Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Powerful Defense Developments, and Record Attendance: IT Arena 2024 Marks a New Dawn in Tech
Ukraine’s largest tech event, IT Arena, brought together more than 100 speakers and over 5,500 attendees from 30 countries, including startup founders, tech executives, developers, marketers, journalists, and more. This record-breaking turnout marks the highest attendance in IT Arena’s 11-year history.
This year’s IT Arena was the largest yet, featuring groundbreaking startups showcasing everything from cutting-edge defense technologies to AI innovations. Attendees enjoyed engaging discussions, 45 meetups on diverse topics, unique business opportunities, and vibrant networking events. Stepan Veselovskyi, CEO of Lviv IT Cluster and IT Arena, opened the conference.
“Despite the full-scale war, Lviv has once again become the epicenter of Ukrainian tech and a hub for world-changing ideas. Held in historic city center locations with top-notch security, the event featured dozens of renowned speakers and thousands of attendees. This year, IT Arena has truly ushered in a New Dawn of technology,” he said.
IT Arena took place across three historic locations in downtown Lviv. Business Track presentations were held on the main stage of the Solomiya Krushelnytska National Opera House. In the Opera’s Mirror Hall, the Lviv IT Cluster Executive Lounge hosted founders, CEOs, and business owners for private discussions and press events. The Maria Zankovetska Drama Theater was the venue for the Startup Competition, along with Product and Startup tracks. Meanwhile, technology workshops and presentations were conducted at the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum.
Across all venues, attendees explored more than 120 booths from various tech companies and startups, 55 of which focused on defense. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about products, participate in interactive activities, and win prizes.
In addition, the IT Arena app, developed by Sigma Software, was available to event’s attendees. It enabled users to track the current agenda and easily navigate between locations. The app also served as an networking tool, featuring a list of all attendees and allowing users to message them and arrange meetings.
The era of AI: opportunities and challenges
The event began with an address from IT Arena’s AI prototype, Arina, who introduced one of this year’s main topics: a discussion on the role of AI technologies in humanity’s future.
“Every day, I hear different opinions about who I will become. Will I be the perfect assistant? Or, on the contrary, will I end up taking your job? A friend? Or a foe?,” Arina, the AI host, mused.
Dinkar Jain, Vice President of AI and Marketplace at Uber, emphasized in his talk on AI in management that while AI offers many benefits, it is not infallible, which could pose risks for both businesses and individuals.
“It is crucial to minimize risks for both users and bystanders who may suffer from the mistakes of these systems,” he noted.
Anna Guetat, Vice President of Data, Analytics, and AI at Recorded Future, argued that AI technologies could help humanity achieve remarkable results through logical thinking, automation, and autonomy.
“AI is key to gathering data and establishing relationships between them, aiding in decision-making and action,” she stated.
Cybersecurity: threats and best defense strategies
Cybersecurity was a major focus at IT Arena this year, with seven sessions across various stages dedicated to this topic and a Capture the Flag workshop competition.
Sergii Zagorulko, CIO at UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, discussed the essential components companies need to feel secure in today’s society.
“Cybersecurity has become one of the biggest challenges in modern society. It’s crucial to adapt to changes and trends to ensure your company’s safety,” he said.
Robert Potter, Founder of Cyber Activities Group, analyzed the state of cybersecurity in Ukraine and explored ways to strengthen it. He believes that veterans can play a leading role in developing Ukraine’s cyberspace.
“What we can do, and what I am trying to convince the Ukrainian government of, is to engage veterans in cybersecurity training and reintegrate them into the fight. Through this process, we have trained over a thousand veterans. This training is available free of charge thanks to collaboration with the U.S. government, allowing us to train as many people as we want,” Potter noted.
During panel discussions, speakers highlighted the importance of partnership and communication in enhancing cyber resilience. In the panel “Evolution of Product Management in Cybersecurity,” experts highlighted the value of building trust between clients and investors. Arnaud Dassier, a partner at investment firm Koryos, noted that small companies could benefit from partnerships with larger firms to exchange best practices, enhance resilience, and attract clients.
