Investment
The UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge is designing a full 2025/26 calendar that will include a brand new investment accelerator. This will build on the successful pilot that took place last year.
If you are interested in participating in, advising, or supporting the next round of the investment accelerator, please reach out using the contact details below.
The UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge Investment Accelerator pilot scheme closed in June 2024. The pilot offered 20 Ukrainian tech startups an exclusive gateway to invaluable resources, mentorship, and networking avenues.
After completing an educational program, the cohort underwent an intensive boot camp in London and demo day at London Tech Week. Since pitching in London, ten startups have gone on to secure new investment or sign new engagement contracts.
The UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge Investment Accelerator pilot scheme offers Ukrainian startups an exclusive gateway to invaluable resources, mentorship, and networking avenues. London, the global financial hub and the epicenter of 21st-century venture capital, presents unparalleled growth opportunities. In 2022 alone, UK investors poured a staggering $1 trillion into startups.
Today, in 2024, the Investment Accelerator opens doors for seed and growth stage startups to tap into the UK venture capital market. Through tailored support, mentorship, and unique perks, startups gain the necessary knowledge and resources to thrive in this dynamic landscape.
20
early-stage Ukrainian startups
30+
experts with successful experience in the UK market involved
26
workshops, lectures, and AMA sessions
~200
hours of personal support from 15 team mentors
The cohort
PLATMA
PLATMA is a 24/7 extreme no-code software development platform — simple English as a code for SMBsto help them scale faster.
Metaenga
Metaenga is XR training platform designed to provide workforce development and safety training for enterprises and educational institutions in the energy sector globally.
PARTNERWAY
Partnerway is the creator of Spendbase —an AI-powered platform for companies to optimize SaaS, cloud, and corporate card spending.
Medvoice
Medvoice enables affordable continuous skills development for healthcare professionals through an online education platform.
NeuCurrent
NeuCurrent is an AI and data-driven customer retention platform for small and midsize retailers.
FortuneGuard
FortuneGuard is an AI-first brokerage revolutionizing high-value insurance for enterprises and high-net-worth individuals by optimizing efficiency and personalizing customer experiences.
Knopka
Knopka provides software solution for care delivery automation in public hospitals with emergency departments.
Cardiomo
AI-based wearable solution for long-term and remote heart monitoring to disrupt the $22B market and set the stage for the connected care model by preventing cardiac complications and reducing hospital admissions.
Wantent
Wantent is an AI powered, SAAS platform designed to deliver better audience intelligence for better business results.
Kuka
Kuka provides a corporate Reading as a Service, empowering companies to support employee development through reading.
Gios
GIOS is an interactive AI-powered Math platform and tutoring marketplace for К12 students and teachers.
Deus Robotics
We automate warehouses with intelligent robots and develop an AI-powered logistics ecosystem linking manufacturers and clients.
Aspichi
Aspichi startup is focused on developing VR solutions for the Mental Health area, providing additional assistance to patients using 360° Video and AI technologies.
FlyAgData™
FlyAgData™ collects agronomic and machine data from the equipment in the field, transforming it into valuable insights for the farmer of any scale, digitizing up to 100% of available data.
CASES
CASES is a comprehensive ecosystem for education, career growth, and the job market in the creative industries.
birb
Birb — AI rental agent, helps you quickly find and rent the perfect flat.
Djooky
Djooky is a global, inclusive, decentralized market-based ecosystem that utilizes cutting edge technologies to support music creators, music services and music lovers.
Interactive Restaurant Technology by Kodisoft
Kodisoft is deep-tech company, with own IP in IC, Physics, and materials. Invented a new principle of touch screen technology and already become #1 worldwide in public places like Restaurants, cafes.
Zibra AI
Zibra AI builds an AI-powered platform for creating high-quality 3D assets for all virtual worlds and experiences.
NLSQL
NLSQL is a SaaS company that specialises in developing Natural Language Processing solutions to facilitate seamless interaction between employees and databases, empowering users with AI data analytics.
Bootcamp
June, 8-13
A 5-day offline bootcamp in London, including visits to key companies such as Google Cloud UK, panel discussions with venture capitalists, and Q&A with UK startup founders.
Demo Day
June, 12
Final pitching at London Tech Week’s Pitch Stage. A platform for startups to showcase their projects to potential investors and industry experts.
Demo Day
Team mentors
Oksana Vodonos
Associate | 500 Global
Oksana has experience in product management and new markets expansion, business and partnership development, fundraising, pitch decks and investor relations.
Daniel Johnson
Managing Director |We Scale Startups
Equipped 8 companies withdata-driven strategies that have helped them secure over $20M in funding and double their key metricsDaniel's expertise spans user acquisition, retention, conversion optimization, and more.
Vasyl Matiy
Venture Partner | Toloka.vc
Vasyl has a strong background in traditional finance and asset management. He thrives at attracting limited partners to meaningful investments and has demonstrated success in strategic investment, asset allocation, and wealth management.
Jane Klepa
Director of Partnershipsand Innovation | SET University
Jane has been supporting technology businesses for about 10 years.She advises product and service companies, focusing on the strategic development of innovative projects.
Oleksandr Bulatnikov
Associate | Presto Ventures
Oleksandr is as a board member of different startups as a VC investor, Has expertise in fundraising, finance and business planning, business development, and growth as well as dealing with quite unusual situations (founders breaking up, rapid decline of revenue).
