stage technology startups through investment, expertise and international connections. It has chapters in Los Angeles, Paris, New York and Yerevan. October 14 will mark its sixth LA pitching session. Past events also include two gatherings at STATION F in Paris and the New York chapter launch during NY Tech Week on June 2. The LA chapter launched in 2024 in partnership with Triple S Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. It is co-chaired by Avetis Antaplyan and Triple S Ventures Managing Partner Avag Simonyan. How to participate: • Startups: Pre-Seed to Seed teams can apply to pitch by October 6. Priority areas include robotics and autonomy, DefenseTech, DeepTech and AI-native vertical SaaS. • Investors: Request an invitation through Partiful. • Founders, operators and ecosystem builders: RSVP for open networking. #STAN #LA #PitchingSession #TripleSVentures #LATechWeek #Event #Networking ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Partner post Beyond Borders in Yerevan | 29 October 2026, 18:30 Lawitt Buro invites entrepreneurs, investors and private clients to Beyond Borders, a business event focused on international solutions for business, investment and relocation. Topics include business opportunities in Cyprus and the UAE, residency and second citizenship, overseas real estate, international banking and asset protection. The programme includes practical case studies and Q&A sessions. Early Bird: 75,000 AMD until 20 October Standard: 130,000 AMD Register by 20 October to secure the Early Bird rate: https://lawittburo.com/business_event_en #Event #Networking ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Gecko Robotics featured in Jensen Huang’s AI safety announcement Source: Jensen Huang Gecko Robotics, co-founded by Jake Loosararian, appears among the companies showcased in NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s post introducing the NVIDIA Open Agent Safety Platform. AI agents increasingly take actions, access systems and perform tasks. They need enforceable limits and monitoring. NVIDIA’s platform combines OpenShell, which controls what agents can do, with Sentry, a hardware-based security layer designed to detect and contain suspicious activity. Read NVIDIA’s announcement: https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/nvidia-open-agent-safety-platform-a-reference-for-continuous-in-silicon-agent-monitoring ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Apply to pitch at the Global Startup Showcase 2026 Source: 2080 Ventures 2080 Ventures is accepting applications for its online showcase on October 28. Ten startups will be selected to pitch to investors and industry experts. Applications are open to Seed to Series A startups from any country and sector, including Armenia. Founders should have a product, traction and plans to enter new markets. • Application deadline: October 1, 2026. • Format: Three-minute pitch, followed by three minutes of questions. • Location: Zoom. Registration is free. Time: 20:00 Yerevan time. 2080 Ventures is a US-based venture capital firm and accelerator founded in 2022. It invests in early-stage companies and runs startup programs with governments, companies and universities. Its current work includes Georgia’s GITA accelerator with Founder Institute and Startup Büro. Other recent programs include the Jordan x 2080 Accelerator and Cambodia Startup Launchpad. Apply to pitch by October 1. Event details: https://www.2080.ventures/global-startup-showcase-2026 #2080Ventures #StartupShowcase ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Ayg and the foundations of a robotics industry in Armenia Source: Infocom CyberFusion has introduced Ayg, a four-legged robot for developers, universities and laboratories. The company reports 3.5 years of development, with most mechanical, electronic and software systems designed internally. First pilot deployments are planned for late 2026, followed by production. Announcement For Armenia, the potential value lies in the engineering experience this creates. Designing, assembling and testing robots builds knowledge that can support future products. A shared platform could also let laboratories focus on research without first building their own hardware. Global competition in robotics is intensifying. Governments across Asia, Europe and the US are funding robotics research, while private companies such as Hyundai and Boston Dynamics are investing in development and production. Here are some exemplar projects: • Open research: Solo, developed by researchers in Germany, France and the US, publishes hardware designs and software. Other laboratories can reproduce and modify the robot. • Commercial research platforms: China’s Unitree Go2 includes an EDU version with development support. For universities, programming access, purchase costs and maintenance all shape the choice of platform. • Regional development: Turkey’s AKINROBOTICS has developed the ARAT quadruped for research and field applications. Its published specifications list a 27 kg robot with a maximum 9 kg payload—useful reference points when comparing robots intended for different tasks. • Industrial applications: Switzerland’s ANYmal combines autonomous movement with visual, thermal and acoustic inspection equipment. Here, the product includes the tools needed to perform a specific job. Armenia ranked 59th among 139 economies in WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2025. To keep up with competition in this rating calls for sustained investment in research, engineering education and turning prototypes into working products. Congratulations to the CyberFusion team on Ayg and thank you for taking this initiative. We hope it brings together more partners from industry, universities, government and the diaspora, helping turn the team’s vision into practical results sooner. ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

