AIN visited its facilities and talked with the co-founder, Yuriy Vysoven.

An aerostat looks like a massive balloon connected via a tether. It carries some useful load—a camera or a radio repeater—based on the mission. The latter are more common near to the frontline. The devices help keep a stable connection between an operator and a drone until it hits an enemy target.

Usually, the radio repeaters are fixed to other UAVs. The aerostat has the same function but appears more useful.

“An aerostat can fly for two days. No drone can hold that long, but the aerostats do. And their price is more attractive. Everything that can fly a few hours is expensive,” said Yuriy Vysoven.

One aerostat costs $6,500. According to Yuriy, one can buy 1.5 Mavik drones with thermal cameras for the same money. “They are expendables. Each brigade can lose a couple of them every day,” the manufacturer confirmed. Did the enemy hit aerostats? The project co-founder doesn’t know of any such case. However, he could remember a situation when one aerostat died after a friendly fire—a Ukrainian soldier shot it down. This happened in the Luhansk region. A guy just missed the information that an aerostat was operated and opened fire at “an unknown flying object.”

Another advantage of aerostats is their invisibility. The enemy can see drones while they are approaching, Yuriy Vysoven added. But an aerostat cannot be seen for several kilometers, so you do not need to hide it.

“Sooner or later, Russians will publish a video of shooting down our aerostats. If they do, we will make more. It will be no tragedy,” Yuriy summarized.

The aerostat holds in the air thanks to helium. Its air-inflated “tail” that can change angles and positions helps hold against strong wind and not fall on the ground. Such an aerodynamical form is similar to a kite.

Yuriy shows a mockup. The source material of a small copy made of a transparent thin film differs from the original aerostat made of a special robust film.

The aerostat is fixed with a rope connected to a ground station winch. The winch is operated with an e-motor.

Before delivering the whole stuff—a motor, a winch, a rope, an aerostat, and helium cylinders—to a military unit, it all has been well tested on a proving ground. We were not allowed to come there and see its testing, but we could see a demonstration start of an aerostat within the company’s facilities.

Only two persons are enough to launch this device. First, it gets filled with helium, about 10 m³ or 1.5 cylinders (6 m³ per unit). The level of helium consumption depends on the load. The calculation of the required volume is a complex design process—the officers inform the producer about their needs, the company develops a specification, and the actual work begins.

The wind speed at the moment of the aerostat start should be no more than 15 m/s. Under war conditions, it can run within 2 km from the frontline.

“After the aerostat has been lifted in the air, I would not recommend you to stay under it because if it gets hit, we would better lose it but no lives,” Yuriy said.

The flying device needs a few minutes to get in the sky. After that, the crew must leave. The aerostat slowly loses helium that can go out of any material, even a steel cylinder. That is why soldiers must check and refill it from time to time.

“In any case, our defenders change repeater batteries, so they can check the aerostat and refill it if needed,” added Yuriy.

The inventor recommends launching devices at night which is safer.

An aerostat can rise to 700 meters, but Yuriy emphasizes it is not needed to lift it over 500 meters because a radio repeater can ensure the signal for FPV drones within a 40-km range even at the height of 300 meters. And FPV drones can fly only within the range of 20 km. So, there is no chance to increase the radio range for a drone operator.

However, the signal strength depends on the height of the repeater— the higher a radio repeater is, the better chances are that a signal would overcome electronic warfare. Nobody will guarantee you anything. A drone can leave the range at any time and become closer to the EW than its operator, and the signal will be lost.

“It’s war. We must fight for each meter of signal availability.”

Aerostat manufacturing

The production is decentralized in three locations. The first facility does cloth sewing and balloon assembling. The second point assembles an electronic motor based on a military request (with a radio repeater, cameras, etc.). And the third entity crafts a winch to hold an aerostat in the air. The manufacturer plans to move into one building and unite all production stages.

Yuriy says assembling all parts into one product is much trickier than their production.

