{"name":"Spilni directory of hot startups with Ukrainian founders","url":"https://spilni.com/","methodology":"https://spilni.com/methodology","lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","count":16,"startups":[{"slug":"preply","name":"Preply","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/preply.png","foundedYear":2012,"status":"Active","location":"New York · Barcelona · London","ukrainePresence":"Engineering and company roots in Kyiv","focus":"Edtech · Language learning","sectors":["Education","Marketplace","Artificial intelligence"],"tags":["Unicorn","$150M Series D","Global"],"stage":{"label":"Series D","detail":"$150M Series D at a $1.2B valuation, announced in January 2026.","source":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/preply-raises-150-million-to-shape-the-future-of-education-through-human-led-ai-enhanced-learning-302665890.html"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Current roles across Kyiv, Barcelona, London, and New York.","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/preply/jobs"},"momentum":"$150M Series D at a $1.2B valuation in January 2026; EBITDA-positive with learners and tutors across 180 countries.","description":"A global marketplace for live, AI-enhanced language learning with human tutors.","answer":"Preply is a Ukrainian-founded language-learning marketplace that became a unicorn in January 2026 after raising a $150 million Series D led by WestCap at a $1.2 billion valuation.","website":"https://preply.com/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Preply’s official history traces the company to founders from Kyiv and an early product and team built in Ukraine. The company maintains a Kyiv engineering presence while operating globally.","founders":[{"name":"Kirill Bigai","alternateNames":["Kyrylo Bigai"],"role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirillbigai","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian founder who grew up in Kyiv."},{"name":"Dmytro Voloshyn","role":"Co-founder and CTO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmytrovoloshyn","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian co-founder who helped build Preply’s early team in Kyiv."}],"sources":[{"label":"Preply company history","publisher":"Preply","url":"https://preply.com/en/about-us","supports":["founders","Ukraine connection","company history","global presence"]},{"label":"Preply raises $150M and becomes a unicorn","publisher":"Preply","url":"https://preply.com/en/blog/preply-raises-150-million-to-shape-the-future-of-education-through-human-led-ai-enhanced-learning/","supports":["funding","valuation","momentum","product"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/preply"},{"slug":"uforce","name":"UFORCE","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/uforce.png","foundedYear":2025,"status":"Active","location":"London · Washington, D.C. · Ukraine","ukrainePresence":"Battlefield-proven Ukrainian systems and engineering","focus":"Defense · Autonomous systems","sectors":["Defense","Autonomy","Drones","Robotics"],"tags":["Defense","$1B valuation","UK–Ukraine"],"stage":{"label":"Stage undisclosed","detail":"$50M venture round at an approximately $1B valuation; no conventional round label was disclosed.","source":"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-05/ukraine-battlefield-tech-firm-uforce-nears-1-billion-valuation"},"hiring":{"status":"No public openings","detail":"No roles were posted on the company’s public LinkedIn jobs page when checked.","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/uforce-global/jobs"},"momentum":"$50M raised at an approximately $1B valuation in March 2026, with systems used across more than 150,000 combat missions.","description":"Combat-proven autonomous systems spanning sea, air, land, and counter-UAS missions.","answer":"UFORCE is a Ukrainian-founded, London-headquartered defense company that raised $50 million at an approximately $1 billion valuation in 2026 to scale combat-proven autonomous systems for Ukraine and allied militaries.","website":"https://www.uforce.com/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"UFORCE combines Ukrainian battlefield systems and operators with Western manufacturing, capital, and go-to-market leadership. Its board includes former UK Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace.","founders":[{"name":"Oleg Rogynskyy","alternateNames":["Oleh Rohynskyi"],"role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/olegrogynskyy","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian-born Silicon Valley entrepreneur and recipient of Ukraine’s Order of Merit."},{"name":"Oleksiy Honcharuk","role":"Co-founder and Board Chairman","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksiy-honcharuk-766776332","connectionSummary":"Former Prime Minister of Ukraine and adviser to Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces."