The winners of the "Vidvazhna 2. Scaling and Digitalization" accelerator announced: female entrepreneurs received financial support for business development from Visa and partners
KYIV, August 29, 2024 — The second season of the large-scale "Vidvazhna" female accelerator, which united more than 4,000 Ukrainian businesswomen, has ended. This year, the accelerator became a platform for businesswomen from all over Ukraine and supported the development of their businesses with an emphasis on digitalization and inclusion.
"The development of Ukrainian entrepreneurship is one of the Ministry of Digital Transformation‘s foremost priorities. That is why we launch projects and initiatives that help Ukrainians implement ideas, develop their businesses, and receive grant funding for scaling. In the second season of the "Vidvazhna" program, we united more than 4,000 female entrepreneurs who plan to start or scale their business. The program helped entrepreneurs gain the necessary knowledge, tools, and funding to grow. I am grateful to our partners and all participants for the successful implementation of the program," said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
The final event of the Program was held in the format of Grand Pitch Day, where 12 finalists who scored the highest points during the educational program presented their business concepts to an expert jury. The three winners in the "Debutante", "Visionary" and "Barrier-Free Business Project" categories were chosen from among them. Each entrepreneur received 400,000 hryvnias for the further development of her business.
The winners of the Grand Pitch Day of the second season were:
- Svitlana Shevchenko in the "Debutante" category
- Antonina Borysiuk in the "Visionary" category
- Svitlana Shevchenko in the "Barrier-Free Business Project" category
"At the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we believe that Ukraine is a country of entrepreneurs. That is why we are constantly working on the development of the SME ecosystem. Now we pay special attention to female entrepreneurship, as Ukrainian women play a key role in business development and support of the economy. For the second season in a row, the "Vidvazhna" project has helped female entrepreneurs implement their business ambitions. This year, the total prize pool is 5.2 million hryvnias. I am glad that together with our partners we help businesses transform. Thank you to the participants for the inspiring projects," said Valeriia Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for European Integration.
The highlight of the event was the specially created zone, the “Brave Space", where the finalists of the program presented their products, as well as the "Space of Inspiration #ShesNextbyVisa" interactive zone.
The total amount of grant funding was 5,200,000 hryvnias. At the intermediate stage of selection, 40 finalists were determined, who each received 100,000 hryvnias for the implementation of their business ideas.
"At Visa, we believe that supporting women's entrepreneurship is an important strategic investment in the future of Ukraine. The new season of the "Vidvazhna 2. Scaling and Digitalization" visionary female accelerator demonstrated that it is possible not only to start a business in challenging conditions, but also to scale it thanks to modern technologies and tools provided by Visa and our partners. The She's Next Empowered by Visa campaign confirms that support allows you to reach remarkable heights in business, adapt to changes, and take your projects to a new level. Today, the bravest participants received grants for the dynamic development of their business ideas," said Svitlana Chyrva, Visa Vice President and Country Manager for Ukraine and Moldova.
The goal of the second season of the "Vidvazhna" accelerator was to support Ukrainian businesswomen in launching, developing, digitalizing, and scaling their businesses. To promote inclusivity, a special Barrier-Free Business Project" category was introduced for projects that integrate inclusive practices into their business models.
"The United States is committed to supporting female entrepreneurs in Ukraine, as every day we see how women play a key role in their communities and make a significant contribution to the country's economic recovery. With the support of USAID, thousands of Ukrainians, including women, internally displaced persons, and people with disabilities, were able to acquire important and relevant skills that helped them integrate into the labor market and compete for well-paid jobs. In addition, in order to support the economic growth and recovery of Ukraine, USAID programs have helped more than 28,000 small and medium-sized enterprises obtain access to financing," said Julie Konen, USAID Ukraine Mission Director.
The “Vidvazhna 2” program began in April 2024 and covered 17 educational modules on financial planning, team management, marketing and sales, customer service, taxation, accounting, etc. Participants studied in the format that was most convenient for them: offline or virtual bootcamp and a series of online lectures.
In the process of business digitalization, accelerator participants received support from Visa and other partners—monobank, Ukrposhta, Checkbox, and Shop-Express. In particular, monobank offered the participants of the educational program acquiring with a zero commission for 3 months, Ukrposhta gave a 50% discount on the first international shipment, Checkbox provided a free use of a software POS system for 3 months, and Shop-Express gifted a free subscription to create an online store and a 20% discount on all annual packages.
"The "Vidvazhna 2. Scaling and Digitization" accelerator became a striking continuation of the last season and helped more than 4,000 women either take the first bold steps in starting a business or find a new vision for the development of their enterprises. At the Grand Pitch Day, the finalists showed strong and competitive ideas, and we are happy to support creative and courageous businesswomen and contribute to the even stronger development of women's entrepreneurship," said Andrii Remizov, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office.
The new season of the "Vidvazhna 2. Scaling and Digitalization" visionary female accelerator is implemented by the Diia.Business network of entrepreneur support centers with the assistance of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office, and with the support of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) project "Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI)" and the global She's Next Empowered by Visa initiative.
About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at visa.com.ua.
About She’s Next Empowered by Visa
The global initiative to support women entrepreneurs who manage, finance and develop their own businesses. Visa supports a range of programs around the world focused on small businesses and women business owners. Through this initiative, Visa aims not only to give women the basic knowledge to start their business, but also to inspire them to conquer new heights, strengthen confidence in their own abilities and develop leadership qualities that can be useful in any field.