The first Ukrainian Startups Roadshow was held in London on 23-25 July 2015. 10 innovative and creative technology projects – startups and young companies were presented to the UK business and investment community. An exciting programme developed by the Ukrainian Startup Hub gained support from the tech-market leaders which hosted the roadshow sessions – Bloomberg, Google Campus and Deloitte Digital Studio.
In terms of technology Ukraine is one of the best places in the world. Andrey Kolodyuk, founder and managing partner of Aventures Capital
Despite the developments in the Eastern corner of Ukraine, the startup market remains one of the most attractive spheres for investment in Ukraine. According to the report released by the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association it is expected that over $100 million will be invested into the Ukrainian technology startups by the end of 2015. Commenting on the value of the roadshow for investors and businesses in the UK, Alexander Shelkovnikov (Senior Manager, Investments at Deloitte) said: “Ukraine is a great startup country that has a huge potential currently not utilised. And investors need more information on what’s happening there and what projects are appearing. This will open their eyes and make them visit the country more often”.
Innovative ideas presented in London ranged in spheres and sizes: BlockVerify, PopTop, QuickBlox, MinglVision, Youteam, M2E Pro, Zen Assets, EnableTalk, Ecoisme, Planedu. Some of these startups are already active on the UK market and some proved to be potentially attractive for investment. For example:
- EnableTalk works on a ‘magic’ glove that will be able to read the sign language and transform it into voice over via the mobile phone. Affordable in price (around $200) it will remove the boundaries in communication with mute people.
- Ecoisme created a device that can track activity of all electronic devices in the house and report via the owner’s mobile phone on what’s working and using energy. This will help to decrease the amount of electricity used by households by up to 15%. It will also help those who constantly forget to switch off electric devices.
Read more about each startup presented in London here.
DAY 1 @Bloomberg: Win or lose – 5 minutes to earn an investment. Full video recording
First presentation at Bloomberg allowed for 5 minutes pitch by each startup, followed by 5 minutes Q&A session. In such a short time each presenter described the project idea, its strength and challenges, potential for making the profit and the need for investment. Experienced moderator and startup expert Christopher Lowe facilitated the event.
‘I’m working with over 40 Startups now and within those 10 that I’ve seen today, two or three would have made it to my group’ Christopher Lowe , global TMT expert at BLOOMBERG.
Presentations were followed by a networking reception where startupers were able to talk in more detail about their projects with interested investors.
DAY 2 @Google Campus: Prove you are better than your competitors
Next day presentation at Google Campus gathered over 120 businessmen, startupers and developers. Same as the previous night, participants of the Roadshow made their presentations and answered questions from the audience. These were mostly about competitors, advantages and strengths of the products developed.
‘I really enjoyed the 3 day Ukrainian Roadshow that gave a glimpse into some of the many great projects coming from Ukrainians’. Tim Frost, co-founder COO and Marketing at BlockVerify
DAY 3 @Deloitte Digital: Learning and experience sharing session
Founders Workshop featured the tour around the Deloitte Digital office, introduction presentation by Alexander Shelkovnikov (Senior Manager, Investments at Deloitte) and experience sharing session by Alex Podopryhora (M2E) and Ivan Pasichniy (Ecoisme).
The organiser of this Roadshow in London, Ukrainian Startup Hub is planning to bring more of the Ukrainian startups to London to pitch for investments, share experiences, and learn from the successful businesses here in the UK.
More information:
- find more news about Ukrainian startups in London by checking Twitter with hash tag #uastartup or check Ukrainian Startup Hub website http://uastartup.co.uk/
- Photos from Day 1 – @Bloomberg + Photos Part 2
- Photos from Day 2 – @Google Campus
- Photos from Day 3 – @Deloitte Digital Studio