The global community of distinguished entrepreneurs, Endeavor, is opening an office in Ukraine. Their goal is to provide the Ukrainian tech business access to Endeavor's international network and capital, as reported by AIN.UA.
Endeavor co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg stated that the opening of the company's office in Ukraine is a signal of faith in the potential of the Ukrainian entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to Senior Vice President of Expansion at Endeavor, Joanna Harris, the Endeavor office in Ukraine has long been "on the radar," and now is "the right time for launch."
The Managing Director of Endeavor in Ukraine, Sviatoslav Sviatnenko, said that Endeavor will support Ukrainian entrepreneurs in any professional challenges they face. This includes preparations for M&A or IPOs, expansion into new countries, and finding top talent in international markets.
"Ukrainian entrepreneurs will gain access to a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors like no other. We will connect founders with the right people to help them quickly find answers to their questions, move their business forward, and attract capital," Sviatnenko explained.
Endeavor Ukraine will focus on technology companies with high growth potential that are at the scaling stage and wish to expand globally.
Endeavor Ukraine will have its own board of directors, consisting of experienced entrepreneurs and investors, including:
- Vitaliy Laptenok, General Partner at Flyer One Ventures and Co-founder of Genesis
- Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder of MacPaw and Co-founder of SMRK VC Fund
- Natalia Anon, CEO of Svitla Systems
- Olena Vovk, Chair of the Supervisory Board at Enzym Group
- Volodymyr Kostiuk, CEO of Farmak
- Dima Shvets, Co-founder of Reface and Scout at a16z
- Anton Vashchuk, Director of Innovation, Education, and Entrepreneurship at UMAEF
- Oleksandr McWhorter, Head of Citi in Ukraine, and Anton Borzov, Partner at StratMinds
Financial support for the launch of Endeavor in Ukraine has been provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF).
Endeavor not only creates a community of leaders but also invests up to $2 million in companies led by selected Endeavor entrepreneurs. The funds are invested through their Endeavor Catalyst fund, which has co-invested with Index Ventures, Accel, Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, IFC, and others.
Endeavor Catalyst manages assets exceeding $500 million and has already invested in over 300 companies, more than 50 of which are valued at over $1 billion (such as Glovo, Altruist, and Checkout.com).
Founded in 1997, the Endeavor network spans nearly 40 countries across Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States. Since its inception, Endeavor has supported over 2,800 entrepreneurs worldwide, creating over 4.1 million jobs and generating total annual revenues of over $67 billion.
