That’s the story of Born Global Ukraine, a transformative program that united future entrepreneurs from every corner of Ukraine to sharpen their export strategies, master international communication, and embrace global thinking.
From Idea to International Strategy
Launched by the Visionest Institute (Estonia) in collaboration with certified export consultants and international trade experts, the program welcomed 45 teams into a dynamic learning journey. The finalists emerged with Global Business Plans tailored for international markets – and earned international certificates recognising their readiness to go global.
How the Program Worked
Born Global Ukraine was a comprehensive accelerator program. Participants were guided by alumni of the Train the Trainers and Export Consultants Mastery programs (previous initiatives of the Visionest Institute for Ukrainian export consultants), alongside experienced professionals in global trade.
The structure included:
- 8 learning modules with Ukrainian and international experts
- Homework tasks rooted in participants’ own business ideas
- Mentor feedback sessions from local and global advisors
- Gamified challenges to boost engagement and reward progress
- Ongoing mentoring from international trade specialists
The program culminated in final project defenses on August 21–22, 2025 – a celebration of teamwork, strategy, and bold vision, and ended on August 28, 2025, in Kyiv with the Grand Final Graduation Event.
Results That Speak Volumes
Born Global Ukraine didn’t just teach – it transformed. Participants shifted from local thinking to global action, with measurable growth across key competencies:
As a result, professional competencies have increased significantly:
- general knowledge of exports has increased by 117%;
- estimating the cost of entering foreign markets by 118%;
- market, company and customer research by 137%;
- risk management in international trade by 139%;
- use of B2B platforms and search for partners abroad by 126%.
“Successful internationalization begins not when a company is ready to export, but when entrepreneurs start thinking globally. Born Global Ukraine supports this mindset by fostering a new business culture centered on development, partnership, and innovation. We create an environment where Ukrainian entrepreneurs feel integrated into the global market, understand its rules, and are empowered to leverage global opportunities for the growth of their companies.” – said Serhiy Pashchukov, Project Manager Visionest Institute.
Voices of Transformation
“We have successfully transformed an idea into a fully-fledged project that is now operational. We have already signed one contract, marking a positive start for our team in terms of business development and enhancing our time management,” said Anna Kostenko of the AD Travel and Logistics project.
“The program has helped me realize that my potential is greater than I initially thought and that nothing is impossible. Additionally, Born Global Ukraine provided me with valuable tools to help me achieve my goals for project development and market entry,” shared Iryna Korobko from the Pink Elephant project.
“The training modules have proven to be practical and beneficial, even in other projects I am involved with,” commented Svyatoslav Kononsky from the RoboBukh project.
Impact and What’s Next
Post-program analytics reveal:
- 70% of teams plan domestic growth with future international expansion
- 15% are building Born Global companies from day one
- Teams report stronger collaboration, improved partner search skills, and greater confidence in global competitiveness
Born Global Ukraine is more than a program. It’s a strategic platform — one that’s helping Ukrainian entrepreneurs engineer their global breakthrough.
***
The Born Global Ukraine project is developed by Visionest Institute (Estonia) and implemented in cooperation with Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (Ukraine) and the national project Diia.Business. The project is implemented with financial support by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).
