## Introduction

Calling all visionary entrepreneurs! Bits&Pretzels, in partnership with TechUkraine, European Association for Software Engineering (EASE), and Kyiv IT Cluster, is thrilled to extend a special invitation to Ukrainian startups for the highly anticipated Bits & Pretzels 2023.

Are you the mastermind behind a groundbreaking tech startup? Does your innovative product or solution possess the power to revolutionize industries and transform the world? If you're ready to embark on an exhilarating journey, we invite you to join the most exhilarating tech event of the year!

Bits & Pretzels\
September 24-26\
Munich, Germany

## About the Event

Prepare to immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Bits & Pretzels, where the brightest minds, innovators, and disruptors from every corner of the globe converge. This grand festival will unite 5000 participants, including founders, investors, and influential figures in the startup realm. The event will take place at the prestigious ICM Internationales Congress Center.

We're on the lookout for startups in diverse tech-related fields that meet the following criteria:

* Companies that launched their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in 2013 or later.
* Startups with a team size not exceeding 100 employees and funding amounting to less than 15 million euros.

At the festival, a dedicated Ukrainian stand, spanning an impressive 2x4 meters, will proudly showcase four handpicked Ukrainian startups. The primary goal of the stand is to demonstrate the immense potential of Ukraine's thriving technology sector and foster valuable connections.

As a gesture of support, the conference organizers offer pavilion space free of charge, with EASE generously covering half the cost of the booth. Participating startups are required to contribute a participation fee of €560, along with any associated logistics expenses.

## How to Apply

To seize this extraordinary opportunity, complete the comprehensive [application form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVPEFtI_G_GPIVyy12dCPSCgRBX64DjFedbAo-8DQDOy9avw/viewform), ensuring you provide detailed information about your startup, your exceptional team, and the purpose of your attendance at this illustrious conference.

Application Deadline: **September 20**

## Action Plan

* Accepting startup applications until September 20.
* On **September 21**, a captivating offline Open Call with the esteemed jury will be held in Kyiv, where four deserving startups will be selected to shine at the festival.
* On the same day, **September 21**, participants must transfer the participation fee to the EASE account and provide essential company details for stand branding.
* Stand preparation and publication of captivating startup information will be carried out **until September 22**.
* Finally, mark your calendars for the grand event itself, Bits & Pretzels 2023, taking place f**rom September 24 to 26**.

Don't let this golden opportunity slip through your fingers! Be a part of Bits & Pretzels and propel your startup to unprecedented heights. [Join us](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVPEFtI_G_GPIVyy12dCPSCgRBX64DjFedbAo-8DQDOy9avw/viewform) in shaping the future of technology, where innovation knows no bounds!


Join the exhilarating Bits & Pretzels 2023 tech event in Munich, Germany! Open call for Ukrainian startups to showcase their innovative products and disruptive solutions. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with industry leaders, investors, and fellow visionaries shaping the future of technology. Apply now and be part of the most exciting startup festival of the year!

Unleash Your Startup's Potential at Bits & Pretzels 2023: Open Call for Innovators

# Beyond the click: how to hook a generation of digital cynics

You’ve got 1.5 seconds. Maybe less.

Not to explain your idea or build trust — just enough time to stop someone mid-scroll. In a feed that never ends, your hook becomes a decision point: “Do I care?” If the answer is no, the rest of your content doesn’t stand a chance.

Today, attention is brutally selective. Most people scroll on autopilot, not looking for something new, just reacting to what feels worth a second glance. That’s why a hook is the moment you either break that pattern or blend into it.

## Why some hooks pull you in

At the core of every strong hook is a simple psychological trigger: the curiosity gap. When we see incomplete information, our brain treats it like an open loop. It creates a small discomfort — a need to know what happens next.

But curiosity alone doesn’t stop the scroll. Emotion does.

A good hook makes you feel something instantly: surprise, recognition, even slight tension. It can challenge what you believe, mirror your own experience, or hint that you’re about to miss something important. At that moment, your brain switches from passive scrolling to active attention.

The strongest hooks often feel personal. They sound like they’re speaking directly to you, not to “everyone.”

[5 Essential Visual Hooks for Engaging Videos | TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@camera_bro/video/7489490470058478903)

## Where most hooks fail

Here’s the uncomfortable part: many hooks are written to get attention, not to keep it.

