The global community of prominent entrepreneurs Endeavor is opening a representative office in Ukraine. Their goal is to provide Ukrainian technology businesses with access to the international Endeavor network and capital. This was reported to AIN by Endeavor Ukraine.
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Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg said that the opening of the company's office in Ukraine is a sign of faith in the potential of the Ukrainian entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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And according to Joanna Harris, Senior Vice President of Expansion at Endeavor, an Endeavor office in Ukraine has long been "on the radar" and now is "the right time to launch."
What will Endeavour Ukraine do
Sviatoslav Sviatnenko, Managing Director of the organisation in Ukraine, says that Endeavor will support Ukrainian entrepreneurs in any professional challenges. This includes, for example, preparing for M&A or IPO, expanding to new countries, and finding the best professionals in international markets.
"Ukrainian entrepreneurs will have access to a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors and investors that is second to none. We will introduce the founders to the right people so that they can find answers to their questions faster, move their business forward and raise capital," explained Sviatnenko.
Endeavor Ukraine will focus on technology companies with high growth potential, which are at the scaling stage and want to develop globally.
Endeavour Ukraine's structure
Endeavor Ukraine will have its own board of directors. It includes experienced entrepreneurs and investors. They are:
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Vital Laptenok, general partner of Flyer One Ventures and co-founder of Genesis;
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Oleksandr Kosovan, founder of MacPaw and co-founder of SMRK VC Fund;
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Nataliya Anon, CEO of Svitla Systems;
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Olena Vovk, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Enzym Group;
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Volodymyr Kostiuk, CEO of Farmak;
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Dima Shvets, co-founder of Reface and a16z scout;
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Anton Waschuk, Director of Innovation, Education and Entrepreneurship at UMAEF;
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Alexander McWhorter, Head of Citi in Ukraine, and Anton Borzov, a partner at StratMinds.
Financial support for the launch of Endeavor in Ukraine was provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF).
More about the global Endeavour community
Endeavor not only creates a community of leaders, but also invests up to $2 million in companies led by entrepreneurs selected by Endeavor. The money is invested through its Endeavor Catalyst fund, which has co-invested with Index Ventures, Accel, Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, IFC, and others.
Endeavor Catalyst manages over $500 million in assets. The fund has already invested in more than 300 companies, more than 50 of which are valued at more than $1 billion (Glovo, Altruist, Checkout.com).
Founded in 1997, Endeavor's network spans nearly 40 countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the United States. Since its inception, Endeavor has supported more than 2,800 entrepreneurs worldwide, creating more than 4.1 million jobs and generating more than $67 billion in combined annual revenues.
