V4 Startup Force Expands to Ukraine: Fostering Entrepreneurship and Growth in Eastern Europe

V4 Startup Force, the region's first networking startup fellowship program, was launched in 2018 with the support of the International Visegrad Fund.   

The aim of the program is to help successful startups to grow in the region first, so that the knowledge stays in the region later. The results achieved so far are an excellent illustration of the program's success, with over 100 companies participating in the program and more than 500 business meetings, with four times the number of applications. 

Since last year, the organizers of the program have been working to help Ukraine with the means at their disposal, as they see it as a common cause to support entrepreneurs in Ukraine. Participants will have access to contacts and expertise that will help them develop innovative products and services. 

‘The Visegrad region is an excellent market for entrepreneurs whose operations are hampered by the war, as it can open up new opportunities for them to develop in Europe,’ says László Jónás, CEO of Design Terminal. ‘The V4 alliance has always had good relations with other Eastern European countries, and we would like to put this into practice now.’ 

In the first phase of the program, eight Ukrainian teams were selected by the organisers for the four-day selection camp, where the organizers provided individual mentoring and workshops to the participants. The success of the program is clearly visible in the results of the first round of applications: 

• Applications received from 7 different industries  
• 22 teams entered the Ukrainian program 
• The total number of applicants for the whole V4 program was close to 100 

The V4 Ukraine program has the potential to revolutionize the region's B2B landscape and enable businesses to reach new heights of success. This will benefit not only startups but also the larger economy, creating jobs and stimulating growth.   

Learn more: https://ukrainianstartupforce.designterminal.org  

The project is co-financed by the Governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe. Our partners in the startup acceleration are: Czech DEX Innovation Center, the Slovak Campus Cowork, the Startup Hub Poland and the Ukranian Hub joined Design Terminal.