Ukraine’s startup scene has done something few ecosystems anywhere have had to prove: keep building, funding, and exporting through a full-scale war. Behind that resilience sits a dense network of public funds, private accelerators, and international programmes that keep founders funded, mentored, and connected to global markets. Here’s a look at the organizations doing the heavy lifting.
Public Institutions and Government-Backed Funds
Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF) sits at the center of the country’s public startup infrastructure. Operating under the Innovation Development Fund, USF has supported 470 startups with more than $8.6 million in non-equity grants, generating an estimated 18x investment multiplier. In February 2026, it became the first Ukrainian public institution to join the Microsoft for Startups Investor Network. Its Startup EDGE grant programme, run with EU4Innovation East, offers up to €20,000 for pre-seed and €40,000 for seed-stage startups, with a focus on DeepTech, GreenTech, and EdTech.
BRAVE1 is the flagship institution for Ukraine’s DefenseTech vertical, functioning as a coordination platform connecting the state, military, defense manufacturers, and international partners. Its 2025 DefenseTech Valley Summit in Lviv brought together 400 investors from 40 countries and saw over $100 million in investments announced — a strong signal of how far defense innovation has moved from niche to mainstream investment category.
Together, USF and BRAVE1 have helped build a national network of 23 startup schools and accelerators, integrated into the European Digital Innovation Hubs network through WIN2EDIH, with Ukraine also securing membership in global innovation alliances including ENFA and TAFTIE.
Homegrown Accelerators and Incubators
Ukraine’s private accelerator scene is smaller than its Western European counterparts but has real staying power, with several programmes tracking double-digit portfolios and multiple exits:
- Happy Farm Business Accelerator — founded in 2012 by Anna Degtereva, Happy Farm has made 44 investments and recorded 2 exits, running a full-cycle programme designed to help international IT startups enter the US market.
- GrowthUP — the accelerator and investment arm founded in 2010 by Nikolay Savin and Denis Dovgopoliy, with 18 investments and 2 exits across a 16-week programme for tech and IT startups.
- Sigma Software Labs — the investment wing of IT consulting firm Sigma Software, giving portfolio companies direct access to the parent company’s engineering resources; 19 investments and 1 exit since 2019.
- 1991 Accelerator — Ukraine’s first independent, non-profit incubator, founded in 2015 by Viktor Gurskyi and Denis Gursky, running a 12-week online programme focused on IT.
- D3 VC — founded in 2022, backing pre-seed and seed-stage Ukrainian founders building global tech companies with capital and go-to-market support.
- DOUBLETOP — a hybrid venture fund and media company founded by Anton Dziuba in 2019, focused on crypto and martech.
- Gamegroove Capital and Zade round out the specialist end of the spectrum, backing gaming studios and fintech/software product teams respectively.
Cross-Border Bridges
A growing set of programmes exist specifically to connect Ukrainian founders to capital and customers abroad:
UK-Ukraine TechBridge Investment Accelerator, delivered by Blue Lake VC with backing from the UK Government and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, is now in its third edition. The 2026 cohort works with 20 high-growth Ukrainian companies (Late Seed–Series A), giving founders direct access to UK investors over a five-week programme culminating in a showcase at London Tech Week in front of 200+ investors and partners. USF serves as the acceleration partner on the Ukrainian side.
Google for Startups Ukraine Support Fund provides equity-free support and cloud credits to Ukraine-based startups, one of several international corporate programmes stepping in alongside domestic capital.
Endeavor and Mission Possible Ukraine round out the country’s incubator and accelerator landscape, having collectively distributed millions in funding to support Ukrainian entrepreneurship alongside USF and Google.
What This Adds Up To
The throughline across all of these organizations is that Ukraine’s institutional development has moved in parallel with its startup growth rather than lagging behind it. Public grant infrastructure, private accelerators, and international bridge programmes are increasingly working in coordination rather than in isolation — which is part of why, even five years into a full-scale war, the country’s startups keep raising capital, reaching unicorn status, and going public abroad.
Sources: Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026, Failory, Tech.eu, Alumni Ventures, UK-Ukraine TechBridge
