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Fifteen Ukrainian AgriTech companies have completed all three stages of the AgriTech Business Accelerator Program, delivered by the IT Ukraine Association in partnership with the Fisher Center for Business Analytics at the University of California, Berkeley, with the support of the United States Government through the AGRO Programme.
During the award ceremony, participants, mentors and programme partners reviewed the progress made so far, discussed the teams’ results and achievements, and explored new opportunities for collaboration.
A key stage of the programme was a 10-day intensive learning programme with international experts at the University of California, Berkeley, in May this year. Working on business models and market-entry strategies, meeting with Plug and Play, participating in UAtech Venture Night in San Mateo, and engaging with international business representatives helped the teams strengthen their expertise and build connections with potential partners.
Ukraine has a unique opportunity to become an important player in shaping the future of global agriculture. It combines deep agricultural expertise with exceptionally strong engineering capabilities, technological creativity and the ability to innovate under extraordinary pressure. The AgriTech Business Accelerator at UC Berkeley was created to help Ukrainian entrepreneurs turn these strengths into global opportunities. Through an intensive programme in California, followed by six months of mentorship, we connected founders with experts, investors, industry practitioners, potential partners and customers, helping them better understand how to enter the US market and scale their businesses. What impressed me most was not only the quality of the technologies, but also the transformation of the entrepreneurs themselves — how their perspectives on customers, partnerships, markets and scaling evolved. Combined with Ukraine’s exceptional human potential and agricultural heritage, this gives me great confidence in the ability of Ukrainian AgriTech to develop solutions to some of the most important challenges facing global agriculture,
said Gauthier Vasseur, Programme Director of the AgriTech Business Accelerator, Fisher Center for Business Analytics, Institute for Business Innovation, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.
According to the participants, one of the most valuable aspects of the programme was the network of contacts with potential investors, farmers, industry experts and partners. Practical sessions on AI, work on pitch decks and customer personas, as well as first-hand exposure to the operations of US agribusinesses during visits to Capay Farms and Napa Valley, were also particularly valuable.
Teams that were only planning their international expansion a few months ago are already turning the knowledge and connections gained through the programme into tangible business results. They are refining their market-entry strategies, signing partnership agreements, launching pilot projects and attracting investment.
Several companies have already secured pilot projects with US farms, established partnerships in Latin America, begun attracting their first angel investments, and started working with major technology, agricultural and research organisations.
It is important for us that international acceleration gives Ukrainian companies the tools and connections they need to enter new markets. Today, we are already seeing the first pilots, agreements and investments — the clearest indication that the programme is delivering results. There is still a great deal of work ahead, but Ukrainian AgriTech is already demonstrating its readiness to adapt and scale globally,
said Maria Shevchuk, Executive Director of the IT Ukraine Association.
Another important outcome has been a deeper understanding of the specifics of the US B2B market. For many teams, this has meant rethinking their international market-entry strategies and adapting them to local market conditions.
The war has forced Ukraine’s agricultural sector to find new ways of working more efficiently with fewer resources — fewer people, greater risks and a higher cost of every decision. This is why Ukrainian AgriTech is developing so rapidly today. We see entrepreneurs creating solutions that help agricultural producers automate processes, use resources more efficiently and adapt to new challenges. Through the AgriTech Business Accelerator, we help these companies gain access to the US expertise, partnerships and investment they need to scale these solutions. We are pleased to see demand for them across the Americas as well. This is a mutually beneficial partnership,
said Ksenia Sydorkina, Director of the AGRO Programme.
For some participants, the next step is TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco. Five programme participants — PivotHawk, Sirocco Energy, HEFT, HowCow and FEODAL — will showcase their solutions at one of the leading global events for startups and investors on 13–15 October. This will provide another opportunity to turn the connections built through the programme into new partnerships, customers and opportunities to enter the US market.
AgriTech Business Accelerator Program made possible by the generous support of the United States Government provided through the Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) Activity implemented by Chemonics International. The program is co-developed together with the Fisher Center for Business Analytics at the University of California, Berkeley, and implemented in partnership with the IT Ukraine Association.
The contents are the responsibility of IT Ukraine Association and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government. More details about AGRO are available at https://www.facebook.com/usaid.agro/.