Many elements come from Ukraine, but not all. For example, film comes from Italy, and the engines are from foreign manufacturers. Ukraine produces enough helium. But prices and demand constantly increase. Yuriy said that 1.5 helium cylinders cost over 20,000 UAH.

The aerostat development started about 18 months ago, and the products have been used already for six months. It took so long because aerostats had to be refined and tested, and “we had to convince military officers it was not a steampunk from the XIX century,” added Yuriy.

The AEROBAVOVNA team can come close to the front to teach crews how to use aerostats if needed. However, the militants participate in training generally in Kyiv. It is not always easy since the soldiers cannot leave when they wish.

“Everything becomes complicated because the officers can find money but not time to come here or appoint some men. There are travel time and training time. They must spend the whole day on a training ground. If there is an air alarm, the launch of an aerostat can be postponed,” Yuriy Vysoven said.

The company plans to expand its production. Its co-founder acknowledges they cooperate only with a few brigades, but the number of requests constantly increases. For example, Yuriy got about 30 new requests after the YouTube channel Militarnyi made a video about AEROBAVOVNA. Currently, there are 50 open requests from different military units.

How popular are aerostats abroad

Yuriy shared with us some history. The aerostats belong to many national armies. The Americans, for example, use them since the 1970s. During the campaigns in Iran and Afghanistan, they installed 66 strategic aerostats (that can carry several tons of load—radars or cameras).

Poland will also buy now two aerostats from the US. According to a $1.2-billion contract, the Poles will get not only the aerostats but also radars to detect targets and maintenance and training. The recent US military aid package for Taiwan also contained aerostats, Yuriy explained.

The inventor thinks the radars mounted to aerostats can easily replace airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, which can fly only for 10 to 15 hours and must land for refueling, while aerostats can stay in the air longer.

“Lifting a radar in the air is a quite practical thing. The Americans have such plains. But let’s be honest, no other nation can allow such a number of AEW&C vehicles because of their impossible value. Anyway, an AEW&C aircraft can be there only for a limited time. To operate 24/7, you must have many crews ready,” Yuriy Vysoven said.

Thus, as a manufacturer, he must admit that Ukraine won’t create an aerostat that could carry radars within the next couple of years. However, engineers are already working on the solution.

“Nobody plans to become a millionaire thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

As Yuriy said, AEROBAVOVNA is the only aerostat manufacturer in Ukraine. For sure, there is some margin due to certain costs that cannot be calculated in advance. The project got funding from the Brave1 defense tech cluster.

“Our focus is creating a cool product and proving its effectiveness. If we achieve this, we will get both domestic and international orders and make a lot of money.”

Before the war, aerostats in Ukraine were used as advertising space at festivals. The co-founder of AEROBAVOVNA suggests that after the victory, they will also be used for border control or other security tasks.

According to Yuriy Vysoven, there are already teams in Ukraine that are ready to start new businesses. He names the UK, Turkey, Israel, China, and France as other manufacturing countries. As for Russia, there are aerostat production facilities there, but he does not observe their massive use at the front.

Esper Bionics is located in a 3-floor building in an industrial area of Kyiv. It moved here in August 2023 from a facility that was too small for mass production. We are welcomed by the Esper Bionics’ Chief of Strategy, Bohdan Diorditsa, and Chief of Marketing, Dmytro Hanush, who lead us to the ground floor. Here we see the prostheses shop. We are wondering where to begin our tour. The production is not linear.

OK, let’s start with the definition. What is a robotic hand? It consists of a stump socket and a prosthesis. The stump socket is fixed at a stump, the remaining part of a mangled arm. The myosensors within help get signals from the brain and transfer them to the prosthesis so that a person can move the hand. In other words, the socket serves as an intermediary between the artificial and the biological part of the arm. It is developed individually for each customer and installed in specialized clinics. According to Bohdan, even the most up-to-date 3D scanners and expensive 3D printers can’t create better sockets than prosthetists. So, Esper Bionics manufactures only robotic hands.

