UVCA Challenge: CES Edition 2018

The annual Las Vegas event, the International Consumer Electronic Show (CES), will again host Ukraine with its national Tech Expo. As in the past year, UA Tech Expo Zone will be settled up by the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) with the support of Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF). The number of CES-2018 participants is expected to increase this year:  UA Tech Expo will be represented by no less than 10 startups. Best Ukrainian investors will choose participants via conducting the UVCA Challenge: CES Edition 2018. The winners will get the opportunity to exhibit their products at CES 2018 at no cost. UA Tech Expo organizers, UVCA and WNISEF, have announced the competition well in advance to have more time for all organizational issues, which they take on and, accordingly, give the startup teams an opportunity to focus on their product, presentation and communication with other exhibition participants. As a prize the startups will at no cost get the place at CES 2018, the exhibition stand with their individual design and branding, and will get accompanied by additional media coverage (Ukrainian and international), mentoring and other assistance. "Last year 170 000 people visited CES-2017, and it was the first time for our Ukrainian start-ups to have a chance to amaze such an audience with their skills and products. The results are obvious - after the exhibition most of the projects got the investment, as well as partners and customers. On top of that, several  UA Tech Expo participants (SolarGaps, Luciding) led successful campaigns on Kickstarter or started pre-sales (Ecoisme), and that proved the demand for the products on the global market, – says Olha Afanasyeva, Executive Director of UVCA. – Over the course of the Exhibition our startups enjoyed considerable attention from developers, journalists and distributors. Being excited with Ukrainian technological products, the Wearable Technology organizers offered the best startups to represent Ukraine at the London show. Being confident of success, this year, we are going to show even more Ukrainian projects in the United States". “We are pleased to continue supporting Ukrainian Tech Expo at the CES 2018. Ukrainian talented startups can spur innovation and bring new ideas to create new products and address important social issues. The tech startup sector has a potential to significantly contribute to economic growth and job creation in Ukraine. That is why it is important that Ukrainian startups have better access to capital, knowledge, innovation, and the global market”, – said Jaroslawa Z. Johnson, President and CEO of Western NIS Enterprise Fund. To enter a competition, the projects must meet the following criteria:

• to develop IoT or hardware project
• to have a desire and opportunity to attend the CES-2018 in the USA on January 9-12, 2018 (international passport and valid US visa is desirable),
• to have an English-speaking founder of the start-up and / or its representative,
• to have financial means to cover flight, accommodation and other expenses, associated with stay in the US during the conference,
• to plan growth to at least 5 people (excluding founders and existing staff) in 3 years,
• to have the intention to increase export earnings (income from sales abroad).

It is important to note that the winners of the UVCA Challenge: CES - 2017 can not take part in this year's contest. To participate you have to send an application to uvca.challenge@uvca.eu and fill the form up to August 31. 10 of 20 participants, who will take part at the competition final in September 2017, will be awarded by the jury with the right to participate at UA Tech Expo Zone. The results of last year UA Tech Expo are available here Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) has been established in mid-2014 by the example of the European Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (InvestEurope), and currently unites 40 members - private equity and venture funds, accelerators, incubators, educational institutions, and non-government organisations that make significant impact on the development of Ukrainian investment market. Association promotes investment opportunities in Ukraine for foreign investment funds, conducts market research, lobbies laws for improving investment and business climate, implements Invest in Ukraine activity.   Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) is a $150 million regional fund, a pioneer in Ukraine and Moldova with more than two decades of successful experience in investing in small and medium-sized companies. WNISEF was funded by the U.S. government via the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Since its inception, WNISEF’s cumulative investments total over $168 million to 118 companies in Ukraine and Moldova. In 2015 WNISEF has launched a $35 million legacy program focused on export promotion, local economic development, impact investing and economic leadership. WNISEF is funding innovative, high-impact, reform focused programs and aims to support Ukraine and Moldova at this critical period by developing sound economic policy and leadership. www.wnisef.org