IT Arena Startup Competition 2025: Who Made It to the Semi-Finals

Introducing the most promising teams in the general category, who will showcase their technological innovations before a professional jury at Ukraine’s largest tech event.

The winners will be determined by leading entrepreneurs and renowned investors from around the world, while the best ideas and solutions will be awarded cash prizes.

This year, 30 ambitious startups made it to the Startup Competition semi-finals in the general category, covering a wide range of industries. Among them are innovative products in finance, healthcare, education, agriculture, real estate, and marketing, as well as AI-powered solutions:

• Generect — B2B SaaS platform for lead generation: finds and verifies potential client data and automatically integrates it into email marketing services to boost sales efficiency.
  
• Hesh — a SaaS production management system that automates factory processes and helps forecast their development.
  
• Renesandro AI — AI-based B2B platform that enables marketing teams to create and test ad creatives (static and video) 10 times faster without increasing headcount.
  
• SoftBees — Ukrainian IT company developing modern banking apps and neo-banks for businesses and private clients, leveraging AI-driven automation.
  
• X-Ray Contact — universal platform for identity verification and background checks.
  
• Maval — visual builder for creating interactive stories, games, visual novels, and educational simulations.
  
• Funely AI — AI platform for small businesses that automatically creates marketing funnels, including ads, landing pages, CRM, and analytics.
  
• if.team — universal workspace for business process automation: from project planning and execution to accounting and team communication.
  
• EYA — an assistive platform for people with communication limitations, especially children with cerebral palsy and other motor impairments.
  
• Sensez — B2B SaaS platform for online retailers that turns visitors into confident buyers through personalized product recommendations.
  
• Anima — an AI-powered platform that assesses mental health via web-based eye-tracking, making mental well-being measurable and scalable.
  
• OVUL — fertility and hormone health tracker based on saliva sample analysis.
  
• StackBob — AI platform for employee identity and access management, automating onboarding/offboarding and handling passwords and licenses.
  
• Vignette ID — an app for toll road payments across multiple cars and countries in Europe.
  
• Wild.Codes — AI-powered platform for hiring and managing remote developer teams.
  
• JobAtlas — Ukrainian HRtech and EdTech startup for career planning and development.
  
• SuoQ — an intelligent system for managing queues and customer flows.
  
• Bandera AI — a platform that transforms sales through AI-driven lead generation and analytics.
  
• CONSOLID.AI — AI-powered digital logistics ecosystem for supply chain optimization.
  
• Parostok — an innovative platform with microwave technology for seed treatment to increase crop yield and resilience.
  
• Fiskin — a brand that transforms fish skin into eco-friendly bags, reducing waste.
  
• Josti — online platform for rental housing without realtor fees.
  
• InTempo — an app for preventing panic attacks and reducing anxiety.
  
• SoftTrainer — AI-based platform for developing soft skills in corporate environments.
  
• HEFT — health and fertility monitoring system for cows.
  
• Obriy — AI-powered communication service with integrated knowledge base for customer support.
  
• VITA — mobile app for gait analysis and rehabilitation of people with limb loss.
  
• Intelswift — AI-first customer support automation platform with CRM integration.
  
• ADVIZOR — a property management service for reducing energy consumption.
  
• Sec-TA — Ukrainian cybersecurity startup offering auditing, penetration testing, OSINT, and social engineering services.
  

Alongside Ukrainian teams, the general category semi-finalists include startups from USA, UK, Hong Kong, and Estonia. The contestants’ pitches can be heard on the Startup Stage during the first day of IT Arena 2025 — September 26.

The grand finale of the Startup Competition will take place on the second day of the tech event. It will feature the 12 best startups — 6 in the general category and 6 in the special defense tech category. Participants will compete for a grant prize pool of $60,000. Half of the fund was raised with the support of the Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF), while the other half was invested by the defense cluster Brave1. This sum will be divided among the main winners of the contest:

• First place — $15,000
• Second place — $10,000
• Third place — $5,000
  

As a reminder, this year, the organizers of the Startup Competition received 202 applications — the highest number in the competition’s history. The contest’s investment fund reached a record $12,500,000, and the amount continues to grow.

Co-organizers of the IT Arena Startup Competition 2025 are IT Arena, Brave1, and USF.