}],"sources":[{"label":"UFORCE company and leadership","publisher":"UFORCE","url":"https://www.uforce.com/company","supports":["company","founders","Ukraine connection","Western ties","products"]},{"label":"UFORCE nears $1B valuation","publisher":"Bloomberg","url":"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-05/ukraine-battlefield-tech-firm-uforce-nears-1-billion-valuation","supports":["funding","valuation","momentum"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/uforce"},{"slug":"quo","name":"Quo","alternateNames":["OpenPhone"],"logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/quo.png","foundedYear":2018,"status":"Active","location":"San Francisco","focus":"AI · Business communications","sectors":["Artificial intelligence","SaaS","Telecommunications"],"tags":["YC S18","$105M financing","AI"],"stage":{"label":"Growth financing","detail":"$96M customer-value financing plus $9M in equity, announced in September 2025.","source":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/openphone-becomes-quo-new-name-updated-products-and-105-million-in-growth-financing-mark-major-inflection-point-for-ai-driven-front-office-solution-302562915.html"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"The official careers page is accepting applications for open roles.","url":"https://www.quo.com/careers"},"momentum":"$105M in growth financing in September 2025 alongside the OpenPhone-to-Quo rebrand and expansion of its Sona AI agent.","description":"An AI-powered business phone and front-office platform for small and growing companies.","answer":"Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is a San Francisco communications platform co-founded by Ukrainian-Canadian entrepreneur Daryna Kulya. It announced $105 million in growth financing in September 2025.","website":"https://www.quo.com/","accelerator":{"name":"Y Combinator","batch":"Summer 2018","profile":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/openphone"},"connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Quo’s official founder biography identifies co-founder Daryna Kulya as Ukrainian-Canadian. The company grew from Canadian roots into a San Francisco platform serving global small businesses.","founders":[{"name":"Daryna Kulya","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/darynakulya","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian-Canadian co-founder whose official biography describes Kyiv as home."},{"name":"Mahyar Raissi","role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahyarr","connectionSummary":"Co-founded Quo with Daryna Kulya and scaled it in the U.S. market."}],"sources":[{"label":"OpenPhone becomes Quo and raises $105M","publisher":"Quo","url":"https://www.quo.com/blog/next-chapter/","supports":["funding","momentum","name change","product"]},{"label":"Quo company profile","publisher":"Y Combinator","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/openphone","supports":["company","batch","founders","location","status"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/quo"},{"slug":"swarmer","name":"Swarmer","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/swarmer.webp","foundedYear":2023,"status":"Active","location":"Austin · Kyiv","ukrainePresence":"Software deployed with nearly 50 Ukrainian units","focus":"Defense · Drone swarms","sectors":["Defense","Autonomy","Artificial intelligence","Drones"],"tags":["Defense","$15M Series A","US-backed"],"stage":{"label":"Public · post-Series A","detail":"$15M Series A followed by a 2026 U.S. public-market listing.","source":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2092574/000110465926072392/tmb-20260331xs1.htm"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Multiple current roles across Kyiv, Lviv, Warsaw, and remote.","url":"https://jobs.dou.ua/companies/swarmer/vacancies/"},"momentum":"$15M U.S.-led Series A in September 2025; software has supported more than 100,000 battlefield missions.","description":"Collaborative autonomy software that coordinates large groups of unmanned systems.","answer":"Swarmer is a Ukrainian-born defense technology company whose drone-swarm software has supported more than 100,000 combat missions. It raised a $15 million U.S.-led Series A in 2025.","website":"https://getswarmer.com/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Swarmer’s official history says it was founded in response to Ukrainian battlefield needs. Its software entered combat operations in 2024 and was shaped by continuous deployment with Ukrainian units.","founders":[{"name":"Serhii Kupriienko","role":"Co-founder and Global CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/serhii-kupriienko-80383a27","connectionSummary":"Ukraine-based co-founder who led AI and computer-vision teams before Swarmer."},{"name":"Alex Fink","role":"Co-founder and U.S. CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/temuchin43","connectionSummary":"U.S.-based co-founder scaling Swarmer with Western defense partners."