For two startups that graduated from the third edition of LevelUP Accelerator, the journey continues thousands of kilometers away from Cluj-Napoca. CLARA and VR ExoSuit will head to Silicon Valley in October after being selected for Hero Training, Draper University’s intensive entrepreneurship program. Their journey to California began at the LevelUP Demo Day on June 18. Through our partnership with Draper University, one startup was initially set to receive a fast-track ticket to the final selection stage for Hero Training. However, after seeing the startups pitch, the Draper University representative who joined the Demo Day jury decided to extend the opportunity not to one, but to three teams: CLARA, MedicalPilot, and VR ExoSuit. The three startups advanced directly to the final selection stage and continued the process with interviews with the Draper University team. All three successfully passed the interviews and were accepted into the program, with CLARA and VR ExoSuit now preparing to take the opportunity one step further and make the journey to Silicon Valley. Five weeks in the Silicon Valley ecosystem From October 11 to November 15, 2026, the two teams will take part in Hero Training, an intensive five-week program in Silicon Valley. The program brings together entrepreneurs from around the world and combines business development with topics such as fundraising, scaling, prototyping, pitching, negotiation, branding, and networking. Participants also have access to one-on-one mentoring with experts, mentors, and investors from Draper’s international network. For CLARA and VR ExoSuit, the experience is both an opportunity to further develop their startups and a chance to immerse themselves in one of the world’s best-known entrepreneurial ecosystems. For LevelUP Accelerator, an opportunity initially intended for one startup ultimately resulting in three teams being accepted into Hero Training is also a recognition of the quality of the solutions developed by this year’s cohort and the preparation provided by our experts throughout the program. About LevelUP Accelerator LevelUP Accelerator is an INNO program for early-stage Health & Life Sciences startups, designed to help founders validate and develop their solutions while connecting them with mentors, experts, investors, and potential partners. The third edition took place between April and June 2026 and included workshops, one-on-one mentoring, consultancy, and pitching sessions, culminating in Demo Day on June 18. Eleven startups graduated from the third edition, presenting their solutions to investors, experts, and potential customers. About Draper University Draper University is a Silicon Valley-based pre-acceleration program focused on developing entrepreneurs and connecting them with the global startup ecosystem. According to Draper University, its community includes more than 3,300 alumni and over 700 companies, while its programs aim to build bridges between Silicon Valley and entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world. Hero Training is its intensive five-week program for founders looking to grow their businesses, strengthen their entrepreneurial skills, and expand their international networks.