A few extra days to apply for EPIC’s STRIVE STRIVE is a 10-week program for people who want to explore entrepreneurship before they have a startup idea. Participants will practice spotting opportunities, testing ideas, and approaching problems like entrepreneurs. Who can apply? 🟢 Individuals, not teams, including people outside the AUA community 🟢 People with or without a startup idea or prior work experience 🟢 Those able to attend weekly in-person sessions at AUA (7–9 pm) 🟢 Applicants with intermediate English or above No startup required. Just curiosity, initiative, and the willingness to learn by doing. 📅 The regular deadline is today, September 28. However, applications will remain open until October 1 under the extended deadline. 🔗 Apply here: https://form.typeform.com/to/RAzYLqb0 ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Hult Prize Armenia is holding an online information session for university students on September 24 at 8:00 PM Armenia time. Hult Prize is a student startup competition. Teams of 2–4 students can enter with an idea or an existing startup. Their business must address at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal. Teams that advance through the competition may receive mentoring and reach the Global Accelerator in the UK. The winning team can receive $1 million in seed funding. The session will cover eligibility, team formation, applications, and the competition process. You do not need a finished startup to attend. Register for the online session: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCQ8sTP5NM0-QfYvIGTxJECju-QBMeyYOjR6wca5npt2K8hw/viewform Sources: Hult Prize eligibility and competition process Hult Prize competition stages #HultPrize #StartupCompetition ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Startup lessons founders rarely share Source: Startup Grind Yerevan Startup Grind Yerevan is holding its first Open Mic Night on September 29 at 18:30. This is not a pitch event. There will be no slides, startup promotion, sales pitches, or investor pitches. Founders will share real lessons from building their companies. Topics may include finding the first customers, testing product-market fit, choosing investors, hiring mistakes, and deciding when to pivot. Each speaker will have five minutes to share one focused lesson, followed by five minutes with the audience. Want to share your story? Apply to speak by September 26: https://forms.gle/VCB2eNdbZSXaGvdD9 Want to attend? RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-yerevan-presents-startup-grind-yerevan-open-mic-night-real-experiences-behind-startups/ #StartupGrindYerevan #OpenMic #Lessons #Event #Networking ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Y Combinator opens applications for Winter 2027 Source: Y Combinator The batch will run in person in San Francisco from January to March 2027. Y Combinator (YC) is a startup accelerator that provides early-stage companies with funding, advice from experienced founders, and introductions to investors. Its alumni include Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, and DoorDash. YC invests $500,000 in each accepted company in exchange for 7% ownership plus additional equity determined through future financing. Application deadline: November 2, 2026, at 8pm Pacific Time. Applicants who submit by the deadline will receive a decision by December 11. Late applications are considered, but response times are not guaranteed. Applications for future Spring, Summer, and Fall batches are also available through Early Decision. Armenian founders are also part of YC’s alumni community. Here are some examples: • Sona and Mariam Sulakian — Pincites: AI software for reviewing and negotiating contracts. Filevine announced its acquisition in January 2026. • Davit Buniatyan — Activeloop: Builds Deep Lake, a database for AI data. Raised an $11 million Series A in 2024. • Levon Brutyan — Collectly: Develops patient billing and payment software for healthcare providers. Raised a $29 million Series A led by Sapphire Ventures. • Ari Baranian — Pirros: Helps architects and engineers find and reuse design details. The company reports adoption by more than 300 firms and says it raised approximately $17 million in Series A funding in 2025. • Raffi Sarkissian — Lago: Builds open-source billing software. Announced $22 million in funding in 2024 and lists Mistral AI and Synthesia among its customers. More than 10 other Armenian founders are also part of YC’s alumni community. 