}],"sources":[{"label":"Swarmer history and leadership","publisher":"Swarmer","url":"https://getswarmer.com/about/","supports":["founders","Ukraine connection","missions","deployment","company history"]},{"label":"Swarmer announces $15M Series A","publisher":"Swarmer","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/getswarmer_swarmer-ukraines-leading-drone-autonomy-activity-7373649376113684480-zcXl","supports":["funding","investors","momentum"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/swarmer"},{"slug":"holywater","name":"HOLYWATER","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/holywater.png","foundedYear":2020,"status":"Active","location":"Kyiv · Los Angeles","ukrainePresence":"Founded and headquartered in Kyiv","focus":"Media · AI entertainment","sectors":["Media","Artificial intelligence","Consumer","Entertainment"],"tags":["$22M Series A","Fox partner","85M users"],"stage":{"label":"Series A","detail":"$22M Series A led by Horizon Capital, announced in January 2026.","source":"https://www.holywater.tech/blog/holywater-raises-record-22-million-to-turn-microdramas-into-mainstream-entertainment-in-the-u-s"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Current roles across product, engineering, content, finance, and growth.","url":"https://jobs.dou.ua/companies/holy-water/vacancies/"},"momentum":"$22M Series A in January 2026 after doubling 2025 revenue, reaching 85M users, and signing a 200-series agreement with Fox Entertainment.","description":"A mobile-first entertainment platform for vertical series, books, and AI-generated streaming.","answer":"HOLYWATER is a Kyiv-founded entertainment technology company that raised a $22 million Series A in 2026 after doubling revenue and expanding its U.S. microdrama partnerships.","website":"https://holywater.tech/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"HOLYWATER describes itself as born in Ukraine and maintains its headquarters in Kyiv while building for U.S. and global entertainment markets.","founders":[{"name":"Bogdan Nesvit","role":"Co-founder and Co-CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/bogdannesvit","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian co-founder leading HOLYWATER’s global media strategy."},{"name":"Anatolii Kasianov","role":"Co-founder and Co-CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatolii-kasianov","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian technical co-founder who built the company’s early product stack."}],"sources":[{"label":"HOLYWATER raises $22M","publisher":"HOLYWATER","url":"https://www.holywater.tech/blog/holywater-raises-record-22-million-to-turn-microdramas-into-mainstream-entertainment-in-the-u-s","supports":["funding","momentum","founders","U.S. expansion"]},{"label":"HOLYWATER funding and growth","publisher":"Axios","url":"https://www.axios.com/2026/01/15/holywater-microdrama-app-funding","supports":["Ukraine connection","funding","market","product"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/holywater"},{"slug":"farsight-vision","name":"Farsight Vision","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/farsight-vision.png","foundedYear":2023,"status":"Active","location":"Lviv · Tallinn","ukrainePresence":"Used by more than 100 Ukrainian defense units","focus":"Defense · Geospatial intelligence","sectors":["Defense","Geospatial","Drones","Artificial intelligence"],"tags":["Defense","€7.2M seed","Estonia–Ukraine"],"stage":{"label":"Seed","detail":"€7.2M seed round led by Final Frontier and joined by Axon and SmartCap.","source":"https://finalfrontier.vc/newsroom/11022026"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"The company maintains an active public vacancies portal.","url":"https://farsightvision.hurma.work/public-vacancies?lang=en"},"momentum":"€7.2M seed in February 2026 led by Axon and Estonia’s SmartCap Defence Fund after adding 1,500 accounts in 2025.","description":"Geospatial intelligence software for drone teams operating in GPS-denied environments.","answer":"Farsight Vision is a Ukrainian-Estonian defense startup whose mapping and navigation software is used by more than 100 Ukrainian units. It raised a €7.2 million seed round in 2026.","website":"https://fsv.global/en","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Farsight Vision was launched by Ukrainian founders, operates from Lviv and Tallinn, and builds directly with Ukrainian defense and security units.","founders":[{"name":"Viktoriia Yaremchuk","role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktoriia-yaremchuk-3ba80116","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian co-founder leading the company from its Lviv and Tallinn bases."},{"name":"Volodymyr Nepiuk","role":"Co-founder and CTO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/vnepyuk","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian technical co-founder building battlefield geospatial tools."}],"sources":[{"label":"Farsight Vision company story","publisher":"Farsight Vision","url":"https://fsv.global/en/about-us","supports":["founders","Ukraine connection","locations","product","users"]},{"label":"Farsight Vision raises €7.2M","publisher":"Final Frontier","url":"https://finalfrontier.vc/newsroom/11022026","supports":["funding","Western investors","momentum"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/farsight-vision"},{"slug":"carmoola","name":"Carmoola","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/carmoola.png","foundedYear":2021,"status":"Active","location":"London","focus":"Fintech · Car finance","sectors":["Fintech","Consumer finance","Automotive"],"tags":["£300M facility","UK fintech","Fast growth"],"stage":{"label":"Series A","detail":"Latest named equity stage is Series A; later capital includes large asset-backed debt