Mobile operator Kyivstar wants to acquire ride-hailing service Uklon in order to scale its business. Uklon, in turn, has its own ambitions for growth and has repeatedly received offers from various investors. Now both companies are talking about their intention to conclude a deal.
Mobile operator Kyivstar wants to acquire ride-hailing service Uklon in order to scale its business. Uklon, in turn, has its own ambitions for growth and has repeatedly received offers from various investors. Now both companies are talking about their intention to conclude a deal.
"Uklon, as one of the market leaders with both ambitions and growth potential, has always been open to considering various options for implementing these ideas. And as the founders of Uklon previously noted in their communication with the media, in recent years the company has received offers from various investors that were considered. But right now we are at a point when this dialogue between us and a potential investor, Kyivstar, is in a qualitatively new phase," Uklon CEO Serhiy Grishkov told dev.ua.
We will remind you that in December 2024, the AMCU received applications from Kyivstar to acquire the Ukrainian LLCs Tech Uklon, Uklon Corporate, Uklon Ukraine, and the Cypriot UKLON LTD.
Kyivstar President Oleksandr Komarov confirmed the deal. “Kyivstar continues to invest in innovative technologies and new services: the agreement with Uklon will be a logical step in building an integrated digital ecosystem, as well as an important stage in inorganic growth and business scaling,” Komarov told dev.ua.
Currently, both companies are waiting for approval from the AMCU.
“There is a common interest on the part of both our companies in this agreement. Therefore, we are currently talking about the intention to conclude this agreement after receiving approval from the AMCU and completing all other stages ,” said Grishkov.
The emergence of a strategic investor in the form of Kyivstar and the global digital operator VEON opens up new horizons and opportunities for Uklon for further development, launching new solutions, and building a product ecosystem, explains the company's CEO.
This involves increasing investments in digital services, entering new markets, and strengthening the team. The closing of the deal will not affect the company's structure or change management , Grishkov notes.
"We believe that Kyivstar's experience, expertise, resources, and advanced technologies will help strengthen Uklon's leading services, providing users with an even higher-quality, innovative, and convenient product: our riders, driver partners, and business clients," concluded the Uklon CEO.