🇦🇲 Apply to YC - be the next Armenian founder selected for YC! #YC #Apply ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Ashot Arzumanyan on Armenia’s next tech reinvention Source: EVN Report In his EVN Report op-ed, Ashot Arzumanyan, partner at SmartGate VC, argues that Armenia needs to rethink its tech model as AI reshapes software development. Six key points: Protecting Armenia’s competitive advantage “Now it will have to do it a third time, because AI is disrupting development, the one layer of the value chain we actually own.” Building focused research strength “Armenia needs to pick two or three niche areas, with physical AI and autonomous hardware systems non-negotiable, and optics and photonics and brain-computer interfaces the leading candidates for the others. Then it needs to build a top-20, world-class PhD program around them.” Moving beyond software alone “On the development side, the ecosystem needs to transform into embedded systems: systems that go beyond software and actually touch hardware.” Keeping ambitious talent here “But brain drain is a symptom of missing demand; engineers leave when the most ambitious work is elsewhere.” Connecting research with capital “In this context, Armenia needs institutional capital that is linked to the country with deep roots while being capable of facilitating the link with the global R&D landscape.” Attracting global investment attention “The lesson generalizes: a project sized to Armenia’s comfort zone stays invisible; a project sized to what the world needs pulls in the world’s attention and capital.” Related evidence and reading • AI and employment: Stanford researchers document declining employment among young workers in AI-exposed occupations, while finding no evidence of widespread, economy-wide displacement. Stanford Digital Economy Lab • Research becoming industry: Delft’s QuTech lists companies emerging from its research ecosystem, including quantum processor, control electronics, and testing equipment businesses. QuTech • Investment at scale: Bloomberg reported on a planned $4 billion expansion of Armenia’s AI infrastructure project. Bloomberg • Closer U.S.–Armenia ties: Reuters covered the civil nuclear cooperation agreement announced during JD Vance’s February 2026 visit to Armenia, providing context for the geopolitical opening Ashot describes. Reuters 📍Read Ashot’s full op-ed in EVN Report: https://evnreport.com/creative-tech/from-soviet-silicon-valley-to-armenias-third-reinvention/ #AshotArzumanyan #OpEd #EVNReport ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

📢 EPIC Opens Its Fall 2026 Incubation Cohort Your startup idea deserves more than a line in your Notes. EPIC’s Fall 2026 Incubation Program gives early-stage founders 15 weeks to put that idea to the test and start turning it into a validated venture, and applications are now open. The program takes you through the essentials of building a venture: 💡 Validate your idea and business model 🎯 Understand your customers and market 🤝 Work with experienced local and international mentors 🌐 Connect with experts, advisors, and the startup community 🎤 Build your pitch and prepare for the next stage of your venture And no, you don’t have to be an AUA student to apply. 📅 Applications close September 19 🔗 https://form.typeform.com/to/Wkunt4PL #EPIC #IncubationProgram #EarlyStage ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Alpha Fellowship: funding and startup roles for software engineers Applications are open for Alpha, an in-person fellowship in San Francisco for students, dropouts, and recent graduates. It is run by a16z speedrun with EO Ventures. There are two tracks: • Founder Track | January 11–March 5: Build a startup with up to $250,000 in investment. You can apply without a company, idea, or team. Funding includes $150,000 for 5% through a SAFE, plus $100,000 in your next round within 18 months. • Talent Track | February 8–March 5: Meet startups and work on projects that may lead to a full-time software engineering role. Jobs are not guaranteed. Fellowship participation is unpaid. Who is behind it? Andreessen Horowitz, known as a16z, is a US venture capital firm founded by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Its speedrun program supports early-stage startups through 12 weeks of product, hiring, and fundraising guidance. Alpha offers access to investors, founders, and potential employers. Founder fellows also receive an automatic final interview for speedrun, which offers up to $1 million in investment. Applicants must have valid authorization to work full-time in the US and attend in San Francisco. Apply by October 11: Application form Sources • Alpha Fellowship: tracks, terms, eligibility, and dates • About speedrun • About Andreessen Horowitz #a16z #Speedrun #AlphaFellowship ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Big News from Formula VC ⚡ - C-QUADRAT Ampega Asset Management Armenia has committed USD 6.09 million to Formula VC Fund II. The investment includes USD 6 million from the CQ Conservative pension fund and USD 90,000 from