facilities.","source":"https://www.carmoola.co.uk/blog/carmoola-series-a"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Recent public hiring signals include customer operations and growth roles in London.","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/carmoola/jobs"},"momentum":"£300M asset-backed debt facility in June 2025, tripling lending capacity as customer numbers doubled year over year.","description":"A mobile-first direct lender that simplifies and accelerates UK car financing.","answer":"Carmoola is a half-British, half-Ukrainian car-finance platform that secured a £300 million asset-backed debt facility in 2025 to scale across the UK.","website":"https://www.carmoola.co.uk/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Carmoola was co-founded by Ukrainian engineering leaders Roman Sumnikov and Igor Gordiichuk alongside British founders Aidan and Amy Rushby.","founders":[{"name":"Aidan Rushby","role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidanrushby","connectionSummary":"British co-founder who built Carmoola with a British-Ukrainian founding team."},{"name":"Amy Rushby","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrushby735","connectionSummary":"British co-founder of Carmoola’s cross-border founding team."},{"name":"Roman Sumnikov","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsumnikov","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian engineering co-founder."},{"name":"Igor Gordiichuk","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/igor-gordiichuk","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian engineering co-founder."}],"sources":[{"label":"Carmoola secures £300M facility","publisher":"Carmoola","url":"https://www.carmoola.co.uk/news/carmoola-secures-300m-abs-debt-facility","supports":["financing","momentum","Western ties","growth"]},{"label":"Carmoola team and milestones","publisher":"Carmoola","url":"https://www.carmoola.co.uk/about-us","supports":["founders","company history","traction","location"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/carmoola"},{"slug":"earth-ai","name":"EARTH AI","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/earth-ai.png","foundedYear":2017,"status":"Active","location":"San Mateo · Australia","focus":"AI · Critical minerals","sectors":["Artificial intelligence","Mining","Climate","Industrial technology"],"tags":["YC S19","$20M Series B","Critical minerals"],"stage":{"label":"Series B","detail":"$20M Series B for AI-driven mineral exploration, announced in January 2025.","source":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/earth-ai-closes-oversubscribed-round-raising-20m-for-ai-driven-mineral-exploration-302360289.html"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Current signals include AI engineering, geochemistry, and field roles in Australia.","url":"https://au.seek.com/Earth-AI-jobs/in-All-Sydney-NSW"},"momentum":"$20M Series B in January 2025 followed by multiple discoveries of critical-mineral deposits in Australia.","description":"AI-driven mineral exploration and low-disturbance drilling for critical metal deposits.","answer":"EARTH AI is an Australian-U.S. critical-minerals company founded by Ukrainian geologist Roman Teslyuk. It raised a $20 million Series B and announced multiple mineral discoveries in 2025.","website":"https://earth-ai.com/","accelerator":{"name":"Y Combinator","batch":"Summer 2019","profile":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/earth-ai"},"connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Founder Roman Teslyuk studied geology in Lviv, worked in Ukraine, and represented Ukraine in national and international geology competitions before building EARTH AI abroad.","founders":[{"name":"Roman Teslyuk","role":"Founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/roman-teslyuk-a344881a","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian geologist educated at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv."}],"sources":[{"label":"EARTH AI raises $20M","publisher":"EARTH AI","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/earth-ai-closes-oversubscribed-round-raising-20m-for-ai-driven-mineral-exploration-302360289.html","supports":["funding","momentum","technology","founder"]},{"label":"EARTH AI company profile","publisher":"Y Combinator","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/earth-ai","supports":["company","batch","founder","location","traction"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/earth-ai"},{"slug":"infisical","name":"Infisical","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/infisical.png","foundedYear":2022,"status":"Active","location":"San Francisco","focus":"Security · Developer infrastructure","sectors":["Cybersecurity","Developer tools","Open source","Enterprise software"],"tags":["YC W23","$16M Series A","Open source"],"stage":{"label":"Series A","detail":"$16M Series A led by Elad Gil, announced in June 2025.","source":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infisical-secures-16m-series-a-to-redefine-enterprise-secrets-identity-and-access-management-302475063.html"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"The official careers page lists current