Ukrainian Tech Insider
Credit: Mark Hamill

Ukrainian Tech Insider

Dear Friends and Colleagues, it’s the first issue of the Ukrainian Tech Insider newsletter covering industry news and focusing on defense tech & cybersecurity: news, investments, reports, featured stories, podcasts, and documentary.

A cyber laboratory set up for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

December 2022: The European Union has set up a cyber laboratory for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The EU has financed and delivered equipment for a cyber lab, security software and hardware to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as part of its ongoing support to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility.?

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/ukraine-eu-sets-cyber-lab-ukrainian-armed-forces_en ?

Marrying the best of French and Ukrainian innovation, Kyiv's La French raises €50 million for Ukrainian VC push

January 2023: Led by a French-American innovation leader Dominique PIOTET , the Ukrainian Phoenix Fund has a €50 million budget to invest in innovative domestic startups.

https://tech.eu/2023/01/11/marrying-the-best-of-french-and-ukrainian-innovation-kyivs-la-french-raises-eur50-million-for-ukrainian-vc-push ?

USAID Announces Up To $60 Million to Bolster Ukraine’s Cybersecurity

February 2023: Cybersecurity assistance for Ukraine will help rebuild and strengthen the cybersecurity posture of critical infrastructure, mitigate corruption, and safeguard important digital transformation initiatives by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, in wartime and beyond. This includes efforts to bolster digital infrastructure, support private sector growth in industries such as information and communications technology, and help Ukraine adopt digital tools for delivering public services, reducing corruption, and fostering citizen engagement in political processes.?

https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/feb-10-2023-usaid-announces-60-million-bolster-ukraines-cybersecurity ?

Australian cyber organizations opened office in Ukraine?

January 2023: Canberra-based cyber security firm Internet 2.0 opened an office in Kyiv and Australian WithYouWithMe , which solves the problem of veteran underemployment, started operation in Ukraine.?

https://techukraine.org/2023/01/12/canberra-based-cyber-security-firm-internet-2-0-opened-office-in-kyiv/ ?

Australian partners trained Ukrainian military in the specifics of using the OSINT methodology

February 2023: In Kyiv, a training session for Defense Forces specialists was held, which was conducted by Australian Fivecast campaign staff. During the practical training, the participants were shown the possibility of searching the Internet for information of various nature, including from closed format social media from different countries. Employees of the components of the Defense Forces learned how to use the proposed software product for working out searches on various topics.

https://www.mil.gov.ua/en/news/2023/02/08/australian-partners-trained-our-military-in-the-specifics-of-using-the-osint-methodology/ ?

Ukraine has signed an agreement on accession to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence

January 2023: The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) is a key NATO institution for cyber defense dealing with cybersecurity-related issues at both strategic and practical levels. The Centre consists of 25 NATO Allies and 4 partner nations.

https://cip.gov.ua/en/news/ukrayina-pidpisala-ugodu-pro-priyednannya-do-ob-yednanogo-centru-peredovikh-tekhnologii-z-kiberoboroni-nato ?

USA will help the Ukrainian military to strengthen cyber security and cyber defense capabilities

January 2023: The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the US Civilian Research and Development Fund ( CRDF Global ) have agreed to cooperate in the field of cyber security and support the implementation of cyber defense measures. In addition to the use of the platform by the military, the Government has authorized the deployment of Delta in the cloud outside Ukraine. This will allow the system to be protected from enemy missile and cyber attacks.

https://armyinform.com.ua/2023/01/11/ssha-dopomozhut-ukrayinskym-vijskovym-posylyty-spromozhnosti-z-kiberbezpeky-ta-kiberoborony/ ?

National Coordination Center for Cyber security specialists held a working meeting with representatives of French companies in the field of cyber security

February 2023: French cyber security delegation of private companies ( CyberTaskForce , GATEWATCHER , Predicta Lab | Protect your digital life , Sekoia.io ) visited Ukraine and met with the representatives of The National Cybersecurity Coordination Center at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to discuss the cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, defense and public-private partnership, educational projects.?

https://www.rnbo.gov.ua/ua/Diialnist/6079.html ?

Ukraine and Finland to cooperate in digitalization and digital resilience January 2023: The signed memorandum will allow the countries to exchange experience in the areas of digitalization, information technology and cybersecurity. Ukraine and Finland will cooperate in the field of digital resilience, as well as in the restoration and modernization of digital infrastructure.

https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/ukraina-ta-finliandiia-spivpratsiuvatymut-u-sferi-tsyfrovizatsii-ta-tsyfrovoi-stiikosti-pidpysano-memorandum ?

First look: U.S. wants to help export Ukraine's e-governance app to other countries

January 2023:? $650,000 has been set aside to conduct feasibility studies in countries that express interest, including on factors like smartphone penetration and regulatory issues. It will help jumpstart the adoption of Diia-like systems and the digital technology services that underpin them.?

https://www.axios.com/2023/01/18/ukraine-app-diia-other-countries-usaid ?

The winning teams of last year’s National Defense Hackathon will take part in the NATO hackathon in Warsaw.

