Startups launched in 2023 are from different fields, but united by one goal: they make life easier for Ukrainians. For example, the number of MedTech projects has naturally increased, because in the war-torn Ukraine there is a demand for psychological recovery and health monitoring. Consulting startups that aim to save time in searching for specialists who can provide professional assistance on an outsourcing basis are also becoming more popular.
We have selected 12 Ukrainian startups of various directions that launched this year — this list is not exhaustive, but it gives an idea of what new projects appeared on the market in 2023.
This is the second part of the summary article about the main investments, startups, and expansions of 2023 in Ukraine. Read the previous article by following the link, here.
eTOLLs EU — an app for paying road tolls in the EU
Founders: Kostyantyn Mykhailiuk and Denys Dmytrov.
eTOLLs is a project of the Ukrainian service company «Штрафи UA». It was launched in February 2023. The application allows drivers to pay in advance for travel on toll roads of the European Union countries, thereby avoiding queues for receiving a vignette (a form of confirmation of toll payment). Also, drivers can set a route in the application at the beginning of the trip and find out about all necessary payments for driving. You can pay using eTOLLs on the roads of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Austria, Bulgaria, and Hungary. The application is available in the App Store and Google Play.
Mark — a medtech service for preliminary health diagnosis
Founders: Andrii Petrukh and Valerii Yasakov
The medtech app Mark has been available on mobile devices since April 2023. With the help of AI algorithms, Mark provides users with medical support that analyzes health indicators (health trackers, dynamics of well-being, etc.) and, if necessary, warns about the need to consult a doctor. You can also find the right clinic and doctor in the app, make an appointment, and resolve issues with the insurance service.
Anima — mental health diagnosis via webcam
Founders: Roman Gavrysh and Serhii Danylov
The neurotechnological startup Anima was presented in February 2023. It allows users to assess the state of their own psyche online. Diagnosis is based on eye-tracking technology — the movement of the retina is monitored by the camera of a laptop, computer, or other gadget used by the client. In this way, the camera determines the distortion of attention, the level of anxiety, depression and predicts the risk of developing dangerous conditions. After diagnosis, Anima provides recommendations for maintaining mental health. One of the co-founders of the startup, Serhii Danylov, is a neurophysiologist.
The service is free for military personnel. The price for testing for civilians starts from UAH 39.
Flat Planet — a guide to Ukrainian and foreign cities
Founder: Dmytro Dubilet
Dmytro Dubilet announced the launch of the Flat Planet tourist application in December 2023. The startup can replace guides, because it has audio content synchronized with geocoordinates. It is currently in beta testing, but is available in the App Store. Nevertheless, Flat Planet already has 120 tours in 45 cities in Europe and the USA. Such virtual guidewalks are planned not only through the streets, but also through museums and galleries. The management of these places will be offered a partnership under the terms of which the application team will produce content for free, then translate and voice it in different languages. Information or audio will be contained by links on QR codes near the exhibits. Museums and galleries will decide for themselves whether their tours will be paid — they will receive the full amount of income from this.
Instock — an innovator in customer fulfillment robotics
Founder: Yehor Anchyshkin
Work on the startup began back in 2020, but it was only in May 2023 that it was brought out of stealth mode. Instock is the designer and manufacturer of robots that take goods from shelves and hand them over to operators, saving workers’ time. This system is based on a solution called Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS). A robot can process up to 600 units per hour. Such a robotic system is designed for e-commerce. It can be assembled as a framework – for example, you can add more racks or robots, adapting in this way to the needs of each user.
Rewish — a platform for creating wishlists
Founder: Zhanna Orlova
Rewish was launched in April 2023. The platform, with the help of which you can create your own wish lists and share them with friends, is being developed within the Ukrainian IT company Valuetek. You can add not only products, but also places, movies, and events that you want to visit. Also, on Rewish, you can specify the price of the product or service and provide a link to the online store where you can find each gift. Currently, the user base of the service is 51 thousand users.