opportunities.","url":"https://infisical.com/careers"},"momentum":"$16M Series A in June 2025 after reaching cash-flow positivity and adoption across major enterprise workloads.","description":"Open-source security infrastructure for secrets, certificates, and privileged access.","answer":"Infisical is a San Francisco security-infrastructure company co-founded by Ukrainian entrepreneur Vlad Matsiiako. It raised a $16 million Series A in 2025 after becoming cash-flow positive.","website":"https://infisical.com/","accelerator":{"name":"Y Combinator","batch":"Winter 2023","profile":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/infisical"},"connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Co-founder and CEO Vlad Matsiiako publicly identifies as Ukrainian and is building Infisical from Silicon Valley with a global founding team.","founders":[{"name":"Vlad Matsiiako","role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/vmatsiiako","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian co-founder building security infrastructure in Silicon Valley."},{"name":"Tony Dang","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-d-a104a6125","connectionSummary":"Co-founded Infisical with Vlad Matsiiako and Maidul Islam."},{"name":"Maidul Islam","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/maidul98","connectionSummary":"Co-founded Infisical’s open-source security platform."}],"sources":[{"label":"Infisical raises $16M Series A","publisher":"Infisical","url":"https://infisical.com/blog/series-a","supports":["funding","momentum","cash-flow status","customers"]},{"label":"Infisical company profile","publisher":"Y Combinator","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/infisical","supports":["company","batch","founders","location","team size"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/infisical"},{"slug":"the-fourth-law","name":"The Fourth Law","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/the-fourth-law.png","foundedYear":2023,"status":"Active","location":"Kyiv","ukrainePresence":"Battle-proven with more than 70 Ukrainian combat units","focus":"Defense · Autonomous targeting","sectors":["Defense","Autonomy","Computer vision","Drones"],"tags":["Defense","NATO-codified","Axon-backed"],"stage":{"label":"Strategic round","detail":"Axon-backed strategic investment; amount and conventional venture stage were not disclosed.","source":"https://thefourthlaw.ai/"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"The company lists dozens of current technical and operational roles.","url":"https://jobs.dou.ua/companies/thefourthlaw-ai/vacancies/"},"momentum":"Strategic Axon investment in 2026; NATO-codified autonomy modules deployed across more than 70 Ukrainian combat units.","description":"Autonomy modules and terminal guidance for drones operating through jamming and signal loss.","answer":"The Fourth Law is a Ukrainian defense startup building NATO-codified autonomous guidance systems used by more than 70 Ukrainian combat units and backed by U.S. public-safety company Axon.","website":"https://thefourthlaw.ai/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"The company was founded in Ukraine by Yaroslav Azhnyuk to solve frontline autonomy needs and develops its systems through a continuous feedback loop with Ukrainian military units.","founders":[{"name":"Yaroslav Azhnyuk","role":"Founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslavazhnyuk","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian serial entrepreneur building autonomous defense systems in Kyiv."}],"sources":[{"label":"The Fourth Law company profile","publisher":"The Fourth Law","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefourthlaw","supports":["founder","Ukraine connection","deployments","NATO codification","partners"]},{"label":"The Fourth Law secures strategic investment","publisher":"Yaroslav Azhnyuk","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yaroslavazhnyuk_great-news-the-fourth-law-has-secured-an-activity-7429098101505748992-MiIU","supports":["investment","Axon partnership","U.S. expansion","momentum"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/the-fourth-law"},{"slug":"frontline-robotics","name":"Frontline Robotics","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/frontline-robotics.png","foundedYear":2023,"status":"Active","location":"Ukraine · Germany","ukrainePresence":"Systems used by more than 60 Ukrainian units","focus":"Defense · Robotic systems","sectors":["Defense","Robotics","Drones","Manufacturing"],"tags":["Defense","NATO-codified","German production"],"stage":{"label":"Seed","detail":"$800K seed round followed by a strategic investment from Quantum Systems.","source":"https://quantum-systems.com/us/news/quantum-systems-and-frontline-strategic-investment/"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"The official company career page lists current roles.","url":"https://www.frontline-robotics.tech/career"},"momentum":"Quantum Systems investment followed by a German government-backed production joint venture targeting more than 10,000 systems annually.","description":"Battlefield-proven robotic and unmanned systems co-produced in Ukraine and Germany.","answer":"Frontline Robotics is a Ukrainian defense company whose NATO-codified systems are used by more than 60 units. It formed a German production venture with Quantum Systems in 2026.","website":"https://www.frontline-robotics.tech/en","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Frontline Robotics develops systems in direct response to Ukrainian battlefield needs and is transferring combat-proven designs into allied European production.","founders":[{"name":"Yevhenii Tretiak","role":"Founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yevhenii-tretiak-943a67ab","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian founder scaling battlefield robotics through a German manufacturing partnership."