Warsaw, 26.06.2024

First edition of Ukrainian Tech Meeting Conference held in Google Campus Warsaw

 

On June 18, 2024, the Ukrainian Tech Meeting conference took place at the Google for Startups Campus in Warsaw, a hub dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting startups. This event aimed to showcase the remarkable potential of the Ukrainian tech sector, which, despite the ongoing war since 2022, has not only survived but also thrived amidst the turmoil caused by Russian military aggression.

“Currently, we see that the global market is becoming more accessible… Before the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukrainian companies mainly focused on the local market. Now everyone understands that due to the current situation, we need to scale our operations more broadly,” stated Andrii Sukhov from Checkbox.

The conference provided a comprehensive overview of the Ukrainian tech sector’s evolution more than two years after the war’s outbreak. Experts shared their insights on crisis management, business relocation, and new export opportunities. Additionally, the potential for collaboration in the defense-tech sector was highlighted.

“The Totalizator Sportowy Foundation consistently implements actions for the Polish-Ukrainian community. The ongoing Ukrainian Tech Meeting event shows both us—Polish citizens, Polish entrepreneurs, and Ukrainian ones—that such initiatives are justified and underscore the importance of international cooperation,” emphasized Izabela Wyżga, President of the Foundation.

Attendees had the opportunity to listen to keynote speeches and panel discussions featuring industry experts, tech leaders, and government representatives. These sessions provided valuable perspectives on development and investment opportunities within the tech sector.

“Since the war escalated in February 2022, we launched the Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund, which supported 50 startups with up to $100,000 in equity financing. We received nearly seven hundred applications. The great interest in the program led us to continue the Fund initiative and support Ukrainian startups further,” explained Michał Kramarz, Head of Google for Startups.

Among the distinguished experts participating in the conference were:

Alex Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine

Michał Kramarz, Head of Google for Startups, Central and Eastern Europe

Przemysław Kania, General Manager of Cisco Poland

Andriy Kolodyuk, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA)

Denys Gurak, Co-Founder of MITS Capital

Oleh Piskozub, Country Director of Intellias Poland

Denys Sychkov, Director at Horizon Capital

During the event, it was noted that many Ukrainian IT companies have a long history of working with clients across the globe. The war introduced numerous challenges, such as the availability of infrastructure, a lack of new projects in Ukraine, and specialists being mobilized. Observing the 2022-2024 period, it is clear that these operational and communication challenges were successfully addressed by the majority of Ukrainian IT players.

However, the global market turbulence, cost savings, and changes in the structure of demand represent more complex issues and negatively impact revenue. Adaptability, innovation, and a creative approach to marketing and sales have started to play a key role in the ability of Ukrainian IT companies to expand their business. Unfortunately, not many companies were able to cope with these challenges properly, and future business prospects are not so bright at the moment.

One of the event’s outcomes is that partnering and cooperating for Polish and Ukrainian companies is important with for gaining further business growth.” – Oleksandr Pluzhnikov, Head of Cyber Security Office at ELEKS.

The conference was part of the Business for Ukraine Center project, a collaboration between the Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers and the Totalizator Sportowy Foundation.

Event partners included: Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge, Ukraine Invest, IT Ukraine Association, and the Coalition for Polish Innovations.

Content partners: Google for Startups, FundingBox.

Media partners: BiznesAlert, CyberDefence24, Diia Business Warsaw.

The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Development and Technology and the Mayor of Warsaw.

More: 26.06.2024_Press_Release_UTM