Dan Lester
Founder | Ideonate
Dan’s experiences include VC-backed, bootstrapped, and agency businesses - the most recent exit saw Conversocial acquired by a US public company for $50M.His role has always been as the technical co-founder, which has also involved much leadership and operations work.He has been an official mentor on the Founder Institute London programme.
Dr Lloyd Humphreys
Managing Director | Cogniss
A leading health tech innovator and NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) alumnus, having scaled and exited multiple digital health companies. He has previously been recognised as one of the top 100 HealthTech Influencers.
Serhii Kudriashov
Venture Partner | ZAS Ventures
Grew from UX to PM and then to Founder and CEO of his own startup and to VC side. Now advising Ukrainian startups full-time.He has worked in UX and product management roles at Parallels Desktop and MacPaw. Since 2014, Serhii has worked in various roles for startups, including as CEO of Softorino and CPO of Raxel Telematics. He also worked for Preply and YouTeam. Recently, he had his own startup where they helped over 6000 people overcome diabetes type 2 and obesity.
Danny Matthews
Founder | Short Story Ventures
Danny Matthews is the Founder of Short Story Ventures, a venture studio that helps early-stage startups build a fundable startup brand. He has invested in 4 companies, advises 2 startups, and helps around 100 startups get to market annually through Founder Institute - the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator.
Daria Dmytrenko
Startup Analyst | Sifted
With a background in launching, scaling, and investing in disruptive startups, Daria guides entrepreneurs in navigating the complexities of the business landscape. At Sifted, Daria leads the development and execution of Sifted Pitch Days, building bridges between Europe's leading startups and top VC investors.
Anna Saltykova
Senior Investor Executive | Web Summit
Anna manages relationships with a diverse range of investors, from local angels to representatives of top venture capital firms. Her responsibilities include engaging with influential funds and industry leaders, maintaining a comprehensive database of investors, and collaborating with various teams to implement lead-generation strategies and improve sales processes.
Oleh Zubchenok
Business/Board advisor |Kyiv School of Economics
Goal-oriented MBA professional with proven experience in business growth and operations. His professional focus areas are strategy development, business processes design and improvement, GR investment evaluation and assets management.
Maksym Moneta
CEO | Startupers
Maksym has been working with startups in Nordic and Ukraine since 2010, his recent activity goes mostly to mentoring 1991, SEED, SET University, and other programs.
Igor Bartkiv
Ukraine Project Manager |London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Igor's expertise spans export support, team building, strategic planning, businessdevelopment, project management, policymaking, and sales and marketing development.He leverages these skills to drive growth and success for businesses in international markets.
Brian Flanagan
CPO | Purplebricks
Brian has over 25 years of experience in product management and e-commerce working across a broad array of sectors but mostly in the travel industry with nearly years at Expedia, Travelport and Viator. He is currently at Purplebricks where he led the product and design team through the merger of Strike Ltd. and Purplebricks estate agency and continues to lead their digital transformation.
Expert mentors
Oleksandr Bornyakov
The Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Head of the Diia City project
Ulyana Shtybel
Co-Founder, CEO of Quoroom, The Top Fifty Women in European Tech, Capital Markets Executive
Jane Davydiuk
Fractional COO. I automate and structure processes. I have been doing this for Acrobator.VC portfolio startups, Fuelfinance, WarmDevs, Places App, UkraЇner, Sensters, Empat and 20+ other companies.
Tim Little
Tim is an experienced senior account manager working within the UK Government sector. Tim has a proven track record of managing the sales cycle for large and complex Government tenders and exceeding ambitious annual sales targets. This is in addition to sitting on BAE Systems’ divisional leadership team, helping to define and drive current and future business strategy. Now a serving Army reservist within the Honourable Artillery Company.
Christine Phillips
Corporate Finance Partner advising on cross border M&A, JVs, inward investment, IPOs, secondary fundraisings, other ECM transactions, private equity, growth and venture capital investments/exits, intra group re-organisations, ESG and shareholder activism, proxy solicitation and other regulatory compliance (eg listing rules, disclosure and transparency rules, financial promotions).
Salmine Sassi
Venture building, strategic planning, and innovation management.Strategically and methodologically building, testing, and validating new businesses, that are sustainable, scalable, and impactful.
Lyubov Guk
Investing and supporting the UK's early-stage international founders with a global vision. Principal organiser of UK's International Office Hours 1.0 and 2.0 (working on version 3.0, watch this space!). The UK Global Talent Visa Recipient and Ambassador
Emin Can Turan
Serial entrepreneur and published all-round Marketing Strategist with first-rate leadership background with various Fortune 500 companies. A solid 10 years of experience across strategic fields of marketing. Previously worked at Google, Cisco and Walmart in product marketing, data insight, and B2B pricing, driving performance by the millions.
Jari Worsley
GM at The Adaptavist Group | Founder of UpscaleHas a broad technology experience in a range of technology settings, from end user IT, to consultancy to product led technology across the last 25 years. He has spent the last five years building a portfolio of products that extends the Atlassian platform.
The UK-Ukraine TechBridge Investment Accelerator is being implemented by 1991 Ventures with the support of the UK Government, the Ministry of Digitial Transformation of Ukraine and Ukrainian Startup Fund.
Contact 1991: i@1991.vc
We’re happy to hear from potential customers, partners and collaborators.
Contact us:
techbridge@businessandtrade.gov.uk