One year after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the innovative ecosystem of that country has not disappeared, quite the contrary.
At the Mobile World Congress that is being held this week in Barcelona, a representation of eight Ukrainian startups is claiming its role in the digital economy. "We are here to demonstrate our strength, we continue to innovate despite everything," says Yana Paladiieva, director of the innovation area of the Ukrainian Startup Fund, the government fund that promotes local startups and that has facilitated the landing of companies in Hall 8 of the Fira de l'Hospitalet, where the 4FYN, the congress of entrepreneurs within the Mobile, takes place.
The eight companies selected by the Ukrainian government belong to different sectors. Numo ADHD, for example, offers assistance to patients with hyperactivity disorder; Vanongo has developed a last-mile logistics platform powered by artificial intelligence; Zeely helps SMEs to sell online; XSight develops augmented reality technology, and Suitsme challenges the consumer with online games about styling in the world of fashion.
The objective of his stay at 4YFN is the same as the rest of the startups that have attended the congress these days. "Entrepreneurs want to make themselves known, attract clients and convince investors to finance their project," reasons the fund's board of directors.
Paladiieva explains that the Ukrainian Startup Fund has chosen eight very different companies to reflect the diversity of its ecosystem, although she admits that the most representative sector of its innovative system is absent from 4YFN.
“Since the war against Russia broke out, dozens of startups linked to the military economy have emerged, a sector that now leads fundraising in Ukraine. We have decided not to bring them to Mobile because the technology they develop is often confidential and because the customer target at this congress is not the right one”, explains Paladiieva.
According to data from the Dealroom portal, the Ukrainian entrepreneurial ecosystem is made up of a total of 1,852 startups and the country employs a total of 280,000 professionals in the technology sector, according to research by the Lviv city cluster. During the first three months, some 57,000 professionals left the country and some 7,000 enlisted in the armed forces to defend the country.
