03 Oct 2025

techUK’s first-ever delegation to Ukraine – What did we get up to?


techUK’s COO Matthew Evans and Senior Policy Manager, International, Daniel Clarke were honoured to lead our first ever techUK members delegation to Ukraine for the IT Arena Conference in Lviv. We were delighted to be joined by members from Adarga, Skyral, Fujitsu, BLD Blue Light Digital, Goldilock, and Research Innovations Inc. The delegation took place from the 25-29 September.

The delegation is a result of techUK’s increased focus on the Ukrainian tech sector since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. We have been an active industry player in initiatives such as the UK-Ukraine TechBridge and the UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement, signed in September 2024, with a parallel focus on defence technology and how the UK can learn from and support Ukraine in this area. Our previous events have actively connected Ukrainian and British tech businesses, talent, startups, and investors.

If you want to get more involved in our Ukraine work, please reach out to [email protected].


Day 1 (Thursday) – Arrival & Welcome Reception

We opened the visit with a UK Tech Delegation Reception hosted with colleagues from the British Embassy and FCDO, alongside 1991 Ventures, Ukrainian tech companies and government officials. techUK COO Matthew Evans took part in a panel discussion with representatives from the FCDO and 1991 Ventures on the opportunities in the UK for Ukrainian tech companies. Our techUK delegates met a curated group of Ukrainian startups and larger firms with UK expansion plans or existing operations over a selection of canapes and cakes.

Day 2 (Friday) — Ministry briefings, conference and networking

Our first full day began with a meeting with the Ministry of Digital Transformation (MDT). Specifically with Deputy Ministers Oleksandr Bornyakov and Nataliia Denikeieva, joined by senior UK Embassy and FCDO staff. MDT set out the current landscape of Ukraine’s digital state, including the Diia ecosystem and the Diia City framework, and briefed us on Brave1 and the CodeUA initiative, which helps international companies partner with the Ukrainian tech sector. We discussed the UK–Ukraine Tech Bridge in concrete terms - how UK companies can get involved, future priorities, as well as how defence-tech cooperation can be deepened. The delegation then had the chance to explore the IT Arena Lviv Tech Conference, before reconvening in the centre of Lviv in the evening to network with other Executive ticket holders at an exclusive networking evening.

Day 3 (Saturday) — Brave1 and meetings with the Deputy PM

We spent the morning with Brave1 leadership and the Ukrainian Startup Fund to understand priority projects and the practical ways UK firms can participate in Brave1 programmes and access support, partners, and funding. The discussion covered pathways from rapid prototyping to scale, as well as details on techUK’s recently released Defence-Tech Manifesto. In the afternoon ,we met Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation and Deputy Prime Minister, and his team. The session focused on Ukraine’s strategic tech priorities, from digital government and cybersecurity to AI and secure infrastructure, and where UK businesses can most usefully contribute. We returned to the Tech Conference to witness the outcome of the start-up finals, and continue investor and partner engagements.

Day 4 (Sunday) — City resilience and Accelerators

Our final day began at Lviv City Hall with Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, who outlined how the city is responding to the pressures of war, including the Unbroken initiative supporting civilians injured by Russia’s invasion. Later in the afternoon, we met with the Defence Builder Accelerator CEO, with investors such as Sigma Software also present. Conversations centred on the startup and investor pipeline, as well as routes for UK firms to co-develop and fund solutions.  

And that concluded a successful, first-ever delegation to Ukraine!

Across the four days, we provided plenty of opportunities for our UK delegates to understand the technology landscape, meet with senior government officials, network with the Ukrainian tech sector, and win business opportunities in-country. If you would like to take part in future delegations, please reach out to the International team below.


For more information, please contact:

Matthew Evans

Matthew Evans

Chief Operating Officer & Director of Markets, techUK

Daniel Clarke

Daniel Clarke

Senior Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK

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Meet the team 

Sabina Ciofu

Sabina Ciofu

International Policy and Strategy Lead, techUK

Daniel Clarke

Daniel Clarke

Senior Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK

Theophile Maiziere

Theophile Maiziere

Policy Manager - EU, techUK

Archie Breare

Archie Breare

Policy Manager - Trade, techUK

Tess Newton

Team Assistant, Policy and Public Affairs, techUK