While Silicon Valley competes for attention with perfect slides and polished storytelling, Ukrainian entrepreneurs are launching products under the sound of air raid sirens – and attracting millions of users. While startups in the Valley spend months crafting the “perfect pitch,” Ukrainians just get things done, writes Artem Lyashanov, fintech-entrepreneur and investor, in his column for Mind.
Headway grew to 130 million users and 350 employees during the war. Grammarly reached a $13 billion valuation, becoming a decacorn. Esper Bionics made the cover of TIME for its bionic prosthetics for veterans.
These aren’t just survival stories – they’re cases of global dominance built on grit and character.
According to Gradus Research, 18% of Ukrainian startups were launched after the full-scale war began – compared to just 2% of traditional businesses.
When the world froze in February 2022, Ukrainian entrepreneurs kept moving. They launched Drill, a shooting training app developed with military experts. They created Anima – a neurotechnology platform that assesses mental health through a webcam. They built Cusbo – a business messenger unifying all communication channels.
None of these products were born from a “visionary presentation” or a “revolutionary pitch.” They came from a simple principle: there’s a problem – we need a solution.
At the same time, 75% of Ukrainian startups no longer see Ukraine as their primary market – they aim globally. They test products locally under maximum stress, then scale them to the world.
What makes Ukrainian startups truly special?
It’s not the technology – that’s available to everyone. It’s not the capital – often they have less than their competitors. What sets them apart is their operational culture, forged in an environment where the cost of a mistake is incredibly high.
Focus on impact, not hype. ReLeaf Paper didn’t pitch “the packaging of the future.” Instead, they started producing paper from fallen leaves, using 15 times less water, and landed contracts with global giants like L’Oréal and Samsung.
Speed over committees. CheckEye didn’t spend years “validating a concept” for vision diagnostics. They identified the problem and built an AI solution with 93% accuracy. Today, it’s saving the eyesight of Ukrainians in active conflict zones.
Resilience as a competitive advantage. Portal AI raised $4.75 million in 2023 – right in the middle of the war. Investors aren’t just buying a product; they’re backing a team that proves its resilience every single day.
The global investment community still operates under the paradigm of “beautiful deck wins money.” Venture funds often judge founders by charisma rather than by their ability to execute. Startups spend more time perfecting presentations than developing their product.
Ukrainian startups flip this logic. They show up to pitch not with visions of the future, but with working products and real customers. Not with market projections, but with proven demand.
Yet investors often interpret this as “lack of ambition” or “local thinking.” In reality, it’s the highest form of validation: if a product works in Ukraine during wartime, it will work anywhere.
The problem isn’t with Ukrainian startups – it’s with investment criteria. The world overvalues storytelling and undervalues execution, favoring promises over results.
The Ukrainian startup formula could set a global standard: less time on slides, more time on product. Fewer flashy promises, more concrete outcomes.
69% of Ukrainian startups are at the pre-seed stage yet already have functioning products. In Silicon Valley, companies at this stage usually have only a concept and a market vision.
This isn’t a rejection of ambition. It’s a difference in approach: build first, talk later; prove first, scale later; create value first, present it after.
The Ukrainian startup sector isn’t just surviving the war – it’s setting new standards for efficiency and resilience. These companies prove that grit matters more than charisma, and execution matters more than vision.
Perhaps it’s time for the global startup community to shift focus: from pitch decks to products, from presentations to results, from promises to action. The Ukrainian formula is not just a survival strategy in crisis – it’s a building model for truly resilient businesses.
About the author
Artem Lyashanov is a serial fintech entrepreneur with 10+ years of experience and an investor. He studied at the Taras Shevchenko National University, received a master's degree in Finance and Credit from the Kyiv National Aviation University, and received a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.