}],"sources":[{"label":"Quantum Systems invests in Frontline Robotics","publisher":"Quantum Systems","url":"https://quantum-systems.com/us/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/20250716_PR_QS_Frontline-Strategic-Investment_EN.pdf","supports":["investment","founder","Ukraine connection","products"]},{"label":"German-Ukrainian production joint venture","publisher":"Quantum Systems","url":"https://quantum-systems.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/260213_PR_QFI_Zelenskyy_Final_ENG.pdf","supports":["Western ties","production","capacity","momentum"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/frontline-robotics"},{"slug":"haiqu","name":"Haiqu","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/haiqu.png","foundedYear":2023,"status":"Active","location":"New York · London · Lviv · Waterloo","ukrainePresence":"Team and office presence in Lviv","focus":"Quantum computing · Infrastructure","sectors":["Quantum computing","Developer tools","Deep tech"],"tags":["$11M seed","Deep tech","US–Ukraine"],"stage":{"label":"Seed","detail":"$11M seed round led by Primary Venture Partners, announced in January 2026.","source":"https://0e190a550a8c4c8c4b93-fcd009c875a5577fd4fe2f5b7e3bf4eb.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/EINPresswire-882655745-haiqu-raises-11-million-in-seed-round-to-enable-near-term-quantum-use-cases-with-new-operating-system-1.pdf"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Recent public roles include product marketing for its quantum software platform.","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/company/haiquai/jobs"},"momentum":"$11M seed in January 2026 led by Primary Venture Partners, with backing from Toyota Ventures and other Western investors.","description":"A hardware-aware operating system that makes quantum experiments repeatable and practical.","answer":"Haiqu is a U.S.-Ukrainian quantum software company with a team in Lviv. It raised an $11 million seed round in 2026 to bring its quantum operating system to market.","website":"https://haiqu.ai/","connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Haiqu was co-founded by Ukrainian deep-tech entrepreneur Mykola Maksymenko, maintains a Lviv presence, and is publicly recognized as a U.S.-Ukrainian company.","founders":[{"name":"Mykola Maksymenko","role":"Co-founder and CTO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykola-maksymenko-4448a839/","connectionSummary":"Ukrainian quantum researcher and technology-management leader with roots in Lviv."},{"name":"Richard Givhan","role":"Co-founder and CEO","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-givhan/","connectionSummary":"U.S. co-founder scaling Haiqu’s quantum software globally."}],"sources":[{"label":"Haiqu raises $11M seed round","publisher":"Haiqu","url":"https://haiqu.ai/insights","supports":["funding","investors","momentum","product"]},{"label":"Haiqu team and locations","publisher":"Haiqu","url":"https://haiqu.ai/team","supports":["founders","locations","Lviv presence","company"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/haiqu"},{"slug":"9-mothers","name":"9 Mothers","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/9-mothers.png","foundedYear":2024,"status":"Active","location":"Austin, Texas","focus":"Defense · Counter-UAS","sectors":["Defense","Counter-UAS","Robotics","Artificial intelligence"],"tags":["YC Spring 2026","Defense","$1.6M sales"],"stage":{"label":"Pre-seed · YC","detail":"Early institutional stage following Y Combinator’s Spring 2026 batch.","source":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/9-mothers-corporation"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Current Austin roles span perception, robotics, hardware, and embedded systems.","url":"https://9mothers.com/careers"},"momentum":"$1.6M in reported sales and delivery work for the U.S. Department of War before completing YC’s Spring 2026 batch.","description":"Counter-drone systems and AI mission software built for modern defense operations.","answer":"9 Mothers is an Austin counter-drone startup with $1.6 million in reported sales and U.S. defense delivery experience. Co-founder Roman Khomenko has documented roots in Ukraine.","website":"https://9mothers.com/","accelerator":{"name":"Y Combinator","batch":"Spring 2026","profile":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/9-mothers-corporation"},"connectionLabel":"Ukraine-connected","inclusionReason":"Co-founder Roman Khomenko has documented education and work roots in Ukraine and lists Ukrainian as a native language. The company says its counter-drone mission was motivated by the Russia–Ukraine war.","founders":[{"name":"Roman Khomenko","role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/dowakin/","connectionSummary":"Studied in Kharkiv, worked in Ukraine, and lists Ukrainian as a native language."