On December 10th, Diia.City United held the FutureTech Meetup: Fundraising and Investments – A Practical Guide for Startups. The event aimed to support the development of the Ukrainian startup ecosystem through investment attraction.

Here are some insights from one of the discussion panels – focused on attracting investments at the seed stage. The speakers discussed key issues startups face while transitioning from MVP to a scalable product:

  • investor engagement strategies
  • understanding investment metrics: CAC, LTV, burn rate
  • navigating due diligence

Oleksii Yermolenko, Co-Founder & Partner at Flyer One Ventures, Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe member, UVCA Supervisory Board and Techosystem Board member:

“When searching for an investor, several factors come into play, many of which are subjective, such as trust in the brand. Still, I would advise looking for partners who have experience in your field. You don’t need general advice – you need specialized expertise.”

 

Anton Waschuk, Director of Innovation, Education, and Entrepreneurship at Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, scout at u.ventures:

“At the seed stage, in addition to classic metrics, there are three important things to demonstrate to investors. First, show a high level of business engagement: prove that you are fully committed to your project and interested in making it a success. Second, focus on deep expertise when building your team and choosing partners. Third, look for unconventional solutions to regular problems.”

 

Anna Apostol, Co-founder & COO at Mate academy:

“Feedback is absolutely essential for business development and scaling. Collect and analyze customer feedback quickly to adapt your product to market needs. When measuring the effectiveness of your solutions, be data-driven to ensure you are moving in the right direction.”

 

Deborah Fairlamb, Founding Partner at Green Flag Ventures:

“Legal and financial preparations for a deal is hardly a pleasant experience for founders, and I understand why. No one likes financial planning or answering tough questions. However, this is a necessary step that will help you decide your next moves.”

 

Mathias Eklöf, entrepreneur, investor, Founder & CEO of Hype Ventures:

“Warren Buffett uses the term ‘moat’ to describe a company’s competitive advantages. Like a moat filled with crocodiles, it’s a protective barrier that keeps competitors away. This moat can include being more efficient or having lower costs than others. It’s important to establish this moat before the due diligence process.”

 

Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder & CEO of MacPaw, Co-founder of the SMRK VC fund:

“When it comes to the risks of doing business in Ukraine, it’s important to diversify team roles. Team members should be interchangeable so that if one person is unavailable, someone else can take over their tasks. Of course, this requires investment in training and teamwork, but this approach helps ensure stability in business processes.”

***

The meetup took place in a hybrid format: over 170 participants attended the offline event at UNIT.City innovation park, and about 500 viewers joined online.

The event was supported by the USAID Competitive Economy Program of Ukraine. 

 

Join Diia.City United to access unique opportunities for growth. Together, we shape clear business rules, make important changes, and support the Diia.City space so that Ukrainian tech companies can grow globally.