Марія БровінськаMoney
27 August 2025, 09:00
2025-08-27
On the way to financial independence: TOP 7 investment tools for generating passive income without leaving your computer
To mark the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, dev.ua decided to figure out whether it is possible for IT professionals and others to achieve financial independence in the modern world, and what tools are most suitable for this.
In Ukraine, where the economic situation remains unstable due to war and inflation, creating sources of passive income is becoming the key to financial security. Passive income gives the freedom to choose: work as you wish, travel or invest time in your own projects. In 2025, Ukrainians have access to a variety of investment instruments that allow them to achieve this goal — from land to digital assets.
In short, financial independence is not about winning the lottery or receiving an inheritance from distant relatives. It is about the ability to live the way you want, without constant anxiety about tomorrow. For many IT professionals, it is also an opportunity to free up their time from routine work to devote it to their own projects, travel, or family. And the best part is that financial freedom is quite real if you choose the right tools and start acting now.
To mark the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, dev.ua decided to figure out whether it is possible for IT professionals and others to achieve financial independence in the modern world, and what tools are most suitable for this.
In Ukraine, where the economic situation remains unstable due to war and inflation, creating sources of passive income is becoming the key to financial security. Passive income gives the freedom to choose: work as you wish, travel or invest time in your own projects. In 2025, Ukrainians have access to a variety of investment instruments that allow them to achieve this goal — from land to digital assets.
In short, financial independence is not about winning the lottery or receiving an inheritance from distant relatives. It is about the ability to live the way you want, without constant anxiety about tomorrow. For many IT professionals, it is also an opportunity to free up their time from routine work to devote it to their own projects, travel, or family. And the best part is that financial freedom is quite real if you choose the right tools and start acting now.
In a partnership project with the company Tvoe Kolo, we are considering ways to achieve financial well-being and financial independence.
Content
What do IT professionals invest in?
To understand how Ukrainian IT professionals achieve financial independence, we conducted a survey. For most respondents, financial independence is associated with the ability to have passive income. IT professionals also associate it with accumulating capital for early retirement, and for the majority, with the ability to cover basic expenses without debt if income exceeds expenses. To do this, respondents mostly accumulate funds in deposits or «under the mattress», invest in themselves (in education, leisure, development) and work very hard.
The following types of investments are popular among IT professionals (in descending order):
Real estate, in particular land;
Cryptocurrency and precious metals;
ETFs, securities;
More than a third of those surveyed simply save money in a foreign currency deposit.
Aitov residents note that they are looking for instruments with minimal risks and not too high entry threshold. dev.ua has collected several investment instruments that meet these requirements.
Foreign exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds
An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a basket of stocks, bonds, or other assets that you can own by buying just one «share» of the fund. Index funds work on a similar principle, but are not traded daily on the exchange. They also allow you to invest in a portfolio of assets with low commissions. You can choose funds for the S&P 500, Nasdaq, European, or Asian indices. An important nuance is investing through foreign brokers (Interactive Brokers, Freedom24) and taking into account tax nuances in Ukraine.
The advantages of the tool are as follows:
It’s easy to diversify your investments — instead of buying individual stocks, you buy a piece of a larger portfolio.
Low entry threshold — from $100.
Minimal time spent on management.
Historically, the US stock market has yielded 8–10% per annum in foreign currency.
Through the REIT ETF (VNQ), you can invest in real estate without purchasing physical properties.
Among the risks are fluctuations in the hryvnia exchange rate, stock market volatility, the need to understand tax nuances, as well as the NBU’s currency restrictions.
To invest in ETFs, it is enough to open an account with a broker (for example, Interactive Brokers) or through Ukrainian platforms, such as Freedom Finance.
Land is an investment that grows with you
Land in Ukraine is one of the most promising assets after the market opened in 2021. According to Forbes, from 2021 to 2023, the price of land increased by an average of 20–25% annually in dollars, and in some regions (Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi regions) by up to 40%. After the liberalization of the market in 2024 (legal entities were allowed to buy up to 10,000 hectares), growth accelerated even more — demand from businesses is growing, farmers are actually competing on price for «tasty plots». And in the next 5 years, after the market opens to foreigners, the value of Ukrainian land will increase by another 50–70%.