We decided to start our tour on the ground floor with a CNC 3-axis milling machine. Using it, Serhii crafts metal parts for the future robohand, for example, for a palm. Most parts are made from aircraft aluminum, bronze, and stainless steel.

We may watch the production through the glass. Serhii leads the mechanism with software written and installed here at Esper Bionics. The machine is pretty large. The facility owner let the workers disassemble a wall and some windows to bring the machine inside.

Next to it is a universal lathe. There are some plans above it. Serhii follows them during the production. There are also essential tools needed for the production. For instance, here you see the finger assembly platform. The operator shows us its model on the screen a few seconds after the mill cut a detail from an aluminum bar. Doing so creates a lead nut bracket for a future platform.

“These assemblies are unique for our product. We cannot order them in some online shop, e.g. Rozetka,” Serhii explained.

Then, we move to a place Bohdan called “a warehouse of a healthy man.” He meant the shelves with boxes full of prosthesis parts. Each box is numbered and signed, so the workers save time searching for required components.

“You can find anything here—from separate arm parts to some stump socket components,” Bohdan said.

Andrii, a senior assembly specialist, shows us boxes located closer. They have codes with letters and digits. The letters explain to which prosthesis parts in the box belong. For example, LL means Large Left, the large prosthesis of the left arm.

Maksym fills the boxes. He works in the Esper Bionics warehouse. Not all pieces in the boxes are manufactured by Serhii with his machine. Some are imported. For example, prosthesis engines come from Sweden.

Andrii tells Maksym a box number, gets the right box, and the prosthesis assembly begins. For this, the mechanic takes a frame that looks like an artificial palm.

He puts it and the cables inside the hub. Then, he attaches the cables to the commutation board and motherboard that will receive signals. Andrii prepares the first module to be attached to the next one.

The modules are separate arm knots, for example, fingers. An engine, a lead screw, a spring, and a plate bow them.

So, when the motherboard transfers a signal via the commutation board to the cables, it arrives at the engine and produces a new signal. The engine starts, so the user can bend and straighten fingers.

Andrii works only on the first floor. However, the operators Vitalii and Pavlo are active on the first and the third floors, where the R&D department is located. New models are developed there. Then, they order the components from Serhii and assemble prototypes in the shop.

Later, the products are tested on special tables. And only after all tests are done, mass production may start.

In total, four assemblers work in the shop. There is also one assembly specialist who is involved in R&D. The orders come in batches. One batch takes six weeks on average for production. The number of prostheses in a batch can differ. Up to 15 Esper hands are manufactured per month. However, due to high demand, the production is going to be expanded. The team also plans to increase the number of its members to 16. New engineers work their first month under the supervision of the senior assembler, Andrii, no matter how experienced they are. This affects productivity and requires a lot of time.

“They are real engineers. They know how to code, print, cast, and braze some details,” Bohdan described Esper Bionics workers.

Esper Bionics R&D

We skip the second floor (it doesn’t belong to the production) and go to the third floor. It is the R&D department. Here, we meet the firmware team. Their job is to develop software for finger action algorithms. Next to them are specialists who deal with the electronics — cables and boards.

“Usually, they first create a large board and test it completely to ensure everything works fine. And then, they make the board smaller according to the arm size,” Bohdan explained.

The R&D specialists work on the correct functioning and signal transferring of robohands to provide the user with the same functions as a natural arm. It can be set up via smartphone.

A smart hand

Bohdan holds a robohand and his smartphone. He opens the Esper Bionics app and shows how to change the control scheme or set up the myosensor sensibility. For example, if a person’s stump enlarges in the morning, they can lower the sensibility. And the opposite—when the stump shrinks in the evening, and the skin does not perfectly match the myosensor, it is recommended to increase the sensibility for better signal transfer.

The myosensors are sensors that read the tension in the body, create the so-called biopotential, and transfer the signal to the control unit. They are part of the stump socket. The myosensors are installed in a place with the highest detected muscle activity at the remaining arm. However, the signal of the muscle contraction is very low. So, the myosensors and software in the hand apply special filters to increase the signal and disperse “noises” generated by other electronic devices.