February 2023: The cyber police team С.O.P which took first place in the technical challenge among teams from Ukraine’s public sector according to the results of the National Defense Hackathon 2022 will represent the government agencies of Ukraine at the annual NATO programming competition TIDE Hackathon 2023. The team C.O.P was awarded with the certificate for sponsored participation in the NATO event by the organizers of the National Defense Hackathon 2022 and NATO partners as part of the NATO-Ukraine C4 (Command, Control, Communications, and Computers) Trust Fund Knowledge Sharing Project.

https://armyinform.com.ua/2023/01/27/komandy-peremozhczi-mynulorichnogo-naczionalnogo-oboronnogo-hakatonu-vizmut-uchast-u-hakatoni-nato-u-varshavi/ ?

Government approves decision to introduce Delta system in the Defense Forces

February 2023: Delta is a situational awareness platform created by the Defense Technology Innovation and Development Center of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/uriad-ukhvalyv-rishennia-shchodo-zaprovadzhennia-systemy-delta-v-sylakh-oborony ?

Government adopts resolution allowing faster import of military goods to Ukraine

February 2023: The adopted resolution simplifies customs clearance of military and dual-use goods. From now on, importers will be able to import such goods without obtaining a permit from the State Export Control Service. In addition, the legislative change will boost the development of Ukrainian defense production.

https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/fast-track-dlia-bpla-ta-komplektuiuchykh-uriad-pryiniav-postanovu-iaka-dozvolyt-shvydshe-vvozyty-viiskovi-tovary-v-ukrainu ?

Government simplifies import of military goods

February 2023: The Government has adopted a resolution that will speed up and simplify the import of military goods to Ukraine to the maximum extent possible. In particular, it concerns UAVs and their components. The new resolution expands the list of military and dual-use goods that can be imported by individuals and legal entities without the permission of the State Export Control Service.?

https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/uriad-sprostyv-import-tovariv-viiskovoho-pryznachennia-iuliia-svyrydenko ?

SpaceX launched a Ukrainian nanosatellite into orbit

January 2023: Falcon 9 launched the Kyiv National Technical University’s PolyITAN-HP-30, developed for the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, and the EOS SAT-1 satellite from the EOS DATA ANALYTICS company, which is part of Ukrainian Max Polyakov ’s Noosphere space group.?

https://ubn.news/spacex-launched-a-ukrainian-nanosatellite-into-orbit/ ?

International tech giant provides Ukraine with 5,000 Wi-Fi Beacons

January 2023: Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 诺基亚 has delivered 1,770 Beacons to Ukraine to provide Internet access to shelters in schools. Next week we will receive the second batch of 3,230 Beacons.?

https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/spivpratsia-mintsyfry-i-nokia-kompaniia-nadaie-ukraini-5000-wi-fi-routeriv

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Credit: collage by Forbes Ukraine, Dmytro Shymkiv

Investments & M&A

Microsoft Ukraine’s ex-head invested in the militarytech startup AeroDrone

January 2023: Dmytro Shymkiv acquires 50% shares of the Ukrainian company? AeroDrone . It is the first public investment in a Ukrainian military-tech startup.

https://forbes.ua/innovations/dmitro-shimkiv-z-kiivstaru-pridbav-polovinu-aktsiy-ukrainskogo-virobnika-droniv-aerodrone-tse-persha-publichna-investitsiya-v-ukrainskiy-miltech-yak-vona-vlashtovana-26012023-11147

Despite the war, Kyiv-based Fuelfinance ‘does your finance’, raises $1 million

January 2023: Kyiv-based Fuelfinance has raised $1 million in a seed funding round that saw Bolt’s Markus Villig , Sendbird ’s John S. Kim , and San Francisco-based Stratmind and Eastern Europe-focused BADideas.fund backing the company. Despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the founders and many team members have remained in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities and were able to triple the business in 2022 in an act of defiance to Russian aggression

https://tech.eu/2023/01/31/kyiv-based-fuelfinance-raises-1-million ?

Ukrainian crypto startup Kolibrio has attracted $2 million in investment

Ukrainian startup Kolibrio received $2 million from the Jump Crypto fund, with the participation of Delta Blockchain Fund, Everstake Capital, and angel investors.?

https://ain.ua/2023/02/14/kolibrio-pidnyav-2-mln/ ?

New Zealand Blackpearl Group acquired the Newoldstamp with R&D In Ukraine?

February 2023: The NewOldStamp counts 27 specialists, based in Lviv, Ukraine. After the acquisition, the team will remain in Ukraine.

https://ain.capital/2023/02/09/blackpearl-group-acquires-the-newoldstamp/ ?

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Credit Top Lead & Ukrainian IT Association: Do IT Like Ukraine

Reports

Do IT Like Ukraine Research 2022 by Ukrainian IT Association

https://itukraine.org.ua/files/reports/2022/DoITLikeUkraine2022_EN.pdf ?

State of European Tech report 2022 by Atomico (Ukraine in the spotlight)

https://stateofeuropeantech.com/reading-tracks/reading-track-ukraine ?