Land is a reliable asset, since its supply is limited — agricultural land does not appear in new volumes, its quantity is limited by nature. Also, the cost of land correlates with the price of food, which is always needed. Rent brings the investor 8-12% per annum in hryvnia, and each of them can exit the investment with a profit for themselves if they wish.
Land prices, the company «Tvoe Kolo» notes, are growing faster than rent payments. Since rent is often burdened by long-term contracts for 5, 10, 15 years, the rent payment in hryvnia remains unchanged until the end of the contract term. Therefore, as a percentage of the land value, it is even possible to see a decrease in rent in the medium term with an increase in the value of the land.
But upon the expiration of the lease agreement, significantly better terms can be negotiated, especially when the site is located in a region where there is competition among tenants (i.e., at least 2-3 tenants).
Experts at «Tvoe Kolo» are convinced that the real cost of land lease will eventually reach $300-500 per hectare per year, which is clearly confirmed by State Land Auctions. Today, average lease rates are about $110 per hectare.
You can invest in land yourself, however, to avoid bureaucracy, reduce the chance of falling for scammers, or purchase a problem plot (for example, a former hayfield, or for which the rent has been paid in advance or which is partially or completely uncultivated), and make the investment as profitable as possible, professional management companies help today. One of the most famous is «Tvoe Kolo», which manages over 10,000 hectares of land and unites 650 investors. The company offers two different investment models: purchase of land for ownership and equity investment under the REIT model.
In the first model, the purchase of land for ownership. The investor becomes the full owner of a specific plot. The entry threshold is from UAH 300,000. This is the cost of a plot of land with an area of 2-3 hectares. Income in this model is generated from rent, as well as from the growth in the value of the land. The projected profitability is from 20% per annum in dollars.
This format is well suited for those who want full control over the asset and are ready for greater involvement: notary registration, maintenance costs, sometimes a longer wait to exit the investment. But it is your land with all the rights.
The company «Tvoe Kolo» strategically selects plots in highly competitive agrarian regions of central and western Ukraine, as far away as possible from the borders with the Russian Federation and combat zones to minimize military risks. Thanks to an extensive network of local partners, the company gains access to high-quality land assets that are usually not available on the open market. The company mainly selects plots with short lease agreements, which gives investors flexibility in negotiations with agricultural companies and the ability to review conditions in accordance with market conditions.
And most importantly, investors are united here. This makes it possible to consolidate individual plots of 2–3 hectares from different investors into large areas of over 30 hectares. Such consolidation provides a stronger negotiating position, allows for systematic improvement of lease terms, and sells assets at a significant premium to the market.
How it works
In January 2025, the company closed a deal involving 11 investors. They purchased 16 plots in the same region between 2021 and 2024, some of whom had been invested for three years, some for just a few months. The result was the same — an average of 30,55% per annum in dollars after all costs and taxes!
Here’s how it worked: The average price at the time of purchase was UAH 89,555 per hectare. By January 2025, the market price had risen to UAH 116,100 per hectare. This would have been the real selling price if the investors had sold the land on their own. But thanks to the consolidation into a 52-hectare massif, «Tvoe Kolo» was able to negotiate a price of UAH 172,000 per hectare — 48% above the market.
As of August 2025, there are already 40 such implemented cases, the company notes, and more than 30 more deals are in the process of being finalized.
What do IT professionals invest in? Land. Here are 5 stories that prove the feasibility and profitability of such an investment
How to invest with «Tvoe Kolo» (click on the arrow):
The investor determines the budget and strategy, the company selects plots according to specified criteria.
Plots are reserved by paying a commission of 7% of the land value.
Purchase and sale and management agreements are concluded.
The ownership is registered in the registry, and the investor receives rental income or can sell the land.
The second model is collective investment mutual funds.
Land investment mutual funds are a modern tool that allows you to profit from land without buying it into your own hands. The investor becomes a co-owner of a diversified land bank managed by a professional company. This model provides an effect of scale: the resources of many investors are combined to form high-yield assets. In return, each participant receives investment certificates and profit in proportion to their contribution.
In the world, such instruments are known as REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) — these are funds that invest in real estate and distribute income among participants. The average yield of REITs in developed countries is 4–6% per annum in currency. Ukrainian legislation does not have a direct analogue of this term, but «Your Circle» adapted the model to the land market. The key principles have been preserved: at least 75% of assets are invested in agricultural land, income is generated from the rental and sale of land plots.