Clickbait works but only once. If your content doesn’t deliver on what the hook trusts, trust drops fast. And today’s audience is sharp enough to feel manipulation immediately.

A strong hook is a promise. That means creating intrigue without lying, emotion without pressure, and clarity without overselling. When people feel respected — not manipulated — they stay longer and come back again.

## What actually works in practice

You don’t need endless creativity to write good hooks. You require patterns that work and insights that make them feel real.

Questions are powerful because they instantly engage the brain: “What if everything you know about this is wrong?”

Unexpected statements break the scroll because they disrupt expectations: “Stop doing this if you want better results.”

Stories create immediate connection because they feel human:\
“Last week, I realized I’d been doing this completely wrong…”

And sometimes, clarity wins over everything: “3 things that will fix your focus.”

Different formats, same principle make it impossible to ignore in the first second.

[Essential Hooks Every Content Creator Needs to Know | TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@ugcwithnyomi/video/7548147136303533334)

## Where hooks are heading

Content formats are evolving fast. Hooks now live not only in text, but in visuals, video, and voice. In short-form video, the first few seconds matter more than anything. In AI-driven feeds, clarity and structure help content get surfaced at all.

But here’s the interesting shift: as content becomes easier to produce, authenticity becomes harder to fake.

People are getting tired of polished, generic content. They can sense when something feels templated or “AI-like.” And they gravitate toward hooks that feel real — slightly imperfect, conversational, grounded in actual experience.

The future isn’t about louder hooks. It’s about more human ones.

## Final thought

A hook is the invitation. It’s where you say: “This is worth your attention.” And your content is where you prove it.

If you get that right, you’re not just chasing clicks. You’re building something more valuable — trust, interest, and the habit of choosing your content over everything else in the feed.

Attention is brutally selective in 2026. Discoverо why "AI-like" templates are failing, how to use "Intentional Tension," and why the most powerful hooks are the ones that feel slightly imperfect and deeply human.

Content Strategy 2026: Hooking Digital Cynics

The 1.5-Second Filter: Why the Curiosity Gap Alone is No Longer Enough and How to Build a Content Hook That Trades Manipulation for Authentic Trust.

Beyond the Click: How to Hook a Generation of Digital Cynics

# Welcome to Night City: China’s Chip is Here, and Your Brain is the New Ad Space

Forget the boring corporate slides. Last week, China didn't just approve a brain chip; they officially turned on the neon lights of Night City.

At the Chinese Institute for Brain Research, scientists unveiled Beinao-1 (aka NeuCyber Matrix). They stood there in their white coats and calmly stated, "We are three years behind Neuralink." In tech years, that’s a blip. In Cyberpunk 2077 years, that’s the moment the Arasaka Corporation just got a serious competitor. Beijing has just granted the world’s first commercial approval for an invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). This isn’t a medical trial anymore; it’s a product launch for your skull.

### The Chrome Rush: Johnny Silverhand Would Hate This

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has been selling us the dream of telepathic chess and curing paralysis – beautiful, noble stuff. But China’s state-backed NeuCyber is playing a different game. They aren't just looking for "cool features"; they want a standardized, scalable medical device to upgrade their entire population’s cognitive infrastructure.

This is the real-world start of the "Chrome Rush." If a BCI can help you process data 10% faster, or speak five languages instantly, then "getting chipped" in 2026 isn’t a luxury – it’s a career requirement. You're not just competing against AI anymore; you're competing against the guy in the next cubicle who just got the "NeuCyber Matrix v4.2" upgrade.

### The Kontraversy: Ad-Blocker for Your Soul?

Now, let’s get weird. If China is approving this for commercial use, we have to talk about the inevitable: The Monetization of Your Thoughts.

Imagine this: You’re walking down the street, and you think, "Damn, I'm thirsty." In 2026, your BCI detects that neural pattern. Instantly, a subtle, simulated taste of Coca-Cola appears on your tongue, and a discount coupon is pinged directly to your digital retinal overlay. It’s not an ad you see; it’s an ad you feel.

The real controversy isn't privacy; that’s dead. The controversy is Neuromarketing. Will brands be able to bid on your emotional states? Can a political campaign buy a 30-second burst of "patriotism" triggered directly in your limbic system? In this new reality, the concept of "free will" becomes a legacy feature that you might have to pay a subscription to maintain.

