For more than a decade, IT Arena has been the leading tech conference in Ukraine, with 5,000 attendees, 200 speakers, and 1,000 startups every year.
In 2025, we will once again be part of this large-scale technology event. This year, we are preparing four events to showcase the impact of innovation in defense, the power of ecosystems, and inspiring first-hand stories. Here are more details about what we will bring to the conference.
Ukrainian Defense Tiger: Why Invest Now
We see that Ukraine is becoming the world’s most dynamic defense innovation hub. Here, technologies are created and tested in real combat conditions, enabling startups to scale globally at unprecedented speed.
During the “Ukrainian Defense Tiger – Why Invest Now” panel, we’ll join leading investors and experts to discuss Ukraine’s defense tech. The key question is no longer if to invest – but how fast you can step in.
Date: September 26
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Location: Defense Stage, Arena Lviv
Speakers:
- Daria Yaniieva – Head of Defense at Sigma Software, Investment Director at Sigma Software Labs
- Tisho Jenkut – investor at Presto Tech Horizons
- Cristobal Alonso – Managing Director at Wolver Ventures
- Kollen Post – defense industry reporter at The Kyiv Independent
- Justin Zeefe – Founding General Partner of Green Flag Ventures
Defense Startup Competition
Next up, Daria Yaniieva, will be moderating the Defense Startup Competition, where Ukrainian defense startups will demonstrate their solutions to a global audience.
The grand prize is $60,000 provided by BRAVE1 and Ukrainian Startup Fund, a government coordination platform created to support defense innovation and cooperation among all market participants.
Date: September 26
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Defense Stage, Arena Lviv
Join us!
Ecosystems as the Ultimate Growth Multiplier
On the third day of IT Arena, Sigma Software is organizing the meetup “Ecosystems as the Ultimate Growth Multiplier.” With this event, we want to highlight how collaboration between business, education, investors, media, and defense can accelerate innovation and help startups grow into global products.
This meetup will bring together diverse perspectives and show how ecosystems create the right conditions for sustainable startup development moderated by Daria Yaniieva.
Speakers:
- Serhii Yevdokymov, Head of Sigma Software Unity Fund
- Maxim Pochebut, CEO of Sigma Software University
- Line Rindvig, Head of Defense Builder
- Illya Kabachynsky, Editor-in-Chief of Scroll.media
Date: September 28
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Mad Bar’s House, 5th floor
Registration is required to attend this meetup. Registration opens on September 26 via the IT Arena agenda.
Peer to Peer: Inspiring Stories – Connecting Visionaries, Shaping the Future
We, together with our partners WIN-WIN EDIH and the EDIH ecosystem, are creating a meetup for sincere stories and inspiration. Entrepreneurs, innovators, and partners will share their experiences of transformation, collaboration, and scaling.
Speakers:
- Antonina Iermeichuk, Co-founder & COO at Deus Robotics
- Kyrylo Hrinchak, Head of Partner & Product Portfolio at Sigma Software Labs; Banking & FinTech Lead of Sigma Software
- Maria Krasnoshchok, Innovation Ecosystem & International Cooperation Consultant at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine;
Date: September 28
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Lviv City Council
Participation in this meetup is by registration only. Registration opens on September 26 via IT Arena agenda.
We see IT Arena as an opportunity to talk about innovation, to demonstrate that Ukraine’s defense and technology ecosystem is already creating world-class solutions.
IT Arena 2025 will bring together key players in the innovation market. For us, this is another step in the growth of Sigma Software’s venture capital focus and another way to show that Ukraine’s ecosystem is going global.
Come join us at IT Arena 2025 in Lviv.
