UAH 6 Million for Business Digital Transformation: Finale of the “Vidvazhna 3” Accelerator Held in Kyiv

KYIV, March 17, 2026 — On March 13, the third season of the visionary female accelerator “Vidvazhna 3. Digital Evolution of Businesses" culminated in the Grand Pitch Day. The final event of the program brought together representatives of the government, international organizations, the technology industry, and the business community.

During the program’s finale, 10 women entrepreneurs presented the results of a three-month transformation of their companies. It was a journey from idea to real change, with participants integrating CRM systems, AI tools for optimization and deep data analytics, while also automating operations. These changes enable businesses to work faster, earn more, and scale.

“We spoke a lot about scaling to international markets. Today, Ukraine’s experience in digitalization is among the best in Europe. Our women entrepreneurs should become ambassadors of this efficiency. The world must see that Ukrainian businesses are not only about quality and passion but also about the most advanced technologies,” noted Valeriia Koval, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for the Development of the Ecosystem of Digital and Offline Personalized Services.

Overall, 18 entrepreneurs received financial support during the third season. Following the results of a preliminary online pitching session, grants were awarded to:

According to the evaluation of the expert jury, the winners of Grand Pitch Day were:

Veronika Sheheda, founder of MamoTato, a brand of transformer furniture and products for children and parents, became the main winner of the program. She received UAH 1,500,000 to scale her business, as well as a certificate worth UAH 200,000 to use the SendPulse platform.

In addition, nine finalists each received UAH 300,000 to implement digital solutions:

Anna Piatnytska, Asian café Dao Noodle Bar
Liudmyla Bornukovska, veterinary zoohub VetPixel
Iryna Yakoniuk, handmade woven bags and accessories brand Synychka
Nataliia Kolodynska, digital platform for managing preschool and extracurricular educational institutions Sadok
Oksana Penkach, one-stop medical clinics Kapustynka and Tata.Clinic
Marharyta-Yuliia Bilyk, music education and cultural diplomacy project VOGNYANA
Liudmyla Ivashchuk, sustainable rural development project Family Dairy Farms
Hanna Hurzha, fire safety center FIREWALL
Daria Vyhivska, for[mind] language school with a personalized approach

The finalists’ presentations were evaluated by an expert jury consisting of:

Ryohei Sakaguchi, Project Manager at Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
Maksym Boroda, Project Manager for Economic Policy and Private Sector Development at UNDP in Ukraine
Tetiana Chorna, Visa Vice President and Country Manager for Ukraine
Marta Kindrys, Director of the Advocacy and Development Center for the IT Industry at IT Ukraine Association
Olha Shapoval, Executive Director of Kharkiv IT Cluster
Yevheniia Klepa, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SET University; member of the Innovation Development Council under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine; expert at Brave1 and the Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF)
Olha Bulbakh, Founder and CEO of Outflame Strategy Bureau, expert in strategic marketing and business development

Participants were given an opportunity to hear inspiring testimonials by ambassadors and graduates of the program. The final event featured the ambassador of the accelerator’s third season, Anna Rizatdinova, an Olympic medalist in rhythmic gymnastics, world champion, and founder of the Rizatdinova Academy. In her speech, she shared her experience of discipline and working toward ambitious goals—principles equally important in professional sports and business development.

“Digital transformation and women’s entrepreneurship are two driving forces that shape Ukraine’s recovery and development. Today’s finale demonstrates the impressive readiness of Ukrainian women to implement the most advanced technologies. This is not only about individual success, as this initiative provides women with tools to build sustainable businesses and helps create a stronger and more inclusive Ukrainian economy,” said Monica Rijal, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP in Ukraine.

Winners of the second season of the accelerator also spoke during the event, detailing how their companies advanced after participating in the program. In particular, Antonina Borysiuk, owner and CEO of RNB STUDIO; Svitlana Shevchenko, co-founder of the VETERANOCOFFEE; and Olha Obiedkova, founder of the FIBO School, shared how the accelerator helped them scale their businesses, implement new tools, and strengthen strategic development.

A special highlight of the event was the “Space for Bold Dreams” under the global initiative She’s Next Empowered by Visa, where participants and guests could take part in interactive and entertaining activities.