In April and June 2024, the company launched two mutual funds with different approaches to generating profit:
«Tvoe Kolo. Annual Income» fully complies with the classic REIT logic — dividends are accrued annually. The fund operates until 2028. The projected return is 6% per annum in hryvnia, excluding the growth in asset value. Over 15 months of operation, the fund showed growth of 17,5% plus dividends paid of 6,43%, which gave an actual annual return of 19,1%.
«Tvoe Kolo. Reinvestment» works on the principle of maximum capitalization — all rental income is reinvested in the purchase of new plots, is valid until 2033, and payment is made at the end of the term. Over 13 months, the growth was 18,1%, which corresponds to 16,7% per annum in hryvnia.
Investment conditions and procedure
The minimum entry threshold is UAH 145,000 (122 certificates) — this is a legal requirement for qualified mutual funds. In the future, you can invest from UAH 1,200 without commission costs.
The investment process takes place through the broker «Univer Capital» in three stages: registration on the Univer.ua platform, verification through «Diya» and signing documents, selection of a fund and payment. Certificates are credited within a few hours during working hours.
The main advantages of mutual funds are speed of investment, diversification by region, regulatory supervision by the National Securities and Markets Commission of Ukraine, transparent reporting, and high liquidity (exit in 2-3 hours). Among the disadvantages are the lack of direct ownership of land and limited influence on the fund’s management decisions.
Imagine being able to invest in an office building in Kyiv or a shopping mall in Lviv, but not by buying the entire building, but by owning a small part of it. This is the idea of REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) — companies that own real estate, rent it out, and share the profits with investors.
That is, REIT is «rental real estate as passive income in the form of securities.»
Investors buy certificates of the object from the fund, the fund receives money from tenants and pays dividends. Ukrainian legislation allows the creation of real estate funds, but the tool is still almost undeveloped. The reason is simple: war, high investment risks and a weak stock market. There are several players trying to launch analogues, but we do not yet have a mass market like in the US or Europe.
This type of investment may become popular after the war. The market will recover — real estate will increase in price again. People will not want to «freeze» large sums in one apartment or office. And the key thing is — REIT can make it possible to invest even $500-1000 to receive a share of the rental income. That is, this is a way to become a «co-owner» of a business center or warehouse without having millions in the account.
Crowdfunding in real estate
The principle of this type of investment is simple: several investors are assigned to the construction or reconstruction of the facility, and upon completion, they receive their share of the income from the rental or sale. Platforms have already been opened for Ukrainians that allow them to invest from $1,000 in residential complexes or commercial premises abroad. Among the advantages is the opportunity to enter the real estate market with a small amount, among the risks are construction delays and legal nuances.
Peer-to-peer lending (P2P lending)
This is earning money using online platforms where you lend money directly to borrowers — individuals or small businesses. You set the amount, term, and interest rate, and the platform helps you find reliable customers. Advantages: higher interest rates than on deposits (10–20% per annum in hryvnia), risks: non-return, so it is better to distribute the money among several borrowers.
Investing in this instrument is possible, for example, through Bondora or Mintos.
Digital assets with passive income
Investing in tokenized assets (for example, shares in a business or real estate) or staking in DeFi protocols thanks to blockchain technologies gives returns of up to 15% per annum.
Investment objects can be tokenized shares in real businesses, game items or NFTs with regular payments, and digital projects with advertising revenue.
However, this tool has regulatory and security risks — the area is still not regulated by law, and no one has canceled the possibility of hacker attacks.
Royalties from digital content
Photos, music, books, videos, 3D models — all of these can be sold on marketplaces and earn revenue every time someone buys or uses your product. Creators already make money by selling photos on Shutterstock, music on Epidemic Sound, and books on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. In fact, there are many more such platforms. This type of investment is becoming increasingly popular due to the development of digital platforms and the growing demand for content.
Typically, the return on such investments does not exceed 10% per annum, however, such investments do not require additional time investments. If you have an initial creative resource and know how to create popular content, it is worth trying.
There are three ways to invest in digital content.
Direct purchase of rights: you purchase the rights to a work (e.g., a music catalog) and receive royalties from its use.
Investing through platforms: You invest in royalty shares through specialized platforms or funds.
Creating your own content: You create digital content that generates royalties and earn income as an author.