JustWork — a marketplace for marketers
Founder: Serhii Bilobrov
JustWork is an IT startup that provides marketing advice for entrepreneurs. It was launched in August 2023 and developed in cooperation with the digital marketing agency Promodo. The agency’s director, Oleksandr Kolb, is also a co-founder of the Ukrainian venture syndicate Toloka.vc.
During registration, the business owner provides all necessary information for a better understanding of their needs, including geography, subject, sub-topic of the case, volume of goods, and experience working with marketers or directly with advertising. The system provides a summary of the project information and offers various advertising services to the user, such as search engine optimization, targeted advertising on Meta platforms, and email marketing. It also selects specialists who can assist the user.
The cost of services depends on the specialist’s level of experience (middle or senior) and the duration of the collaboration (one, three, or six months). Specialists with at least 3 years of experience can offer their services on the platform.
The program allows marketers to create a work plan using a designer template. Additionally, the system monitors deadlines and sends notifications if work deviates from the plan. According to the project website, representatives from over 100 small and medium-sized businesses have already used JustWork’s services.
Nasnaga — a health monitoring program
Founders: Anton Avrynskyi, Volodymyr Narubenko, and Ivan Lyashenko.
The startup was launched in July 2023. Among the co-founders of Nasnaga is the CEO of the drug search and delivery service Liki24. The project offers the services of professional consultants who help monitor health status and implement healthy habits to improve the quality of life. Several service packages are available to users, which can be combined.
- personal laboratory check-up – 40 complex analyses;
- support by a Health-coach during the entire journey of lifestyle transformation after a health check-up;
- course of use of vitamins and minerals;
- course with an expert of narrow specialisation.
The programme’s services are available not only in Ukraine, but also in Poland and the United Kingdom. Citizens of other EU countries can only use the first package, i.e. laboratory check.
TheWays — a personal consultation platform
Founders: Oleksii and Natalia Yelenevych
TheWays was launched at the end of April 2023. The idea behind the product is to help users overcome career and business challenges through expert advice. To do this, the user submits their request on the platform and describes the problem, and the system offers them experts who can help in solving it. The client chooses the most acceptable option and preferred format for receiving an answer to their question, whether it be a video recording, a phone call, a face-to-face conversation, or a mentoring package containing four consultations with an expert. If the user has not found an expert to meet their needs, they can provide a more detailed description of their problem and a consultant will be sourced for them free of charge from the current pool or new consultants will be recruited.
Uspacy — a CRM system for small and medium-sized businesses
Founder: Dmytro Suslov
The Uspacy startup was presented in February 2023. It is a workspace that combines messenger, task management, CRM (software that automates interaction with customers), and other products for internal company communication. On the platform, you can conduct both group and individual chats, make public posts for the team, and receive and provide information about customers.
There is a free, standard (from UAH 266), and professional (from UAH 533) subscriptions. The options differ not only in cost, but also in functionality. According to the platform’s official website, Uspacy now has 64 partners.
AISDR – sales automation using generative AI
Founders: Yurii and Oleh Zaremba
The AISDR startup was founded in August 2023. It is an artificial intelligence-based service that can create personalised electronic advertising campaigns, find and correspond with potential customers and engage them in cooperation. In this way, sales will become more efficient, while business owners do not need to increase their staff. The cost of using the service is $750 per month for sending 1,000 letters.
Swarmer — a multi-drone control software
Founders: Serhii Kuprienko and Alex Fink
The Swarmer startup was launched in May 2023. It deals with the development of software based on artificial intelligence, which allows you to control several drones with the help of only one – the rest work semi-autonomously. In this way, the drone operator can perform their work more efficiently. The mechanism solves complex problems not only on the battlefield but also in agricultural affairs and construction. The website lists the prices for the drone platform (from $500 for a license) and on-board artificial intelligence (from $2,500).
