New elite of Ukrainian business: a ranking of young entrepreneurs who are building global businesses despite the war

Ukrainian business is going through its toughest decade, and it is at this time that a new generation of entrepreneurs is emerging in the country, for whom markets are global, and KPIs are measured not only by profit but also by the effect on the country. UNN has prepared a rating of young and progressive businessmen who are the drivers of the development of the Ukrainian economy and markets. They create EdTech ecosystems, automate the European restaurant market, manage hundreds of millions of dollars in client finances, put Ukraine on the map of the bionic revolution, develop Ukrainian sports, and build venture funds through a global systemic approach.

Illia Reinish – co-owner and commercial director of “LABA Group” 

photo: Facebook Illia Reinish

Illia Reinish, a driver of the revolution in the EdTech field, opens the rating of young and successful entrepreneurs of the new generation. He is the co-owner and commercial director of “Laba Group” – an educational holding that provides corporate and individual training and operates in dozens of countries, including Warsaw, Prague, and Bucharest. “Laba Group” has created over 800 jobs and is one of the largest employers in domestic EdTech.

Joining “Laba” in 2015, he set a goal – to increase turnover fivefold. In fact, over the next few years, his team achieved financial growth of more than 70 times. And all thanks to a systematic approach to sales and management. Reinish proved that business principles: personnel, processes, systematicity – are universal engines of progress. In the case of “Laba Group,” his approach allowed for the launch of over 1400 courses and the training of over 200,000 students.

Reinish’s ambitious goal is to achieve “unicorn company” status, which confirms his vision: large-scale success in Ukraine is possible not only in IT outsourcing but also in creating one’s own global intellectual products.

Bohdan Boiko – President of FC “Metalist 1925”, investor of “B.B. Financial Group” fund

photo: official website of FC “Metalist 1925”

Another key participant in the rating is Bohdan Boiko. A representative of the new generation of Ukrainian investors who do not chase quick profits but develop fundamental industries: logistics, real estate, agricultural infrastructure, energy, and sports. He is the president of FC “Metalist 1925” and the founder of the closed venture fund “B.B. Financial Group.”

Boiko’s fund invests in logistics, real estate, agricultural infrastructure, renewable energy, and services, forming a stable portfolio of assets with a predictable economy. Key projects include: “Agrosaf Terminal” grain terminal with a capacity of 30 thousand tons per month, “Dniprovi Kruchi” development project, “Rental Management Solutions” company – whose main activity is the construction of shopping complexes in Kyiv and the region, with subsequent leasing to national retail chains, and two “green” energy power plants. An Italian premium restaurant in the capital is also preparing to open.

In sports, Boiko applies the same principles as in business – a systematic approach to establishing operational processes, selecting highly qualified personnel, and persistent work. Under his leadership, FC “Metalist 1925” demonstrates stable growth in results, becoming an example of transparent, modern management of a football club.

Alyona Mysko – founder and CEO of the financial management company “Fuelfinance” 

photo: Instagram alyona_mysko

Alyona Mysko, a financial architect who proves that in the new economy, data transparency is worth a billion, takes third place in the rating. At 27, she founded “Fuelfinance” – a company that took on the mission to change entrepreneurs’ attitude towards finance, transforming complex reporting into a simple management tool. “Fuelfinance” provides startups and small and medium-sized businesses with tools for automated budgeting, forecasting, and P&L reporting. Over three hundred companies have passed through “Fuelfinance,” and more importantly, the company manages financial reporting totaling over $200–250 million for clients, including companies such as “Reface” – creating mobile AI applications, and “Petcube” – an American company that produces gadgets for pets, mainly in the US and European markets.

“Fuelfinance” demonstrated a real surge in stressful conditions. In 2022, during the first six months of the full-scale war, the company completely changed its business model, transforming from a service project into a full-fledged IT product, enhanced with AI functionality, quickly entered the American market, and increased its revenue almost fourfold. Thanks to this perseverance, “Fuelfinance” attracted over $1 million in investments, including from Bolt CEO Markus Villig. 

Mysko’s business philosophy is the belief that accurate, predictable finances positively impact the country’s economy and GDP, which is a common principle for all participants in this rating: to build a large and systemic business, regardless of circumstances.

Anna Belevantseva – co-founder and COO of “Esper Bionics”

photo: Anna Belevantseva and Esper Hand for Speka.ua

Anna Belevantseva is the face of Ukrainian Hardware-Tech and socially significant innovations. She is the co-founder and operational director of “Esper Bionics” – a company that develops and mass-produces new generation bionic hand prostheses. This is a business that invests not just in production, but in human potential and recovery. 

Belevantseva’s company’s product, “Esper Hand,” received international recognition, being included in TIME Best Inventions 2022 as one of the best innovations of the year. Thanks to Anna’s systematic approach, the company has become a recognized player in the global bionics market, attracting a total of $7 million in investments. The company produces bionic hands costing $22,000 per unit, with a focus on sales through insurance companies in the US market.

In Ukraine, Esper Bionics’ contribution is direct and critically important. Thanks to the social program “Esper for Ukraine,” the company has already installed bionic prostheses for over 100 military personnel and civilians, helping them return to a full life. Anna’s business is an example of how Ukrainian entrepreneurs create high-tech products that export intellectual capital and demonstrate to the world the innovative resilience of the Ukrainian nation.

Volodymyr Olianytskyi – co-founder and managing partner of “ChoiceQR”  

photo: Volodymyr Olianytskyi for Forbes Ukraine

Last on the list in the ranking, but not in significance, is Volodymyr Olianytskyi – an entrepreneur who embodies the systemic transition from EdTech to global FoodTech/FinTech. His co-founded ChoiceQR is an international SaaS platform that automates sales processes for restaurants: from QR menus and orders to CRM systems and payments. This is a business model that, like Fuelfinance, builds its value on automation and data. The company demonstrates impressive international expansion: it operates in over 10 countries, including Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic states, and serves over 18,000 establishments worldwide.

Olianytskyi’s systematic approach has attracted the attention of global investors. The total amount of investments attracted by ChoiceQR exceeds $5 million, including rounds from European funds J&T Ventures, Presto Ventures, and Smartlink Partners. The company demonstrates financial success with an annual recurring revenue of $3 million. Thus, Olianytskyi proves that Ukrainian software can be not only high-tech but also a highly profitable export product.

His path is proof that Ukrainian intellectual product can become a leader in complex international markets. 

New business eliteHard times give rise to strong people, and these five are exactly that. Their business grew not from easy markets and quick money, but from the ability to think systematically, adapt quickly, and develop despite circumstances. They do not chase hype or instant profits – each creates a product that has real value and works “for the long haul.”

They are united by a common approach: structure is more important than show, and processes are more important than PR. They view business as a mechanism that can be scaled, automated, and improved. This is the essence of the new Ukrainian model of entrepreneurship – less emotion, more systematicity, responsibility, and real impact. Such entrepreneurs are the core of the modern economy: they create jobs, export technologies, attract investments, and prove that even in “dark” times, Ukraine can develop in the most complex and progressive industries.