the CQ Balanced pension fund. It represents approximately 0.3% of the company’s assets under management. Formula VC Fund II is a closed, non-public venture fund registered by the Central Bank of Armenia. It invests in early-stage technology companies and supports founders seeking to enter international markets. C-QUADRAT Ampega has managed pension funds in Armenia since 2013. Its investment in Formula VC Fund II directs a portion of long-term pension capital toward Armenia’s technology sector and gives the fund a significant institutional investor. It is important to see institutional investors backing innovation through participation in venture capital funds. This commitment connects Armenia’s long-term pension capital with its technology sector. Read more about the investment: https://banks.am/en/news/newsfeed/31184 Sources: • Formula VC Post • Invesment Announcement • C-QUADRAT Armenia • Formula VC

Armenian-founded Prelaunch.com has raised a Pre-Series A round. Formula VC has made a follow-on investment after joining the company’s $1.5 million seed round in 2023. Prelaunch helps companies test demand, pricing, and customer interest before launching a product. The platform is used by more than 1,000 brands. In 2025, Prelaunch won Silver at the ESOMAR Awards for its research work with Ducati. Congratulations to the Prelaunch and Formula VC teams. Learn more: https://prelaunch.com/ Sources: Formula VC Announcement TechCrunch: Earlier $1.5 million round #Investment #FormulaVC ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

🚀 STAN angels have invested in Talon Avionics. The US defense-tech startup is developing SECTR, a modular system designed to detect, track and intercept small autonomous drones. According to Talon, it combines acoustic tracking, sensor fusion and autonomous interceptors. Founder and CEO Dmitrii Akopian previously worked on embedded systems and advanced technology at Tesla, Apple Special Projects and Figure AI. Counter-drone technology is receiving growing attention as governments seek less expensive ways to defend against low-cost drones. The European Parliament has specifically called for simple, cost-effective systems that can be produced and deployed quickly. Talon presented to STAN angels in Los Angeles on May 26 and Paris on June 18. Learn more: https://talonavionics.com/ Sources: • STAN Announcement • European Parliament report on drones and modern warfare #Investment #STA ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Applications are open for the EPIC Incubation Program Fall 2026. The 15-week program is for idea-stage teams that want to understand their customers, test their assumptions, validate a business model, and prepare for the next stage. It includes workshops, tailored mentorship, expert support, and connections to Armenia’s startup ecosystem. The program is open to AUA and non-AUA teams. Since 2017, more than 130 startups and 320 entrepreneurs have completed it. Alumni include Wearify, which later joined international programs at STATION F and Plug and Play. 📅 Application deadline: September 19 Apply: https://form.typeform.com/to/Wkunt4PL Sources: • Official Fall 2026 announcement • EPIC Incubation Program • Wearify founder story #EPIC #AUA #IncubationProgram #Fall2026 ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

Applications are open for Batch 4 of the Plug and Play Armenia equity-free Pre-Acceleration Program. The three-month, in-person program is designed for early-stage technology startups working to improve their product, business model, market strategy and investment readiness. Selected startups will receive international mentorship and access to Plug and Play’s global network. The program will run Monday–Wednesday and accept 10–15 startups. Apply by September 24 https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/locations/yerevan Questions: plugandplayarmenia@pnptc.com #PlugAndPlay #PreAccelerator #Batch4 ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups

The Angel Investor Club of Armenia (AICA) has invested in REWRITE Bio, a Boston-based precision fertility startup founded by Armenian-American entrepreneur Alik Christianian. REWRITE is developing a preconception platform that combines genetic testing, biomarkers, nutrition, supplements, and behavioral guidance to create personalized fertility-readiness plans for couples before or alongside IVF. The startup is entering a large and growing healthcare market. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 17.5% of adults—around one in six people—experience infertility during their lifetime. Up to 30% of couples experiencing infertility receive an “unexplained infertility” diagnosis after standard evaluation. Congratulations to Alik Christianian and the REWRITE team, and to AICA on adding another Armenian-founded health-tech company to its portfolio. Special recognition also goes to AICA portfolio founder Jas Schembri-Stothart for making the introduction. 🔗 Learn more about REWRITE and join its waitlist: https://rewritebio.com/ 🔗 Read AICA’s announcement: https://lnkd.in/p/dAeQpsUC #AngelInvesting #Investment #AICA ——— Join 3N - https://t.me/threenstartups