The Ukrainian tech ecosystem has officially identified its frontrunners for the past year. On March 12-13, the Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF) hosted the USF Pitch Days at Kyiv’s Kooperativ space – a high-intensity two-day event that combined strategic pitching with the prestigious IDF Awards 2025 ceremony.
The event served as both a look ahead—with 59 startups competing for the next wave of Startup EDGE grants—and a celebration of the individuals and organizations that formed the backbone of Ukrainian innovation throughout 2025.
IDF Awards 2025: A Unified Ecosystem Choice
The winners of the IDF Awards 2025 were determined through a rigorous selection process by a jury representing the full spectrum of the Ukrainian tech landscape. The panel included experts from the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Sigma Software Labs, TechUkraine, UNIT.City, Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), Techosystem, Vector, uventures, IT Ukraine Association, and Center42.
Two additional categories were decided by the community through open voting, while the Seeds of Bravery Special Award was selected by the project’s Supervisory Board.
The 2025 Winners:
-
Startup of the Year: Deus Robotics
-
Seeds of Bravery Special Award: Haiqu
-
Best Startup – People’s Choice: OUTEX
-
Best University-Based Startup: eXtra Vision
-
Investor of the Year: ZAS Ventures
-
Incubator | Accelerator of the Year: 1991 Accelerator
-
Ecosystem Organization – Startups’ Choice: Diia.City Union
-
Hero of the Ecosystem: Andriy Zaikin
Additionally, the USF recognized UMAEF (Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund) and EU4Innovation East as Impact Partners for their pivotal role in supporting startups through joint grant programs.
Fueling the Next Wave: USF Pitch Days
The event also acted as a major scouting ground for early-stage talent. Over two days, 59 teams presented their solutions:
-
Seed Stage: 35 startups, including Uspacy, CheckEye, BIMP, and Sirocco Energy, pitched for recommended funding of €40,000.
-
Pre-seed Stage: 24 startups, such as Antagonist AI, Salesdep AI, and Mycelia Tech, competed for €20,000 grants.
Beyond the capital, the event focused on the “knowledge gap” with expert workshops. Ilya Kabachynsky (Scroll.media) and Petro Sovyak-Krukovsky (Vesna Capital) discussed the transition from idea to funding, while Konstantin Solovyov provided a roadmap for Go-to-Market strategies in 2026.
Leadership Perspective
Nataly Veremeeva, Director of TechUkraine, emphasized the strategic importance of this year’s cohort:
“The IDF Awards 2025 is a testament to the power of our unified community. Selecting winners from such a high-caliber pool was a challenge, but seeing leaders like Deus Robotics push the boundaries of automation and Haiqu represent our strength in deep tech proves the incredible depth of our ecosystem. From the academic brilliance of eXtra Vision to the strategic support of ZAS Ventures and 1991 Accelerator, this cohort represents the full spectrum of our growth. TechUkraine is proud to stand alongside USF as we celebrate the ‘Heroes’ and organizations like Diia.City Union that ensure Ukraine remains a top global destination for innovation. Also the title of the hero of the ecosystem, given to Andriy Zaikin – is well deserved, his university accelerator YEP is a true support for the whole generation of new Ukrainian startups”.
The event was organized by the Ukrainian Startup Fund with the support of WIN2EDIH and the EU4Innovation East project (funded by the EU, co-financed by the French government, and implemented by Expertise France).