Bohdan assures two myosensors are enough to control an arm. You can put much more, but remember that each cost about $1,000.

In the smartphone, you can also set up grab gestures the user can create with fingers. For instance, a sign of the horns during a rock concert. Or straighten the index finger to scroll a newsfeed in your smartphone (tap grab). Or form the hand comfortably to pick up a pen (pen grab). The fingers go into the position of the bottle grab if you need to take some round items.

“Speaking of a traumatic amputation, not a planned one, muscles are often damaged and the stump, with a non-perfect form. Accordingly, the users must learn how to strain different muscles again. That’s why people who begin to master the robotic arm are recommended to start with the simplest control scheme that they learn to strain two groups of muscles,” said Bohdan.

Suppose a person doesn’t plan to use some gestures for some time. In that case, grabs can be temporarily deactivated via the smartphone, so the fingers will not be able to form a deactivated combination. If needed, the grabs can be enabled anytime. At the moment, there are 18 combinations available in the app.

Parameters of robotic arms and how to improve them

The prosthesis phalanges can carry up to 12 kg. The arm can handle up to 30 kg—for example, it is enough to make push-ups. Bohdan says there are no problems with a prosthesis during push-ups, but one can feel pain in the stump because it is a living tissue stuck in the socket. There is also no problem in the case of pull-ups. However, some users fear the stump can slip out of the socket.

The prosthesis has a 2-year guarantee. Currently, Esper Bionics calculates the production costs for the prosthesis with a 5-year warranty.

However, the team works on how to prolong the life of the prosthesis and how to make it energy-efficient. The most active users charge the robohand every two to three days.

“Made, tested, broken, made different. Tested, broken again. Made again, not broken. It’s cool. Tested 100 times, not broken. That’s it—the thing is ready for mass production,” Bohdan described the development of new products.

The arm sizes are more or less universal. There are large and small sizes. The latter is suitable for women, not tall men, and teenagers. For kids, it is not recommended to use prostheses with myosensors since they grow fast, and their stumps grow as well. Then, the stump socket must be updated, and it costs time and money.

The Chief of Strategy of Esper Bionics said that a state program in Ukraine provides people with prostheses of different functionality. This program, however, doesn’t include functional prostheses with external power sources for children or adults. The only exception is the military, which can apply for robotic extremities with advanced functions or sports prostheses after a year of wearing a simple (mechanic or cosmetic) prosthesis.

The manufacturer is flexible in direct communication with donors and users. A person who needs a prosthesis should apply on the Esper Bionics website. The person will be contacted then by the physician, Lidiia, who will learn about the circumstances and parameters of the trauma, post-surgery complications, etc. She will tell the client more about the prostheses, and if the client agrees, look for a sponsor for this patient. It can be the opposite: First, a sponsor is ready to pay for several prosthesis installations, and the company looks then for people who need prostheses. After the installation, the company can organize a private meeting for the sponsor and the patient. Of course, if they want to.

Localization of production

“It must be great when the prosthesis service is located where a user is,” Bohdan says, speaking about the repair of the bionic robotic arm.

According to him, those who have received an Esper Bionics prosthesis can simply send it to the production facility to repair or improve the model in case of damage. The situation is different with bionic arms from foreign manufacturers: users must wait a month for the prosthesis to reach the service center and then wait for it to be repaired and returned to the owners. That’s why Bohdan emphasizes that Ukraine should have its solutions for prosthesis manufacturing.

“First of all, it is difficult for people who need prosthetics to have their prostheses serviced abroad. Secondly, in a year or two, humanitarian aid in the form of prostheses from other countries will end. And the guys will ask: What have you been doing since 2022? Where are our prostheses?” he explains.

According to Bohdan, only a few prosthetists in Ukraine can make robotic arms controlled by myosensors. Esper Bionics works with only six or seven prosthetists in the whole country.

