Web Summit 2016: Ukrainian startups showed their potential

Web Summit 2016 was one of the key events of the year: numerous startups, global experts, CEOs came to see how IT industry has changed within the year. Ukraine was represented by many companies and projects showing their high-level competitiveness to the world giants. We have also gathered opinions and thoughts from the Summit participants.

Ukrainian companies at Web Summit 2016

This year Ukrainians took the event by storm: being represented by

  • Readdle – one of the first and most productive companies of iOS App Store creating various tools for processing documents files as well as scanning apps; the applications developed by the company have been widely used by over 45 million of people – iPhones and iPads owners;
  • AUTOMOTO.UA is a platform which indexes and analyzes all automotive related websites in a given country and provides all the necessary information on a certain vehicle;
  • Dinarys is a team of specialists dealing with e-commerce software development solutions;
  • GlutenOff.com.ua is the first platform in Ukraine selling gluten-free products as well as establishing new high-quality lines of products for exporting to the EU;
  • Kickfit is a platform for fitness specialists – interesting marketplace for like-minded people;
  • Puvoice is a mobile app that allows voice one’s minds and listens to others, therefore, texting is to be left behind;
  • ShowMebiz develops on-line broadcasting covering different exhibit halls both existing and virtual;
  • The Giver gives gifts to its users for free – the point is to commit any social media activity required, at the same time it’s a good place for products advertisement;
  • Tracklam gathered ad spaces owners and advertisers, ad tools and strategies helping to promote businesses and sales growth;
  • AdSaver is a useful tool for assisting companies to receive more calls from customers and have an advanced data processing;
  • XM^online provides SaaS solutions and data processing for businesses with numerous customers management;
  • YouTeam is a platform that helps to pick out and arrange a team of high skilled professionals that would suit one's business;

Opinions: what were the main thoughts on how to attract the investors to a startup

US investors will be interested in a project and are ready to accept the costs (valuation of a product), however, an investee should accept the terms. This is peculiar to American “angels” – term sheet matters the most, whilst the Ukrainian investors are more concentrated on the project costs. Yet, there is a huge difference between inexperienced investors who willingly invest their money to anything they like to, unlike the experienced ones – these only focus on and invest into projects that can bring add value, therefore, they not only earn from the financial deal, but also from providing additional services to the investees. Another positive trend is related to the vanishing of 100-mile rule: Americans are becoming more open and willing to invest into European project, and, to CEE namely.

European investors are a bit different since the market here is very difficult to enter with a product or startup. The reason is that European funds incline their local investors to give money to the local projects or startups, although current growth of the Western European IT market is an incredible thing. For the past few years, many companies have considered and implemented their strategic plans on opening R&D centers in the Eastern Europe with sales and marketing departments located in Europe or USA.

Web Summit 2016 revealed some new directions of IT world growth as well as allowed its participants to gain new experience and opened new vistas for developing products and teams.

4 Responses to “Web Summit 2016: Ukrainian startups showed their potential”

    • Admin

      Maksym, thanks for your feedback. We appreciate your attention.
      Our team will add information on SendPulse in our further publications devoted to Ukrainian startups.

    • Sergiy

      sendpulse is russian site not Ukrainian. They try to disguise themselves as Ukrainians (not sure why), but they are not.

  • Stephen F Keenan

    Fantastic Information! I’m interested in promoting Ukrainian IT start up companies here in the USA. Thank you. Sincerely, Stephen

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