Page 65 - UKRRptJan22

combines the efforts of 3 companies. Sigma Software, Ideasoft, and Datrics to create a synergy of service and product business. The fund will focus on Ukrainian tech startups, preferring projects in deeptech, b2b, blockchain, fintech, and the automotive industry.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on December 18 signed a bill creating a special taxation system for tech firms. Bill No5676, approved by the parliament on December 14, is the second of three laws that are necessary to create the Diia City system. Diia City is a collection of tax, employment and legal benefits that Ukrainian and foreign IT firms will be granted in an attempt to boost Ukraine’s tech industry.
The Ukrainian Government started actively helping its IT industry. The Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF), a state fund, was initiated by the cabinet of Ukraine's Ministers. The fund's mission is to promote the creation and development of technology startups in the early stages (pre-seed and seed) to increase their global competitiveness. The Minister of Finance of Ukraine, Serhiy Marchenko, has revealed information on the UFS financing in the 2022 state budget: the amount will be UAH50mn ($1.85mn).
Microsoft is becoming actively interested in Ukrainian startups. The announcement was made by Jan Peter de Jong, the CEO of Microsoft Ukraine. The firm is actively involved in startups in the program “Microsoft for Startups - Discovering opportunities”. According to de Jong, “Microsoft is expanding very fast, encouraging the company to work more closely with local players, including the Ukrainian Startup Fund. We have great programs that can help each of the projects: we not only provide tools but also teach how to use them to scale, win new markets and the hearts of your customers," he added.
Kyiv apartment rental app Bird launched in London, UK. Bird, an iOS app for long-term apartment rentals in Kyiv, is an experimental product of the company LUN, which appeared in the App Store in December 2018. Its main features are a detailed 3D map, which highlights houses with rental properties. The new app in London will go under the name Birb with similar features— the application collects listings from the two largest real estate platforms in London, reported ain.ua
A private IT university to open in Kyiv. The presentation of a new private IT university SET University (Science, Entrepreneurship, Technology) in Kyiv was held. SET will develop students' skills necessary for IT entrepreneurs. Founding Partner Roosh, Serhiy Tokarev, and Kyiv School of Economics are the founders of the new school. Teachers and mentors of students will be top managers of Ukrainian and international IT companies.
Pacing the boom in online shopping, the portion of Ukrainians who have encountered fraud in online shopping has doubled in the last two years to 45%, according to a new survey by OLX, the online marketplace. Due to heightened awareness of the problem, 76% of Ukrainian shoppers who encountered phishing attacks did not lose money, compared to 62% in 2020, OLX Ukraine reported. In Ukraine, 83% of malicious links came through Viber, 6% via SMS, and 2% via spam emails. Viktor Nobiuz, head of business analytics at OLX Ukraine, said: “40% of Ukrainians already know that links sent from strangers can be a fraudulent attack, so they do not open them and do not discuss financial issues in instant messengers.”
65 UKRAINE Country Report January 2022 www.intellinews.com