How the New Generation of Ukrainian Tech Industry Leaders is Being Formed
3 / 6 / 26
The composition of the graduates well reflects the changes occurring within the industry itself. Among them are engineers with experience in international companies, product teams, and the public sector, specialists in cybersecurity, cloud architecture, data, and AI fields. Some are already working at EPAM, MacPaw, Genesis, Axdraft, Infotech, and other tech organizations; some are developing their own products.
At SET, this diversity of experience fosters a unique learning dynamic, where academic programs become a platform for practical exchange. Over four years, an ecosystem has been built where over 350 startup founders, engineers, and specialists from various tech fields learn and interact. Here, they find co-founders, teams, and create their own startups.
Graduates Already Building Products and Systems
This is why a significant portion of the thesis projects were executed as applied solutions that can be equated to MVPs or internal team products.
One such example was the work of Mariia Bondar, who developed an AI assistant for navigation and technical documentation creation based on RAG architecture. The solution aims to reduce chaos in technical knowledge within large teams and optimize documentation workflows.
V’Slav Urdzik and Hanna Chorna created Mindship — an AI application for analyzing breathing patterns and personalized exercises to reduce stress and improve concentration. The startup grew within the HealthTech accelerator Generation H, eventually ranking among the top 15 startups representing Ukraine at Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon. It won the HealthTech track at Challenger Startup Roast and was a finalist in the European Elf Jumpstarter.
Hanna Kolotushko founded Petsos.app — a 24/7 veterinary consultation service that has already helped thousands of pet owners.
Serhii Tsymbaliuk, along with the IronCyber team, developed a full-fledged Red Team CTF scenario built around logical vulnerabilities in autonomous systems. This is a practical simulation product that replicates complex cyber scenarios for training security teams.
Iryna Yershova created an ML system for automatic categorization of bank statements. The solution allows for structuring financial data and simplifies further analysis of business expenses and transactions.
Olha Kuzmenko and Serhii Ponomarchuk are working on a collective decision-making system. The tool explores how digital mechanisms can influence social, economic, and even political processes. Currently, the project is in the MVP stage and is undergoing validation of key hypotheses.
Denys Popov, who is still a student, has already presented his startup Azaion at the SelectUSA Investment Summit. The team, which started with volunteer initiatives for the front lines, is now working on AI solutions for combat drones and faster decision-making on the battlefield. Only three Ukrainian startups were selected for SelectUSA, and Azaion was among them.
An Educational Model Integrating Industry into the Learning Process
It shifts the focus from the traditional learning process to industry integration, where education becomes part of the product and entrepreneurial cycle.
Therefore, speakers played an important role at the graduation. SET University President Iryna Volnytska spoke directly, without illusions or comforting formulas. About how the window of opportunity is open right now. And the main question for the graduates is readiness to act:
"A week ago, I returned from the US, and what impressed me most was not the level of technology, but the pace. People live in a mode where 'later' simply doesn't exist. The world is accelerating. And it is at this moment that you are receiving your diplomas. When AI will reshape professions in a few years, and skills quickly lose relevance. In reality, this is an opportunity. AI fluency today is the new literacy, but what remains decisive is the human element: thinking, responsibility, the ability to see where to go.
There is one more thing that is easily underestimated – the people around you. Social capital cannot be scaled by algorithms; it is built on trust. In ten years, these connections will determine who you create projects with, who you call, and who you entrust with complex decisions.
Every generation has a period when they need to act more intensely than feels comfortable. Yours is now. And the question is not about being busy, but about being needed."
SET University Co-founder, Roosh Partner, and Tokarev Foundation Founder Serhii Tokarev emphasized in his address the mission of developing Ukraine as one of the centers of the global AI and technology market:
"When we created SET University, we didn't want to make another university that prepares people for some 'later.' We wanted to create a place where this 'later' begins now. A place where you don't just study technology, but learn to change reality through it, build products, make mistakes, restart, and take responsibility.
Ukraine is already doing what other countries are just beginning to talk about. We have moved from a paper-based state to a digital one. Now, Ukraine is transitioning to the next stage — an agentic state. And it is people like you who are needed to make this happen."
Graduates were congratulated by Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of KSE — a co-founder university of SET, SET University Rector Maksym Pochebut, and Viacheslav Matsko, CEO of Howly, Volodymyr Trofymenko, Deputy Head of the State Special Communications Service. Vera Tkachenko, CTO and co-founder of MacPaw, inspired with personal stories about her first steps in technology and the importance of daring to act on initial ideas.
The second cohort of SET University master’s graduates marks the changes already underway in Ukrainian technological education. The university is gradually becoming an environment where engineers capable of working with global-level products, systems, and technological challenges are being shaped, and the learning process is integrated into the real industry development cycle.
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