On August 22, the founding meeting of Ukrainian Venture Capital andPrivate Equity Association (UVCA), initiated by Andrey Kolodyuk and Jaanika Merilo,took place in the office of EY. UVCA will be following the lead and format setby European Venture Capital Association (EVCA), connecting European investorsand investment industry participants.

Founding meeting was attended by over 30 industryparticipants from accelerators and incubators to private equity investors, investmentholdings and consulting companies, including Horizon Capital, EBRD, KM Core,AVentures, Vostok Ventures, Startup.ua, Capital Times, EY and others.

Natalie Jaresko,Founding Partner and CEO of Horizon Capital, commented, ’In these challengingtimes, it is ever more important that we work together to build an environmentthat will welcome investors to the region going forward’.

„Since 2002, there have been several efforts to launch theassociation, but this time we had a common strong understanding and belief thatour impact is needed for investors and investments,“ commented Andrey Kolodyuk, the Managing Partnerof AVentures Capital.

“Venture capital plays an extremely important role insupporting innovation and entrepreneurship. Thishelps turn potential, that everyone knows is abundant in Ukraine, into economicand social value. The association will play an important role inbuilding links to the international VC community”, says Bohdan Kupych, the Vice President of Business Development of KMCore.

„For the first time we have managed to gather over 30representatives of investment industry with the intention to join our effortsin developing investment climate, support carrying out the reforms, and sendthe message that Ukraine should be not be mentioned only in regards to war butalso to huge investment potential the country has,“ added Jaanika Merilo, Managing Director of Center for Ukrainian EuropeanIntegration and Development.

OleksandrRomanishyn, Associate Director, Corporate Finance and M&Agroup, EY Ukraine , adds: „EY has long recognized the potential ofentrepreneurs and supported them. EYVenture Capital Excellence Center professionalshave been adapting their experience, industry capabilities and resources towork for entrepreneurial, fast-growth companies - from those receiving theirfirst venture funding through to large mid-cap companies, whose value may bemeasured in billions of dollars. We also gladly share our insights with themarket and issue quaterly analytics, i.e. EY’s Private Equity – Capital Confidence Barometer and Global Venture Capital Insights Report,which cover the key trends in private equity and venture capital industry“.

„Wewelcome the initiative of UVCA establishment. This will give our country theopportunity to gain an access to European expertise in the area of investmentsinto tech companies. Especially we are pleased that EY has joined theinitiative and can add the international expertise to all players in the market”, comments Denis Dovgopoliy, Managing Partner of BVU Group. 

In September, after the General Meeting and consultationswith the market players, the candidates of Supervisory Board and ManagingDirector of the association will be presented to wider audience forthe further transparant election, introducing strategy and the next plans. 

For additional information and request for membership application, the draft of charter and general presentation aboutUVCA, please contact

Jaanika Merilo: jaaniaka.merilo@uaeu.org

or refer to the link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r9a8kw9hzlq6hxn/AACKmTkAOKn_YABWWnKntpTXa?dl=0