Media attention to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict has focused on a significant number of hacking and malware attacks by private actors. As an example, the pro-Russian hacker group CyberBerkut has assumed responsibility for cyber operations against NATO, the vote counting system for Ukrainian elections, and a mobile device within the U.S. vice-president’s delegation during a …
Leading Ukrainian tech blog AIN.UA has just announced its yearly ranking of the most influential individuals in the local Internet scene. The final list was determined by a committee of experts, comprised of 33 representatives of various sectors of the online community. In order to compile the rating, the experts were asked to name the five …
Who’s who in the Ukrainian Internet scene: Tech blog AIN ranks most influential people Read More
California’s Silicon Valley attracts many Ukrainian startups looking for investment. It’s where the money is – home to some 8,000 venture funds and 20,000 startups. But how to get this money? And is visiting enough, or should one move there? For starters, one has to be introduced by somebody respected in the tech community, says …
Pluses, minuses of moving to Silicon Valley for Ukrainian startups Read More
If you’re wondering whether African disease outbreaks, Ukrainian instability and Syrian civil war could have an effect on your business, you’re not alone: A September 2014 survey of business executives by consulting firm McKinsey & Co. discovered that 80 percent of responders believe geopolitical instability in the Middle East and North Africa is either very likely or extremely …
Business angel practice — a term that covers a variety of individual situations and approaches — has grown slowly but noticeably over the past few years in Ukraine. Not only did the political tumult of this year not stop this development, 2014 even saw the creation of a dedicated association, UAngel, along with that of UVCA, which gathers venture capitalists. UAngel chairman Natalia …
How business angel practice is emerging in Ukraine Read More
Following the downing of the Air Malaysia flight and the subsequent military interventions and conflict between pro-Russian separatists and the government in the Ukraine, concerns about the stability of Ukraine and Russia – and indeed the broader Eastern European region – have grown. Despite a cease-fire in September, some quarters are reporting the possibility of renewed conflict. The economic toll …
Will Ukraine-Russia’s political turmoil boost the region’s outsourcing economics? Read More
It’s cheaper to share. That’s the basis of a trend known as the sharing economy, in which people split costs for traveling, share clothes and economize in other ways. Ukraine’s technology sector is already making money from the sharing economy. “People are not yet fed up with consumerism but are starting to switch to sharing …
It has been a year since President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign Ukraine’s EU Association Agreement, unleashing the Maidan Square street protests in Kiev that led to his ousting. His replacement, President Petro Poroshenko, signed the agreement in June. Amongst other things, it calls for a free trade area in the next decade, steps towards visa-free …
Tech sector leading Ukraine’s pro-European revival Read More
Even among the sordid histories of Eastern Europe, Ukraine is particularly tragic. In just the 20th century, it was starved by Stalin, decimated by Hitler, subjected to seventy years of incompetent Soviet rule, looted by its own government and, most recently, invaded by Putin. Ukraine’s situation today remains desperate. The country is in dire financial straits, …
On September 22, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) adopted Resolution No. 591, which introduced significant changes to the Foreign Exchange Transaction Rules for Ukrainian banks. In addition to restrictions applied to foreign exchange purchases by individuals, the resolution, directly or indirectly, has had an impact on many Ukrainian business sectors and on foreign companies …
Is the Ukrainian space industry attractive to venture investors? Business magazine Capital has identified examples of successful startups and asked local and international VCs to comment on the matter. There already are space startups at universities in the country. Nanosputnik PolyITAN, developed by students at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute as part of the international program QB50, …
From universities to big Soviet-era enterprises, VCs eye Ukrainian space startups Read More
Ukraine’s inefficient energy sector leaves it vulnerable to being stretched over a barrel – literally – by Russia. Roman Zinchenko says the answer lies in start-ups. “We don’t believe only presidents and prime ministers can solve this. Let’s treat the problem of this country as a start-up – and invite people to hack solutions for this.” He has begun a …
Ukraine’s energy tech start-ups blooming in the fields Read More
