The Ecosystem Connectors project builds bridges across European entrepreneurship ecosystems with the aim of encouraging a stronger economic integration through facilitating partnerships, knowledge sharing and resource exchange between entrepreneurs and stakeholders. The project’s first edition focuses on connecting Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Berlin while the project’s second edition is focussing on Ukraine and Berlin.
Through regular networking events, dedicated training and workshops, and a delegation trip to Berlin, the project provides entrepreneurs across Ukraine with market access and business development support, and access to opportunities for international growth.
2025 Activities
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An evening of exchange centered around entrepreneurship in Kyiv (Ukraine) and Berlin. The event explored the business opportunities, potential collaborations and best practices from the two ecosystems. In case you missed it, you can catch the highlights recap on our YouTube channel here.
In May 2025, 10 entrepreneurs and ecosystem enablers from Ukraine took part in an all-expenses paid exchange trip to visit the Berlin startup ecosystem. Over a period of six months following the trip, they continue to participate in a series of tailored workshops on market access to Berlin and the EU.
Through interviews with founders, investors, and support organizations working across Berlin and Kyiv, the Ecosystem Connectors brochure provides you with firsthand insights into Ukraine’s startup landscape. The brochure aims to be a window to the Kyiv startup ecosystem, and the opportunities available for Berlin-based entrepreneurs, investors and stakeholders to collaborate with Ukrainian stakeholders. Download here.
2 Dec 2024
Ecosystem Connectors Berlin Kyiv launch event
Jan - Feb 2025
Applications open for delegation to Berlin
Mar 2025
Ecosystem Connectors Brochure Published
Apr to Nov 2025
Networking sessions & meetups
May 2025
Delegation trip to Berlin
May to Nov 2025
EU Market Access sessions
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Tell us about yourself, your work and what type of collaborations you’re looking for. Based on your profile, we will notify you with updates about upcoming activities.
Last May, founders & ecosystem enablers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine met up in Berlin for a week of sessions, trainings and networking, taking part around GITEX Europe. In this three part video series, you can hear all about their experience!
Analysts call Ukraine the “next big thing” for the world, particularly Europe. If you’re an entrepreneur and looking to scale your product or expand your business, here’s why you should look at Ukraine:
In the Ecosystem Connectors Brochure, we dive into these reasons with entrepreneurs, ecosystem enablers and investors from Kyiv and Berlin. Here’s just a glimpse of what they had to say:
“The return on investment and overall efficiency of every Euro spent in Ukraine will be significantly higher if you find the right niche. The market and needs are evolving rapidly, presenting new business opportunities.”
Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO & Founder, Kitsoft.
“Initially, many investors fled the country, but since 2023, they have started returning. They see that despite the war, startups are still working, so why not? Since 2022, roughly 450 startups have closed, but 700+ have launched. The network has been growing no matter what, and the innovations now are more mature.”
Anastasiia Kravchenko-Uhrekhelidze, Project Manager, Ukrainian Startup Fund
“Ukraine is risky, but a very profitable space in which you can grow quickly, in which you can experiment, in which you can create boldly. There are fewer regulations, and there is vast space to test different innovative technologies.”
Nataly Veremeeva, Director, TechUkraine.
Ukrainian startups raised $294.6M in 2024, with the volume growing by 23% from the year before. The Ecosystem Connectors brochure is your personal guide to understanding the ecosystem, its top sectors and startups, and how Berlin-based entrepreneurs and investors can get involved.
The project is funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through the “Bund-Länder-Programm – German Government and Federal States Program (BLP)” in cooperation with the non-profit organization enpact.
The project is being implemented in Ukraine with the support of the ReACT4Ukraine project (“Utilization and Implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine in the field of trade”), that is financed by the German Government. The project aims to improve competitiveness and resilience of Ukrainian small and medium–sized enterprises, especially with regard to EU accession.
The international cooperation project ReACT4UA (“Utilization and Implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine in the field of trade”) is financed by the German Government. The project aims to improve competitiveness and resilience of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises, especially regarding EU accession. The strategic implementer of the project is the German federal company “Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH”.