Cyber Digest - January 2023 by The National Cybersecurity Coordination Center?(Cybersecurity in Ukraine and the first global cyberwar)

https://www.rnbo.gov.ua/files/2023/NKCK/Cyber%20digest_january_2023_fin.pdf ?

Ukraine’s Readiness for New Challenges. Cybersecurity and Communication

January 2023: According to Brigadier General Yurii Shchyhol , the Head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine , the Computer Emergency Response Team ( CERT-UA ) registered 2,194 cyber incidents of this kind in 2022. A quarter of them targeted the Government and local authorities. The industries that are most often under attack include the energy sector, the security and defense sector, telecommunications and developers, the financial sector, and logistics.

https://cip.gov.ua/en/news/gotovnist-ukrayini-do-novikh-viklikiv-kiberbezpeka-i-zv-yazok ?

1st EEAS Report on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Threats Towards a framework for networked defence

The first report in foreign information manipulation and interference threats.? It outlines tactics and techniques, instruments at use and cooperation among disinformation actors.?

https://euvsdisinfo.eu/uploads/2023/02/EEAS-ThreatReport-February2023-02.pdf ?

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Credit: NATO

Featured stories

Radio Svoboda: Top 5 military tech inventions by Ukrainian teams to watch?

  • Kropyva - software for artillery
  • R18 drone by Aerorozvidka NGO - unmanned combat aerial vehicle designed to attack enemy targets with ammunition
  • "Strizh" Missile-Like Drone?
  • Mini Grad -? artillery rocket system on the pickup tracks
  • Ukrainian units for shooting the russian-iranian drones

AIN: Ukrainian app Drill trains shooting. How it works

Drill is a military-tech application created by Ukrainians, which aims to teach everyone to shoot with different types of weapons and train this skill to a high level.?

NPR: Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. So where are the pilots?

Cameron Chell : “Around 50 Draganfly Inc. drones have been sent to various organizations in Ukraine for a wide variety of missions: search and rescue operations, detect landmines from the air, deliver blood and other critical supplies to front-line areas.” “War is demonstrating how a smaller country can use civilian drones, creatively and effectively, when facing an enemy with a larger, more powerful, traditional air force.”

WSJ: Band of Barbers, Judges and Security Guards Uses Soviet-Era Guns to Repel Russian Drones

Ukrainian units are scrambling to intercept drones and missiles with aging weapons by Matthew Luxmoore

Bloomberg: War in Europe Draws Investors to Drone, Battlefield AI Makers

Venture capital investment in defense hit a record last year and Ukraine invasion has spurred investment on the continent by Agatha C.

CEPA: Who’s Who in the Nascent Zoo — Europe’s Defense Tech Ecosystem

“Combining these with a clear and tangible threat from Russia and China, and the rise of defense spending has the potential to drive a significant proliferation of defense and dual-use tech startups across the continent.” by Nicholas Nelson


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Ukrainian Pravda: How to Accelerate Ukrainian Victory by Engaging Engineers and Entrepreneurs

"Ideally, I’d love to see a structure where an entrepreneur, a tech professional, or an investor could come and immediately see how they can apply themselves to help Ukraine with this war." by Yaroslav Azhnyuk

Sifted: Who are the few “real” defence investors in Europe? Sifted asked the experts

12 European investors known to be doing defence investments by Mimi Billing

Sifted: How war in Europe is making VCs bite the bullet and back defence tech

What was previously shied upon by VCs is now a perfectly legit investment segment

Tech.eu: Startup Survival: Navigating the Challenges of War in Ukraine

How the country's technology sector has played a vital role in resisting Russian aggression. by Alexandra Balkova

Podcasts and movie

NATO Innovation Podcast

Multi-Domain Operations: The NATO Perspective. The Alliance synchronizes capabilities across all 5 operational domains (Maritime, Land, Air, Space, Cyberspace) to achieve military objectives, will enhance deterrence and ensure NATO maintains a warfighting advantage over its adversaries.

“The French Futurist” podcast

The first Global Cyberwar: Jean-Christophe Bonis with Dr. Yegor Aushev , Co-Founder at Cyber Unit Technologies - CyberUnit.Tech .

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United24 Media

UKRAINIAN IT STORIES. A documentary film about the development of technology

The path of Ukrainian tech from its birth to becoming the most powerful industry in the country.

Hacking Google

Hacking Google?is a six-part docuseries that sheds light on the cybersecurity teams responsible for protecting Google from cyberattacks.

Ukraine will win! #StandWithUkraine

Cate Lawrence

Senior Writer @ Tech.eu | Journalist

1 年

This is a GREAT newsletter. I can see how much work has gone in it, and I consider it essential reading.

Isa Hasenko ????

Founder at Fintable

1 年

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1 年

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Erik Bullen

COO, Former CEO, Founder, Board Member | Exec Coach | Investor | Strategy Consultant | ex-frog

1 年

Signed up! Love the summary of events.

Oksana Romanenko

Brand, Product & Communication Manager

1 年

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