}],"sources":[{"label":"9 Mothers company profile","publisher":"Y Combinator","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/9-mothers-corporation","supports":["company","batch","sales","location","product","founder"]},{"label":"Roman Khomenko profile","publisher":"LinkedIn","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/dowakin/","supports":["Ukraine connection","education","language"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/9-mothers"},{"slug":"prox","name":"Prox","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/prox.png","foundedYear":2025,"status":"Active","location":"San Francisco","focus":"AI · Technical support","sectors":["Artificial intelligence","Customer support","Industrial technology"],"tags":["YC Fall 2025","AI","Bloomberg Beta"],"stage":{"label":"Pre-seed · YC","detail":"Early-stage backing from YC, Bloomberg Beta, Burst Capital, and operators from major AI companies; amount undisclosed.","source":"https://useprox.com/"},"hiring":{"status":"Hiring","detail":"Current roles include engineering, go-to-market, operations, and creative production.","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/prox/jobs"},"momentum":"Fresh 2026 backing from Bloomberg Beta, Burst VC, Weights & Biases, and operators from OpenAI and Microsoft.","description":"Multimodal AI support for companies that make complex physical products.","answer":"Prox is a Ukrainian-founded AI support company backed in 2026 by Bloomberg Beta, Burst VC, Weights & Biases, and operators from OpenAI and Microsoft.","website":"https://useprox.com/","accelerator":{"name":"Y Combinator","batch":"Fall 2025","profile":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/prox"},"connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"AIN identifies co-founders Dima Yanovsky and Gregory Makodzeba as Ukrainians and documents the company’s Ukrainian roots.","founders":[{"name":"Dima Yanovsky","alternateNames":["Dmytro Yanovskyi"],"role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanovsk/","connectionSummary":"Identified as Ukrainian in an AIN founder interview."},{"name":"Gregory Makodzeba","alternateNames":["Hryhoriy Makodzeba"],"role":"Co-founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-makodzeba/","connectionSummary":"Identified as Ukrainian in an AIN founder interview."}],"sources":[{"label":"Prox company profile","publisher":"Y Combinator","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/prox","supports":["company","batch","location","product","founders"]},{"label":"Interview with Prox co-founder Dmytro Yanovskyi","publisher":"AIN","url":"https://en.ain.ua/2026/05/26/ai-startup-with-ukrainian-roots-prox-got-funding-from-y-combinator/","supports":["Ukraine connection","funding","Western investors","founder aliases"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/prox"},{"slug":"aisdr","name":"AiSDR","logo":"https://spilni.com/logos/aisdr.png","foundedYear":2023,"status":"Active","location":"San Francisco · Lviv","ukrainePresence":"Team presence in Lviv, Ukraine","focus":"AI · Sales","sectors":["Artificial intelligence","Sales technology","B2B software"],"tags":["YC S23","AI sales","Lviv team"],"stage":{"label":"Seed","detail":"$3M seed round in September 2023; a later 2026 financing signal has no confirmed public stage.","source":"https://jobs.dou.ua/companies/aisdr-inc/"},"hiring":{"status":"No public openings","detail":"The latest public vacancy found was inactive when checked.","url":"https://jobs.dou.ua/companies/aisdr-inc/"},"momentum":"Reported $2M in 2024 revenue and a new financing event in April 2026 while continuing to build from Lviv and San Francisco.","description":"AI sales agents that handle prospecting, follow-ups, and meeting booking.","answer":"AiSDR is an AI sales company founded by Ukrainian brothers Yuriy and Oleg Zaremba. 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The company joined Y Combinator’s Winter 2026 batch with an AI workspace for reviewed codebase changes.","website":"https://sparkles.dev/","accelerator":{"name":"Y Combinator","batch":"Winter 2026","profile":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/sparkles"},"connectionLabel":"Ukrainian-founded","inclusionReason":"Founder Daniil Bekirov self-identifies with Ukraine in his official Y Combinator founder biography.","founders":[{"name":"Daniil Bekirov","alternateNames":["Ai Daniil Bekirov"],"role":"Founder","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidaniilbekirov","connectionSummary":"Self-identifies with Ukraine in his official Y Combinator founder biography."}],"sources":[{"label":"Sparkles company and founder profile","publisher":"Y Combinator","url":"https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/sparkles","supports":["company","batch","founded year","location","product","founder","Ukraine connection"]}],"lastReviewed":"2026-08-07","directoryUrl":"https://spilni.com/startups/sparkles"}]}