### The Summary

We are officially living in the prequel to Cyberpunk. The Skull Wars have begun. While we’ve been arguing about privacy on our smartphones, the next generation of tech has moved under the skin.

Elon Musk might have the three-year lead and the cool marketing, but China has the regulatory green light and the state's full weight behind it. The question for 2026 isn't if you'll have a chip in your head – it's whose operating system will be running on it, and what ads are they beaming into your dreams?\
\
Good morning, Night City. It’s time to chrome up.

Forget smartphones. China just granted commercial approval for the NeuCyber Matrix BCI. Discover the reality of Neuromarketing, the "Skull Wars" between Musk and Beijing, and why free will might become a paid subscription.

China Approves Commercial Brain Chip: The Era of BCI

The "Chrome Rush" Begins: How Beinao-1 is Challenging Neuralink and Why "Getting Chipped" Might Become a Career Requirement by 2027.

Welcome to Night City: China’s Chip is Here, and Your Brain is the New Ad Space

On December 20, 2023, Kyiv — Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship [/nnov8](https://www.cyberinnov8.com/) and [Unicorn Nest](https://unicorn-nest.com/), with the support of the [USAID Program "Competitive Economy of Ukraine"](https://www.facebook.com/usaidcep.ua/), are launching the Fundraising Lab project to increase investment maturity and help attract investments for 10 Ukrainian startups.

The 6-month initiative will run from January to June 2024 and will help startups raise capital from local and international investors, including venture capital funds and business angels. The FundraisingLab project offers practical support in the form of development of investment attraction skills, assistance in organizing and supporting an investment round, as well as building connections with the community of local and international investors.

“One of the biggest current challenges for technology companies is access to international capital. FundraisingLab project is designed to improve the level of investment maturity of Ukrainian startups and help ten of them with practical experience of growth and fundraising from local and international investors and business angels,” Sviatoslav Sviatnenko, CEO of /nnov8.

Unicorn Nest, which has already helped more than 300 startups from different countries to attract capital, and whose team members have facilitated investments for Ukrainian startups and scaleups in the total amount of more than $70 million (including Dmarket, SOCPrime, Dreamteam, Lemon.io and others) will become a partner of the project , providing its unique experience and innovative services in the field of fundraising.

FundraisingLab project allows you to use the unique experience of attracting investments in combination with the use of innovative services and online tools for attracting capital.

“We believe that Ukrainian startups have incredible potential and are proud to support their path to fundraising. FundraisingLab was created to help them realize their ambitions in attracting investments and grow in the international market through practical experience and a relevant community,” Denis Dovgopoliy, CEO of Unicorn Nest.

Ukrainian technology startups that attract an institutional round of investments in the amount equivalent to $1 million or more are invited to participate in the project.

Applications for the project will be accepted until January 19, 2024 inclusive.

The start of the project is January 22, 2024.

Read more details about the project and apply [via the link](https://fundraisinglab.com.ua/).

**ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

The [USAID program “Competitive Economy of Ukraine](https://www.facebook.com/usaidcep.ua/)” supports Ukrainian business in order to increase competitiveness in the domestic market of Ukraine and in international markets, helps in building a simplified and transparent business climate, and also provides Ukrainian companies with opportunities to take advantage of international trade.

[/nnov8](https://www.cyberinnov8.com/) is a center of innovation and entrepreneurship, founded for the development of the technological ecosystem in Ukraine. The center helps potential and existing entrepreneurs create and scale startups as well as technology businesses.

[Unicorn Nest](https://unicorn-nest.com/) is a Ukrainian SaaS company in the FinTech industry, which with the help of services meets all the fundraising needs of startups.

MEDIA CONTACT\
Al’ona Guseva\
Head of PR and Communications at /nnov8\
[aguseva@cyberinnov8.com](mailto:aguseva@cyberinnov8.com)


Join the Fundraising Lab project launched by /nnov8 and Unicorn Nest in collaboration with the USAID Program "Competitive Economy of Ukraine." This 6-month initiative aims to enhance investment maturity and assist 10 Ukrainian startups in attracting capital from local and international investors. Benefit from practical support, development of investment attraction skills, and connections with a vibrant investor community. Apply now until January 19, 2024, and kickstart your fundraising journey in January 2024.

Fundraising Lab project announces a set of 10 startups to help attract investments

WE INVITE ALL TALENTED AUTHORS TO JOIN OUR COMMUNITY🤗 ADD YOUR PUBLICATION AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE!