Startup

Student startups that came to IdeasLab in the spring with only ideas now have their first customers, sales, thousands of app downloads, and the opportunity to present their projects internationally.

When Roman Gimon’s son was one year and eight months old, the family first heard about the high suspicion of ASD. Ahead lay fear, dozens of hours of searching for information, Facebook groups, conflicting advice, and the constant feeling that no one could properly explain what to do next. Today, Roman — creative director of mowMedia, graphic designer, and father of six-year-old Eney — is creating Enchi: an app for parents of children with autism 0 without a development team, without a technical background, and almost entirely with the help of AI tools.

According to the results of a new StartupBlink report, Ukraine ranked 43rd in the global ranking of countries for startups — one position lower than last year. The annual growth rate of the ecosystem was 7,7% — significantly less than 26,2% in 2025. In Eastern Europe, Ukraine is in 8th place, in Europe as a whole — 26th position for the second year in a row. Kyiv took 74th place among the cities where it is most convenient to develop startups — minus 6 positions for the year.

Two IT professionals and a former Support Specialist, now a food blogger, have launched a startup called Mealpreper Guide — an app for “capsule” meal preps that take into account variety and balance. Unlike personalized meal kits and shopping lists generated by AI services, Ukrainians offer a product that takes into account the nuances of cooking: co-founders actually “run out” the menu in a real kitchen and eat what they sell themselves.