Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund

🌟 Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund extends the heartfelt congratulations on the upcoming holidays! The courage and resilience of the people of Ukraine and Moldova remain a beacon of hope for us. Together we are building our future!

✅ Financial advice and opportunity to receive a grant for entrepreneurs of the Trostianets community backed by UMAEF The first two-day training within the educational block for entrepreneurs of the Trostianets community, which is being provided by the Center for European Integration of Slobozhanshchyna NGO and the Trostianets Business Support Center, has been completed. The training aims to improve local entrepreneurs' financial literacy and is part of the grant competition "A 100,000: Grant for Your Business in Trostianets Community." It will provide participants with practical knowledge and skills to manage their business finances effectively. Five participants will also receive significant financial assistance—UAH 100,000 (~$2400) each. We are proud to support the development of small and medium-sized businesses and are happy to contribute to the sustainable development of the Ukrainian economy!

📣 🇺🇦 Ukraine House returns to Davos in 2025! We are delighted to announce that Ukraine House Davos will be back for its 7th year at Davos, alongside the World Economic Forum‘s Annual Meeting. Our doors are open from January 20th – 23rd, 2025. 🏠🚪 Named in 2024 as 'Best Pavilion' by POLITICO, Ukraine House will again be hosting unmissable conversations on the country’s strategic potential and economic opportunity with leading experts as well as offering authoritative analysis of the current geopolitical situation including relations with the new US administration. 🌍 All of this plus the warmest of Ukrainian welcomes – and the best coffee in Davos! 🌻☕️🏆 🗓 Save the Date - and stay tuned to Ukraine House Davos website and social media channels for real-time updates on our informative program and events. Ukraine House Davos is organized by Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Horizon Capital 🔷 Dates: January 20 – 23, 2025 🔷 Location: Promenade 59, Davos, Switzerland 🌐 Be Part of the Conversation 🔊 🇺🇦 Stay Connected to Ukraine #UkraineHouseDavos #Davos2025 #UMAEF #VictorPinchukFoundation #HorizonCapital

👏🏻 Presentation of UMAEF’s Direct Investment Program in Moldova During her recent visit to Moldova, Oksana Strashna, CFA, Director of the $50 million Direct Investment Program at UMAEF, had a productive meeting with business associations, SMEs, and representatives from government institutions, and represented the program’s opportunities for Moldovan businesses. The program is designed to accelerate growth for small and medium-sized enterprises through direct investments. Discussions focused on the program’s investment criteria, its potential impact on local SMEs, and how companies can apply to benefit from this initiative. We believe this dialogue marks an important step toward supporting Moldovan SMEs in scaling their operations and contributing to the country’s economic growth.

💥 Business brunch for grantees of the "CREATE!" program — article by Marie Claire Business Ukraine The first wave of the $1 million grant program for Ukrainian female entrepreneurs from Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, UMAEF, KSE Foundation and JSC Oschadbank has ended. 65 grantees received up to $15,000 in non-refundable financial assistance for the development of their businesses. jaroslawa Johnson, President and CEO of UMAEF: "We, Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, sincerely believe that supporting female entrepreneurship is the key to Ukraine's economic development and sustainable future. Together we are creating an environment where your business can scale!" 📲 Read more about the project and the participants' impressions in the article by Marie Claire: https://bit.ly/41wDbdA

🍏 UMAEF supported the 10th edition of the Fruit Business Conference in Moldova The conference was organized by Moldova Fruct and brought together over 350 participants to discuss sector trends, innovation, productivity, and global market opportunities.   Stella Jemna, UMAEF’s Country Representative for Moldova highlighted Moldova’s impressive achievements in fruit exports, such as being a global leader in plum exports and significantly increasing grape, cherry, and apricot exports to the EU. She also mentioned the “Unforbidden Fruit” campaign, which reached 1.7 million people online and 30,000 offline, and the Export Support Program, supported by UMAEF. This program enabled Moldovan fruit producers to participate in international exhibitions in Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, resulting in $6.6M in sales. ✨ This year’s event reinforced the commitment to quality, innovation, and collaboration, ensuring Moldovan fruits continue to thrive in competitive markets.

💸 What do entrepreneurs need to keep and create new jobs? According to Vitaliy Bigdai’s, UMAEF’s SME Development Director, new column for NV, a significant number of entrepreneurs usually mention access to finance first and foremost. What tools and programs for SME development exist in Ukraine? 🔹State program "Dostupni kredyty 5-7-9%" (Affordable Loans 5-7-9%) 🔹State grant program "Vlasna sprava" (Own Business) 🔹Preferential loans with an interest rate of 4% to 8% per annum for social businesses and individual entrepreneurs from UMAEF 🔹UMAEF also has a Direct Investments Program, which provides funding of USD 1 to 3 million in both equity and quasi-equity, and a grant program of SMEs support. 🔹Loans at 9.9% per annum in the first year from USAID in cooperation with OTP Bank. 🔹 Direct financing under individual agreements from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 📲 Read Vitaliy Bigdai's review of financial instruments for Ukrainian entrepreneurs at the link: http://bit.ly/3BtrbPB

📈 Presentation of the Regional Economic Growth Poles in Ukraine study by Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and EasyBusiness The cost of rebuilding Ukraine is getting higher with each passing month of the war, so we believe that economic growth should be a priority. A team of experts and analysts has conducted the most comprehensive analysis of international experience on growth poles: ▪️ studied the experience of 18 countries from different parts of the world; ▪️conducted interviews with 26 experts (including 12 international experts); ▪️conducted a field study in 12 communities; ▪️developed an interactive dashboard to identify the poles (38 indicators). ▪️chose Ternopil region to implement the pilot project. "Growth poles are the exact mechanism that can help Ukraine stimulate economic development, strengthen communities, and equalize disparities between regions. It will also allow business development, attract foreign investment, and help Ukraine grow economically," says Iryna Ozymok, UMAEF’s Local Economic Development Director.

🦄 This autumn, we proudly supported the Upcelerator by Dreamups program in Moldova, where technology and business enthusiasts turned their ideas into innovative startups in just 3 months. After 12 intense learning modules and access to resident mentors, as well as international and local speakers, 13 finalist teams pitched their ideas at the Demo Day event, competing for the grand prize. The winner of the 70,000 MDL (more than $3800) grant is Symptive, a startup that helps women track menopause symptoms and offers personalized recommendations for their well-being. Learn more about the story of the grant winning Symptive at the link: ttps://bit.ly/4itugQm 🌟 If you have a startup idea and are passionate about technology, we encourage you to apply for the next edition of Upcelerator.

👩💻 Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund supported Startup Funding Conference, organized by Startup Moldova. The conference brought together over 150 participants and offered actionable insights on securing startup funding, opportunities to connect with investors from Central and Eastern Europe. Five Moldovan startups also had the chance to pitch their innovative ideas to potential investors. A highlight of the event was a fire-side chat with Dumitru Alaiba, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization, moderated by Stella Jemna, UMAEF’s Country Representative for Moldova. The discussion focused on government strategies, reforms, and policies designed to facilitate investments, support startups’ growth, and create a more favorable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in Moldova. Additionally, Andrew Sorohan, Venture Director at u.ventures, praised the energy of Moldovan founders and expressed enthusiasm for investing in more startups from the region. ✨ We were happy to be a part of the event, which marked a significant step forward in enhancing the investment climate for startups in Moldova, fostering new opportunities for collaboration and financial support for innovative entrepreneurs!