By Michael J. Buryk.
On May 16, 2017, Razom IT and The Hatchery co-sponsored a Ukrainian startup company pitch night called, “Are You Serious?” at the New York headquarters of the global law firm Dentons. A group of New York investors was on hand to critique the presentations of the five early-stage startups.
Yao Huang, Hatchery’s CEO, and Lyuba Shipovich, Razom IT Program Lead
The list of Ukrainian companies included: AgriEye (offers tools for small-to-medium sized farms to utilize precision agriculture); Anryze (provides AI-powered tracking for business calls with analytics to improve communications); Gotyu (developed a unique GPS tracker as smart wearable technology); Hideez (specializes in cybersecurity and authentication devices and services); and, Outpost Club (a New York-based company focused on shared, affordable and flexible housing for millennials). So what are these companies up to since the May AYS event?
Andriy Sevriukov, Agrieye’s CEO
The Norwegian Katapult Accelerator has chosen AgriEye as one of 12 tech startups to participate in its 2017 three-month Cohort program. More than 1,000 applications were submitted. Katapult will help the 12 startups to grow their business by mentoring, training and offering them support. Access to a network of additional investors is also provided including a partnership with the New-York-City based Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA). $100,000 in start-up capital is given to each participating Cohort company. AgriEye team members Andriy Sevriukov (CEO), Katerina Zhurbenko (Investor Relations) and Ekaterina Balaban (Customer Relations) went to Norway to participate in the program.
Anton Gera, Anryze’s CEO
Anryze has been focused on its one-month ICO (initial coin offering) launched on September 12, 2017. The ICO is an unregulated means of crowdfunding using cryptocurrency as a source of capital. The company raised $1.7 million in cryptocurrency, although its target was $6 million. Anton Gera, the founder and CEO of Anryze, considers this effort a success since it allowed the company to do new hiring (data scientists, AI experts, etc.) and will aid its new product development and marketing activity.
Natalia Stelmakh, Gotyu’s CEO
Gotyu CEO and Founder Natalia Stelmakh continues to roll out her fashionable GPS tracker product in the U.S. Gotyu will exhibit at the very popular Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from January 5-8, 2018 in the Eureka Park Marketplace. Eureka Park offers startups a unique venue to show their products and services to financial professionals, potential investors, the media and other key decision-makers. Also, Natalia talks about her personal experience with trying to get on the famous ABC-TV show “Shark Tank” in a September 29, 2017 blog on her web site http://www.gotyu.tech/Blog/shark-tank-products/.
Julia Shykalova, Hideez’s Business Development Director
Julia Shykalova, global director of business development with Hideez, reports that the company has become a member of Mach37, the most prominent cyber security accelerator in the U.S. As one of the six organizations invited to participate in the Fall 2017 Cohort Companies program, Hideez received a grant of $50,000 from the sponsor CIT (center of innovative technology in Virginia). The program offers individualized mentorship and meetings with potential investors.
Sergii Starostin, Outpost Club’s CEO
Sergii Starostin, the founder and CEO of the Outpost Club, is excited about a new joint venture with a partner based in Toronto, Canada. His company conducted a study of the fast-growing Toronto real estate market and discovered great interest in co-living services. As of now, there is very little competition there. Sergii found a Ukrainian partner in Toronto, Anatolii Shklyaruk. Anatolii Shklyaruk will serve as CEO of Outpost Club Canada Inc. The JV will create a cluster of 100-120 tenants during 2018 and include a total of five properties in Toronto.
Mike Buryk is a free-lance writer and the producer and host of Made in Ukraine Tech Startup Edition (https://soundcloud.com/ukrainetech) , a podcast covering investment in Ukraine and the global expansion of its technology product and software companies.
Razom IT is an economic development initiative that supports the growth of an engaged middle class by cultivating the tech start-up ecosystem in Ukraine.
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