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From AI Prosthetics to VR Therapy: Why Investors Need to Watch Ukrainian HealthTech
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The European tech media outlet Tech.eu has published a comprehensive analysis of the transformation within the Ukrainian healthtech market. The conclusion is unequivocal: Ukraine has become one of the most dynamic frontiers for medical innovation globally. The combination of deep technical expertise, digital-first public infrastructure, and the unprecedented challenges of a full-scale war has created an environment where products are developed and scaled at record speed.
The digitalization of Ukrainian healthcare successfully passed an extreme crash test. According to Tech.eu, infrastructure laid down before the invasion allowed for rapid adaptation to new realities:
• Helsi: This medical platform now counts over 29 million registered patients, providing online consultations, e-prescriptions, and facilitating more than 200,000 bookings daily.
• Liki24: A marketplace that aggregates products from multiple pharmacies, optimizing for price, speed, and availability. It proved that scaling during wartime is possible. By 2023, 35–40% of its revenue came from the EU, and today that share has grown to 70%. Domestic revenue has also doubled. The company raised €9 million this year, bringing total funding to €19 million.
• Ovul: A prime example of emerging niches like FemTech. The startup is developing a saliva-based hormone tracker that detects fertility in just 5 seconds.
In 2024, the top ten startup funding rounds in Ukraine raised over $300 million. Behind these figures is a maturing ecosystem: local incubators, UVCA, the Ukrainian Startup Fund, venture funds like u.ventures and Horizon Capital, as well as global programs like Google for Startups and USAID.
Three Sectors Shaped by Critical Necessity
Extreme conditions forced engineers and founders to build rapid solutions for the most complex challenges. Tech.eu highlights three main areas:
1. Mental Health at a National Scale
Nearly 10 million Ukrainians, including 1.4 million children, are at risk of developing mental health conditions. Traditional therapy alone cannot physically meet this demand.
• Mindly: A Kyiv-based therapy marketplace that pivoted rapidly during wartime to offer remote support. Within three weeks, it reached over 3,000 users and hosted more than 1,000 therapy sessions. The company is now expanding into Poland.
• Aspichi (Luminify): An immersive VR system that translates cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma therapy into mixed-reality experiences delivered through headsets. In Ukraine, Luminify has already been used by over 1 million people in rehabilitation settings, serving as a large-scale test in crisis conditions. It has also proven successful in post-rehab care in the US.
2. Rehabilitation and Prosthetics
Ukraine faces a future with between 20,000 and 50,000 amputees. Since traditional prosthetics are often costly, uncomfortable, and require lengthy adaptation, Ukrainian startups are offering tech-driven alternatives:
• Esper Bionics: A bionic prosthetics developer that marked a standout deal in the sector, securing $5 million in a round led by YZR Capital.
• SYLA: A startup developing an AI-enhanced bionic prosthetic knee. Its advanced algorithms dynamically adjust to the user's pace, ensuring a seamless transition from a slow walk to a brisk run.
• ComeBack Mobility: A Lviv-based company developing crutches with sensor-equipped nozzles and a companion app. It tracks movement and provides real-time feedback. Clinical tests show rehabilitation time can be reduced to 6 weeks. The company has already expanded to the US.
• BetterMe: A Ukrainian health platform with 150 million global users. Partnering with Esper Bionics and the Future for Ukraine foundation, they developed Limb Loss Workouts within their app. This includes 200 targeted training workshops for upper- and lower-limb loss, with each move demonstrated by five amputees using various prostheses.
3. Public Health Data and Logistics
War conditions have exposed the critical need for tracking injuries, managing medicine supply chains, and digitizing hospitals. Startups building AI diagnostics, medical record platforms, and supply-chain software have been able to pilot their products in real-world, high-stress environments.
Today, innovation in the Ukrainian healthcare system is a matter of survival. However, solutions built for the most demanding scenarios are naturally competitive globally. As Tech.eu concludes: if investors are looking for the future of global healthcare, it’s time to look at Ukraine.
