Ukrainian Tech Ecosystem Achievements 2021: Sigma Software Group
Sigma Software Group
1. What are the key achievements of 2021 (Top 3)?
- Strengthening the team and expertise
In 2021 Sigma Software Group grew to 1800+ highly qualified specialists. At the beginning of the year we enhanced our expertise in blockchain and fintech by acquiring IdeaSoft, a Kharkiv-based IT consulting company.
At Sigma Software we consider our bright and talented people as one of the most important parts of the business. Thus we were thrilled to enter the TOP 5 best IT employers in Ukraine. We are also among the companies young people consider as a dream job place.
This year our team is strengthened with top experts, who significantly contributed to development of the company’s services and offers. In February the former top manager at Microsoft, Google, and AOL (currently Verizon), Seth Demsey, joined our advisory board and in July our team was enforced with Maxim Pochebut, whose task is to boost both the internal and external education provided at Sigma Software.
- Contributing to tech ecosystem development
United we succeed, and that is what we at Sigma Software truly believe. We thrive to build a new tech generation and a new image of Ukraine on the global arena.
This year we co-organized the 9th Sweden-Ukraine Business Forum, the first-ever UK-Ukraine Fintech Summit, and the first Ukrainian pavilion at Web Summit. We’ve also finished a series of 9 webinars for startups, to support them in an ever-changing environment. Plus we’ve arranged the Virtual Ukrainian Trade Mission to the UK. All of these projects wouldn’t be possible without the extraordinary support and help of our partners. We are very grateful to all of them. You can check all of these projects on our YouTube channel.
We’ve also supported the launch of Open Banking Exchange Ukraine to develop open banking and open finance in the country.
In Ukraine, Sigma Software has its beloved project called Open Tech Week. This is a series of 5 tech meetups that became our tradition for 5 years in a row, united more than 150 speakers, gathered 4000+ participants, and fundraised $25,000 for charity projects. This year we organized the OTW conferences in our offices in Dnipro, Odesa, and Lviv.
- Creating a balanced startup ecosystem
We continue contributing to the startup ecosystem development. Since 2005 Sigma Software Group has been helping young companies grow in many verticals. Over the past 5 years we’ve invested over $6 million into promising startups that empower businesses and people. In 2019 our company launched the business incubator Sigma Software Labs, aimed at helping creative ideas to enter the new orbit.
In 2021 we’ve already invested in Crypto ML product Global Ledger, Market network of legal providers Legal Nodes, SportTech startup WOD Insight, Financial accounting service FinMap, and other prominent startups.
Just recently Sigma Software has launched a SID partners VC fund for startups on seed and pre-seed phases.
We also got new partners in startup and venture ecosystems such as Founder Institute, Antler, Impact Hub Stockholm, Tie London, Invest Stockholm.
Which challenges were the most impactful during the year?
The pandemic has taught us to find opportunities that come with change, not only the challenges. The year 2021 required fast changes with the highest priority on digitalization. At the same time, the innovations were expected to happen immediately. This all has resulted in the great demand for resources, competence, and turnkey solutions delivery.
This drastic change has urged us to adopt a new business model with the purpose to deliver turnkey solutions fast. We have grown a vast network of partner companies during this short period and added to our portfolio 20+ ready-to-use products in fintech, retail, AI, data engineering, cloud, and other domains. It remains our top priority to keep a high pace, stay innovative and flexible, and deliver high-value solutions.
How will Ukrainian tech be developing? Approach, projections and perspectives for 2022.
Providing premier quality services to our customers, helping them overcome the challenges, and using the opportunities the ever-changing environment brings remain our top priority for the year 2022.
In the following year, thanks to our expertise and knowledge, we will remain one of the top drivers of the Ukrainian tech ecosystem. We will continue developing our own product portfolio and supporting young startups and talented Ukrainians via our multiple educational projects.
We are constantly trying to be closer to our customers, be exactly where they need us. Thus we will discover new locations in Ukraine and abroad.
Speaking of the development of the Ukrainian tech industry in general, we’re waiting to continue the meteoric rise of IT in Ukraine.
We anticipate new success case stories. In 2021 we’ve seen some amazing achievements by our brilliant tech companies: the mega-rounds ($200 million) by Firefly Aerospace and Grammarly, the IPO by Gitlab, the acquiring of Depositphotos for $85 million. These are the great examples that show the world the new innovative face of Ukraine with a lot of cool people, projects, and ideas. This is exactly what we need to evolve from a hidden European tech gem to a full-fledged top business destination for investments, building great products, and providing fantastic services.
We’re also expecting a significant growth of a number of IT developers in Ukraine up to 300,000 specialists. Keeping this in mind, we’ll continue to develop IT education in Ukraine by upgrading the country’s higher education ecosystem. This includes the involvement in the review of materials and curricula at the universities, the impact on developing students’ entrepreneurial mindset, and building a young leadership community. We’ll also continue our employment program through education in Sigma Software University and building a partnership network with other IT schools providing them with our proper feedback.
About Sigma Software Group
Sigma Software provides superior IT services to сustomers in such segments as Automotive, Aviation, Construction/Real Estate, Gambling/Gaming, Telecom, Media/Advertising, Finance and Banking, Information Technology, Healthcare, Energy. The company named to the list of World`s 100 Best Outsourcing Providers.
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