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Ukraine’s IT Powerhouse 2024: From Resilience to Global Reach

Publication date and time:

Apr 10, 2025, 09:00

Reading time:

6 min

This article follows up on our previous coverage of Ukraine’s IT sector, published in March 2025. You can read Part 1, «Ukraine’s IT Powerhouse: Innovation Without Limits» here. The analysis below is based on the 2024 edition of the «Digital Tiger» report, prepared by the IT Ukraine Association and its partners.

While the 2023 edition of the Digital Tiger report focused on Ukraine’s capacity to survive and adapt in wartime, the 2024 version presents a sector that has matured — confident, connected, and future-oriented. It reflects not only continuity in performance but also a strategic transformation: from local resilience to global influence.

Over the past year, Ukraine’s IT exports reached 147 countries, reaffirming its role as a vital part of the global digital economy. Ukrainian IT companies now offer full-cycle solutions to clients worldwide, with growing specialization in sectors such as FinTech, e-commerce, automotive, cybersecurity, and the rapidly evolving field of DefenseTech.

Importantly, Ukraine’s IT products and platforms have become embedded in the digital routines of millions of users globally — from AI-powered writing assistants to scalable SaaS platforms, mobile apps, and secure cloud infrastructure. These products don’t just support Ukraine’s economy; they shape user experiences and business operations in Europe, North America, and beyond.

Global Expansion: Ukraine’s Strategic Markets

One of the report’s central insights is Ukraine’s deepening international footprint. The 2024 research concentrates on six strategic export markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, and Poland.

These countries are more than top buyers of Ukrainian IT services — they are partners in bilateral trade, innovation, and investment. According to industry surveys, 91% of Ukrainian IT companies are actively promoting their products and services in these markets, and over 70% already have local staff, representatives, or distributors on the ground. Half of them have gone further, establishing official company offices in at least one of these countries.

The United States has consistently remained Ukraine’s top IT export partner, accounting for more than 37% of total volume over the last decade. But significant momentum is also building in Europe. In particular, the UK, Germany, and Poland are becoming increasingly prominent in Ukrainian companies’ go-to-market strategies.

Strategic initiatives like the UK–Ukraine TechBridge — a joint platform supported by the British and Ukrainian governments — are helping to build tangible connections between the two nations’ tech ecosystems. These programs open doors for Ukrainian companies to access new clients, funding, and local expertise. Notably, Ukrainian firms like Intellias, EPAM, and Preply have already secured a strong position in the highly competitive UK market.

Investing in People: Talent as a Competitive Edge

At the core of Ukraine’s IT success is its human capital — a fast-moving, highly skilled workforce shaped by both traditional and alternative learning paths. The Digital Tiger report emphasizes the growing dominance of non-formal education, such as boot camps, corporate academies, and independent tech schools.

From 2019 to 2024, 821,300 professionals completed non-formal IT courses, compared to 180,400 graduates from formal university programs. This means that the industry is effectively training four times more talent on its own than is being supplied through state institutions — a powerful indicator of its adaptability.

Non-formal education isn’t simply about volume — it’s also about precision. These programs are closely aligned with the evolving needs of the market, allowing Ukrainian companies to fill roles quickly, retrain specialists, and remain agile amid global shifts in technology.

Ukraine’s Digital Framework: Diia.City and Beyond

Driving much of this agility is Diia.City, Ukraine’s landmark digital business environment introduced in 2022. More than 1,560 companies are now residents of this special legal and tax framework, which offers one of the most competitive regimes in Europe.

Diia.City supports scalable, innovation-driven growth by reducing the tax burden, legalizing gig contracts, and simplifying remote operations. At the same time, it aligns with international standards — a crucial factor for foreign investors and enterprise clients.

This initiative is part of a broader government strategy led by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, which also oversees the Diia mobile app — now used by over 20 million Ukrainians for public services, business registration, and digital identity. Ukraine’s goal to digitize 100% of government services by 2030 remains on track and continues to earn recognition globally as a model of e-governance.

Capital and Confidence: Ukraine’s Growing Investment Appeal

In a world of economic uncertainty, Ukraine’s tech sector has emerged as a surprisingly attractive investment destination. Over the past six years, nearly $1.5 billion in venture capital and private equity has flowed into Ukrainian IT.

DefenseTech, unsurprisingly, is leading the surge — thanks to a unique combination of government support, urgent use cases, and proven innovation under fire. But other areas are also gaining momentum: AI and DeepTech, FinTech, blockchain solutions, and cybersecurity infrastructure.

What unites these segments is not just technological promise, but practical validation. Ukrainian tech companies are delivering real results, in real time, under the world’s most demanding conditions — and that’s precisely what investors value.

Macroeconomic Role: IT as a Pillar of Stability

The strategic value of Ukraine’s IT sector is underscored by its economic contribution. For the third consecutive year, IT holds:

• 1st place in services exports, and
• 2nd place in total exports (goods and services combined).

As of 2024, IT services contribute 3.4% to Ukraine’s GDP, a figure surpassed only by agriculture. But while most other sectors saw contraction after the 2022 invasion, IT remained stable — thanks to its digital-first model, global client base, and resilience in decentralized work structures.

What’s more, the IT industry is the only one among Ukraine’s top 5 export sectors to have grown its share of exports compared to 2019. This signals not just short-term success but sustainable, scalable growth.

Looking Forward: Ukraine’s Tech Ambitions

The Digital Tiger 2024 report’s conclusive message is clear: Ukraine is not just participating in the global tech economy — it is already shaping it.

Over the next five years, the sector aims to:

• Reach $20 billion in IT exports annually;
• Enter the Top 10 global IT service providers;
• Lead development in AI, cybersecurity, IoT, and blockchain.

Partnerships with global tech leaders like Google, Microsoft, AWS, and techUK will be instrumental in achieving this vision. These collaborations are more than symbolic—they bring infrastructure, mentorship, cloud ecosystems, and shared expertise to the Ukrainian tech landscape.

Ukraine’s IT sector has come a long way — from building resilience in wartime to becoming a trusted, globally integrated force in the digital economy. Ukrainian tech is no longer defined by survival. It is defined by strategy, performance, and potential.

Be part of Ukraine’s IT success — cooperate, invest, and innovate for a borderless digital future.

Click here to download the full report.

Stay tuned to our news platform for the latest developments in Ukraine’s IT, Tech, and Govtech industries and their impact on the global digital economy.

The article was prepared by IT Ukraine Association.