The accelerator became the third wave of a national support program aimed at the systemic transformation of small and medium-sized businesses. Over 14 weeks, approximately 2,000 participants attended online lectures and offline and virtual bootcamps, completed practical tasks, and received mentorship.

“When we launched the ‘Vidvazhna’ program, the idea was to create a supportive space for Ukrainian women who want to develop their businesses. Today we see how this idea has grown into a large-scale national program. Over three seasons, about 10,000 female entrepreneurs from all regions of Ukraine have joined the accelerator, and 64 participants have received financial support. For us, it is important to create an environment where entrepreneurs can access knowledge, technological tools, a strong professional community, and funding. We see how the program helps transform businesses and create new jobs, making Ukrainian companies more digitalized and competitive. And that is the main result of the ‘Vidvazhna’ accelerator,” noted Artem Platonov, Director of the Directorate for the Development of Digital Innovations, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Robotization and Semiconductor Technologies.

In addition to training, participants could assess the digital maturity of their businesses through the online “Digital Maturity Compass” test based on European methodology. Based on its results, entrepreneurs received personalized recommendations and a development roadmap.

The program was implemented in two formats:

National Lecture Series, open online lectures from digital transformation experts
Advanced Lecture Series, an intensive program focused on practical transformation of participants’ businesses

The educational program was structured around four key areas: digital-era mindset, digital transformation technologies, security and digital infrastructure, and management of digital change.

“The resilience of Ukrainian business today largely depends on those who are not afraid of change and constantly seek new opportunities for development. These are exactly the entrepreneurs brought together by the ‘Vidvazhna’ visionary accelerator. Over these four months, they worked to digitally transform their companies, and today we see businesses ready to scale and reach a new level. For us, it is important to create an environment where entrepreneurs can gain knowledge, support, and resources to grow their businesses. The combination of expertise, community, and financing opens practical opportunities for growth,” noted Andrii Talama, Director of the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office.

Training took place through offline bootcamps in 11 Diia.Business entrepreneur support centers (in Bucha, Lutsk, Ternopil, Rivne, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Poltava, Odesa, and Kryvyi Rih), as well as through a virtual bootcamp for entrepreneurs from other regions.

“The new season of the ‘Vidvazhna’ accelerator confirmed how important digital transformation is for modern businesses, especially women-led ones, which often face additional barriers to accessing resources and financing. According to global studies, 63% of women entrepreneurs improved business performance thanks to digital tools, and the achievements of the ‘Vidvazhna’ participants clearly demonstrate this. By mastering modern digital solutions—from online payments to automation and analytics—the entrepreneurs showed real growth, optimizing operations and increasing the competitiveness of their companies. I am convinced that for every participant, the accelerator became a powerful springboard for further development. Visa continues supporting Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, creating more opportunities for self-realization and leadership in business,” said Tetiana Chorna, Visa Vice President and Country Manager for Ukraine.

Participants also gained access to technology solutions from the program partner. In particular, SendPulse provided access to CRM tools, chatbots, and email marketing instruments that help entrepreneurs automate communication with clients and scale their businesses.

“As the largest national association of IT companies, IT Ukraine Association joins projects that have real impact and practical value, which is why our involvement in the ‘Vidvazhna 3. Digital Evolution of Businesses’ accelerator is especially meaningful to us. We are grateful to the Association’s members that supported participants, shared their expertise, and helped apply digital solutions in practice. We wish all finalists success in strengthening their businesses through technology and digital solutions and in unlocking new opportunities provided by this program,” said Mariia Shevchuk, Executive Director of the IT Ukraine Association.

“Vidvazhna” has become a true lovemark program. Over the three seasons, more than 10,000 Ukrainian women entrepreneurs from all regions of the country have joined the accelerator. 64 participants have received financial support totaling UAH 12.5 million to launch, develop, and digitally transform their companies.

Official media partners of the event included The Page, Speka, ekonomika+, and Kosht.

A recording of Grand Pitch Day is available on the Diia.Business YouTube channel via the link.

The new season of the “Vidvazhna 3. Digital Evolution of Businesses” visionary female accelerator was implemented by the Diia.Business network of entrepreneur support centers in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office with the assistance of UNDP in Ukraine and financial support from the Government of Japan within the “Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine" project and the global initiative She's Next Empowered by Visa, in partnership with the IT Ukraine Association.

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.