During the “Cyber Threats: Protecting Business and People” panel discussion, speakers compared the cybersecurity landscape in Ukraine and the United States. Nick Gicinto, Co-Founder of Hilltop Technologies, emphasized the need for collaboration between businesses and educational institutions to strengthen cyber resilience. Meanwhile, the founder of Bold Text Strategies, Daniella Taveau, highlighted the critical importance of effective communication for maintaining cybersecurity, especially when resources are limited.
Defense tech and digitalization
Defense tech was a central theme at IT Arena 2024, featuring the event’s first-ever closed defense exhibition with 25 defense technologies. The new Defense Stage provided insights into both the global and Ukrainian defense industries, enabling defense startups to gain valuable knowledge and connect with mentors.
“Ukraine has tremendous potential in the military and defense sectors. The innovations born here will ensure stability worldwide,” stated Oleksandr Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
International startups also had the chance to pitch their technologies to the Ukrainian Defense Forces during a confidential event, Test the Reality.
Digitalization and the launch of electronic services in Ukraine were also central themes. During his keynote, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov presented the country’s digital achievements and announced a new service, e-Residency.
“We are placing ourselves on the global map as one of the countries offering foreigners the opportunity to start a business in our country online with just a few clicks under favorable conditions. This will allow us to generate new revenues for Ukraine’s budget, develop the banking sector, and improve our international rankings. We are stepping up to a new level of competition with other countries,” he said.
In turn, Kateryna Chernohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, discussed how digitalization shapes our defense sector and announced new features in the Reserve+ application for military reservists.
“The main goal is to transform the government into a service-oriented system, which will simplify processes for both citizens and government officials,” she noted.
The largest Startup Competition to date
As per tradition, IT Arena hosted a competition for ambitious startups. This year, a record-breaking 60 semi-finalist startups competed in the general category, as well as in a special category for defense tech and cybersecurity projects. The winners in the main track included:
- Extra Vision – an AR application for neurosurgeons using AI and machine learning for preoperative planning;
- BlissBrain – an AI-based personalized meditation app for mental health;
- Aspichi Luminify – a VR-based solution for mental health rehabilitation.
Among defense tech projects, the winners were:
- Oko Camera – a thermal imaging module developer for UAVs;
- Vidar Systems – an acoustic technology startup focused on military defense and security;
- Norda Dynamics – software that automatically guides drones to targets.
For first place in each category, startups received $15,000; second place earned $10,000; and third place received $5,000. Additionally, participants in this year’s competition have already secured extra investments, with the total amount reaching $1.5 million and continuing to grow. Startups that made the most significant social impact were awarded special prizes from the ZMIN Foundation:
- LifesaverSIM – a mobile game simulator for training life-saving skills and aiding the wounded in combat conditions – $15,000.
- Syla – a developer of prosthetics based on artificial intelligence and neural networks – $10,000.
Over the past eleven years, technologies, the country, the tech industry, and IT Arena have evolved. What has remained unchanged is the desire to bring people together for discussions, knowledge exchange, business networking, and the development of the tech industry. We are grateful to Ukraine’s Defense Forces for the opportunity to host such a large-scale event and to all participants and partners. Next year, on September 26-28, IT Arena will return with a new program and exciting opportunities.
Organizer: Lviv IT Cluster
Main Partners:: UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, USAID, Google for Startups, UMAEF, u.ventures
Exclusive Partners: Sigma Software, Payoneer, Intellias
Exclusive Automotive Partner: BMW
Gold Partners: N-iX, IT Ukraine Association, EPAM, MODUS X, Linkup Studio, SoftServe, Diia.City.Union, SQUAD
Media Partners: AIN, AIN Capital; Startup – Vector; Tech – SPEKA; International – Сalibrated, Defense – Армія ТВ.