Ukraine at CES-2019: startup application process has started

CES-2019 applications from Ukrainian startups are accepted by the end of September 2018

For the third year in a row, Ukraine will set up its own tech pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show, international exhibition of consumer electronics. The Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) and the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA), which initiated the UA Tech Zone back in 2017, were joined by the Concepter company, which deals with the development of venture businesses.

The exhibition will be held January 8-11, 2019 in Las Vegas, NV. The top eight Ukrainian startups will be selected by a team of Ukrainian and foreign experts and investors.

CES is one of the largest technology events in the world: in 2018, it brought together over 182,000 visitors from throughout the world.

“When the UVCA together with the WNISEF first set up the Ukrainian CES pavilion in 2017, few people heard about Ukraine there. In 2018, startups that went to Las Vegas managed to sell their product or partner with representatives of such companies as Tesla, Lockheed Martin, Bosch, Samsung. It is crucial for us that the number of people interested in a global promotion of Ukrainian startups is growing, and new partners join us. This means we are on the right track,” – said Olga Afanasieva, UVCA Executive Director.

To join the Ukrainian selection, it is preferable to have at least a minimum viable product. Priority is given to ideas related to:

• Internet of things (IoT);
• Smart cities, homes, and energy;
• Product design (3D printed products);
• Robotics and machine intelligence (AI, drones, robots);
• Fun and content production (games, music, VR);
• Transport technology;
• Health and lifestyle;
• Gadgets for family and home.

“With such a broad-scale platform the projects have a chance to represent Ukraine as a hub of innovation and tech development. Backed with the Concepter experience, the WNISEF support and UVCA investors, the Ukrainian pavilion at CES-2019 should make a hit,” says Vlad Tislenko, Concepter CEO.

After making their way through selection, 16 projects will get to the shortlist and will join the pitching session that will take place on October 11, 2018 at the UNIT.City Innovation Park. Upon that, eight selected startups will set out for Las Vegas in January 2019.

“For the third year in a row, we have an honor to support the participation of high-potential Ukrainian startups at CES, the world’s largest exhibition of consumer electronics. We keep investing in startups and believe that participation in such exhibitions is significant for the development of both individual companies and IT ecosystem as a whole. The Ukrainian pavilion has shown great results over the past two years and we are convinced that in 2019 Ukraine will hit the international community with its IT products!” said Jaroslawa Johnson, President and CEO of the Western NIS Enterprise Fund.

The finalists of this year’s Ukrainian selection will get the pavilion stand rent covered. On top of the financial backing, the projects receive:

1) Mentoring support at every project stage, including production, logistics, marketing, PR;

2) Assistance in building ties with customers, manufacturers and distributors at the exhibition.

To apply for the Ukrainian selection to CES-2019, you need to complete a form by the end of September 2018. To participate, you must be a citizen of Ukraine and ability to visit the United States from January 8-11, 2019 (valid passport, and the ability to obtain a US visa).