Fourteen Ukrainian startups were showcased at this year’s edition of Vivatech, which took place in Paris on May 22-25. Touted as Europe’s largest tech conference, the event attracted more than 165,000 visitors, 13,500 startups and 400 speakers.
Spanning business solutions, web development, logistics, agriculture, education, sports, energy, healthcare and more, these Ukrainian startups included: 3D UTU, Bimp, Deus Robotics, Easy Peasy Insurtech, Edmaps, Genera, HowCow, Mark, Outex, PinMy, Promova, Reservble, UA Green, and Ukraine Global Banking.
Organized by the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, the country booth facilitated meetings with leading global corporations, including AWS, BNP Paribas, DPD, Generali France, IBM, LVMH, Meta, Renault and others.
Six Ukrainian startups shared with Ukraine Digital News how they overcame the challenges of war and which opportunities Vivatech presented to them.
- Bimp, which provides a platform to automate data exchange with suppliers, did not leave its Kyiv location in spite of the war, said co-founder and CEO Dmytro Obukhov. While forcing the startup to reinvent itself, the war made its product even more crucial to domestic clients. At Vivatech, Obukhov felt that Bimp aligns with global trends, too. The company found potential investors, other key contacts, and refined its strategy.
- Deus Robotics has designed a hardware-agnostic, AI-powered warehouse robotic automation solution. Five years after inception, the company has a team of 30 employees — including 11 PhDs — split across its Ukraine and the UK. Deus Robotics overcame the tragedy of the war, said the company’s co-founder and COO Antonina Lermeichuk, ensuring the safety of its team members and their families but also missing an important investment opportunity. At Vivatech, Deus Robotics won the EU-backed ‘Coup de Cœur’ award, and established contacts with “major European logistics players, many potential investors and other inspiring industry figures.”
- Edmaps claims its educational digital maps increase knowledge retention by some 30%. This Kyiv-based startup adapted to the challenges of the war — from using tools like Starlink to ensure stable operations, to making the platform available offline amid the blackouts. Meanwhile, war conditions have made online education more relevant than ever, said CEO Volodymyr Strashko, as “only one-third of Ukrainian children now study in person.” VivaTech exceeded his expectations, generating a variety of contacts, validating the startup’s strategy, and providing “the incentive for further innovations.” Edmaps is set to enter the French market: “We are actively working on adapting our courses and materials to the French audience and are seeking partners for joint projects.”
- Aiming to “transform fashion with advanced AI,” Genera has developed a software suite that uses “the world’s most precise scanning capabilities,” applying to both cutomers and clothing items. The war forced the company to split its team across several European cities including Paris, London, and Lisbon while a part of the developing team remained in Kyiv and Kharkiv. But Genera continued to innovate. The company is now in discussions with leading French fashion brands. “It is only a matter of time before Genera’s solutions become the industry standard,” said Olga Sushko, Business Development Manager.
- Global Ukraine Banking touts itself as “the first diaspora neobank in Europe” and “a superpower for Ukrainians.” This financial app aims to provide instant and secure digital access to banking accounts, cards, international instant transfers, crypto and crowdfunding features. Based in France with a global team (Italy, Switzerland, Georgia), the startup has adapted its services to war conditions, focusing on the banking needs of the Ukrainian community in Europe, explained founder Violeta Moskalu. Global Ukraine Banking plans to continue developing its presence in France as part of a broader European strategy.
- Operating in the fields of fitness and rehabilitation, Outex uses artificial intelligence to correct and improve exercise performance. Spread across Ukraine, Austria, and Switzerland, its team was formed during the war. Vivatech exceeded the startup’s expectations “because of its scale,” said Juliet Tkachenko, co-founder and CMO. “We never expected to meet so many people and companies that are very helpful to our business.” The company now plans to expand into the French market.
On May 23, the ‘Ukrainian Tech Night’ featured such key figures as Oleksandr Bornyakov, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation; Anna Onyshchenko, Vice President and Head of Sales at Mastercard in Ukraine and Moldova; Anton Pavlovsky, founder and CEO of Headway; and French Tech Kyiv President Dominique Piotet.
Participants emphasized the resilience and innovative spirit of Ukrainian startups, suggesting “strategies for harnessing the potential of Ukrainian partnerships.”
