AI boom in Ukraine: the country ranked second in the region by the number of AI companies
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said that more than 240 AI companies are currently operating in Ukraine.
According to him, this makes Ukraine the second largest country in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of the number of AI companies. Poland ranks first, with more than 300 such startups.
In Ukraine, AI companies are mostly concentrated in Kyiv (177 offices) and Lviv (44 offices). Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro have an average of 21 AI startup offices.
“Ukraine is home to such world-famous AI startups as Grammarly, Preply, and People ai. Since 2019, two Ukrainian AI companies have become unicorns, and the three largest Ukrainian AI startups are valued at over $14.5 billion,” Fedorov wrote on Telegram.
He added that over the past 10 years, the number of AI and machine learning specialists has increased 5-fold, and now it is 5,200 professionals. According to the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, their number will grow by 330% in the next few years.
“To increase the number of specialists, we need to reboot education. Currently, 106 artificial intelligence training programs have been launched in Ukraine. A key step to train strong specialists is to establish cooperation between universities and AI companies so that students have access to practical knowledge and experience,” wrote Mikhail Fedorov.
In his post, he referred to a joint study by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, AI HOUSE, and Roosh on the artificial intelligence ecosystem in Ukraine. It indicates that most Ukrainian AI specialists are concentrated in the fields of Data Science and ML Engineering. It is noted that funding for Ukrainian startups specializing in AI increased by 35% in 2023.
“The AI sector in Ukraine has significant potential, but a number of challenges need to be addressed. These include the ongoing conflict, lack of consolidation at the business-government or business-to-business level, and others. Nevertheless, Ukraine’s strong technological expertise and successful experience in creating global companies are undeniable advantages for the future development of the AI sector,” the study says.
