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 challenges at the pre-seed stage. The speakers covered key questions that arise at the start of a project:

  • validating business ideas and building MVPs
  • sourcing pre-seed investors in Ukraine and globally
  • identifying and avoiding common startup pitfalls

 

Adam Hashchyshyn, Junior Partner at VC fund Roosh Ventures:

“I feel that the amount of venture capital available to Ukrainian startups is currently bigger than what the market can swallow. Therefore, I would recommend founders to focus on their ‘homework’ to be in a strong position by 2025. There are also reasons to believe that an IPO window will reopen next year, and we will see a significant wave of exits.”

 

Leonid Podobiedov, General Partner at hi5 Ventures:

“We expect renewed interest in Ukrainian startups from foreign investors. There is increased interest in dual-use and defense technologies. I think 2025 will bring many new deals in this area.”

 

Ivan Portnyi, CEO of Mission Possible and Founder of BetYouCan.app:

“Let’s be honest: being an early-stage startup means not knowing what will happen in a few months. In Ukraine, the planning horizon is even shorter. Therefore, when preparing for and attracting investments, founders should focus on what they can control.”

 

Viktoriia Tihipko, Founder and Managing Partner of VC fund TA Ventures:

“2022-2023 were extremely challenging for the venture ecosystem. We expect this ‘venture winter’ to end in 2025-2026. Projects related to AI, biotechnology, and import substitution will be trending among investors.”

 

Andrii Komlychenko, Co-founder & CEO of Reblum:

“If you’re considering grant support for your project, make sure you have other funding sources. Building a financial plan around grants alone is risky. View them as an opportunity to develop an interesting but non-essential part of your business.”

 

Evelina Holovanova, Coordinator of Ukrainian Startup Fund:

“The USF has two opportunity tracks for early-stage startups: grants and organizing participation in international events as part of Ukrainian delegations (with partner support). We also have a special corporate innovation program that ‘matches’ Ukrainian startups with big companies like Glovo.”

 

***

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.