While we chatted about postal delivery, Bohdan showed us the box where customers receive their prosthetics. It can be opened with a single movement—by tilting the lid. This is just one example of Esper Bionics’ attention to detail when it comes to people who are missing one limb or even both.

Plans for 2024

The company intends to significantly expand bionic hand production and develop its prosthetic leg this year. But Bohdan says that a prosthetic leg is much harder to bring to life than an arm, as more research is needed and certification of such a product is more complicated. In addition, the liability of an artificial leg manufacturer is higher than that of an artificial arm manufacturer: “If the leg doesn’t work, you’re likely to fall. Accordingly, a malfunction of a lower limb prosthesis can do much more harm than a malfunction of an upper limb prosthesis.”

The company is also planning to work on an alternative control system that will allow signals to be transmitted faster and without unnecessary effort. Dmytro has already designed such a control system, which will consist of an array of sensors.

“A person transmits a signal to the arm through sensors. The prosthesis has to ‘understand’ them and take a particular position. Then, the artificial limb presses the interface designed for the arm. This algorithm has many steps, but this is how the prosthesis works. We plan to develop an alternative control system with a conditional keyboard made of myosensors and designed for an amputee,“ says Dmytro.

There are already technologies in the world that are used in multi-sensor prosthesis control systems. One of them is Pattern Recognition, which recognizes specific patterns of muscle contraction. But this is not the same as myosensor interfaces.

“It would be good for us to create our own sensor system next year, which would also allow us to use algorithms for recognizing muscle contraction patterns and add a wider range of hand control. But that’s a story that will take time,“ Dmytro says.

Wix is an Israeli company that develops a global platform for doing business online. It entered the Ukrainian market in 2011, opening an office in Dnipro (then Dnipropetrovsk). In 2016, a representative office was opened in Kyiv’s small hub in Podil, where Wix had no more than 20 professionals. Soon afterward, engineering teams began joining, and they became short of space – the Kyiv office moved to a multi-story business center. Now it has more than 800 professionals occupying two buildings on Saksahanskoho street.

The AIN.UA editorial team has visited both Wix locations and shares its observations on their design.

The office concept

The Kyiv office of Wix is located in Business Center Saksagansky. While the company occupies two buildings and an area of 7,200 sq. m., this cannot be guessed from the outside: there are no guide-boards on the streets, no signboard with Wix’s trademark font on the facade, and no neon lights on the walls in the lobby that you may be expecting to see.

“The concept of the Kyiv office is based on the customer journey,” says Tetyana Zubets, Head of Operations. “As in marketing, we think through our employees’ journey. A person comes in in the morning. What mood are they in? How can we cheer them up for the whole day?”

This desire to create a positive experience for Wix teams in the course of their interaction with the company can actually be perceived every step of the way, in every fragment of space. That is why the most interesting things begin not in the lobby but on one’s way out of the elevator. You will see them on our photos from Kyiv Wix office below.

COVID-19 express testing and fingerprints to move around in Kyiv Wix office

First of all, we were taken to the laboratory for an express COVID-19 analysis. In Wix, this is more than a precaution or security measure – without receiving a negative result, the company’s people cannot access and move about the office.

Every employee should undergo express testing every 72 hours. First, their fingerprints are added to the database – they are used to open doors in the building. When a person has taken the test, they should wait for 15 minutes in a specially allocated hall, after which they receive a message with the result. If the employee tests negative, they will have literally all doors open to them.

This entry system, adapted to the quarantine reality, was invented by the company’s developers and launched in April 2021.

Wix Whaaat rest and relax space

“The concept behind this space comes from Israel,” Tetyana Zubets explains. “It all began with several questions: What could bring added value for the professionals? How can they unplug during their work?” The answer came from Wix Whaaat in Tel Aviv. In the spring of 2020, such space appeared in Kyiv also.

Like all the office premises, it was designed by an in-house team. According to Zubets, Wix designs are part of the Wix DNA. “Like Wix-based websites, the interior should look professional, cohesive, and fun. We have a basic color palette for websites, which the team adapts to the interior, with the office’s local peculiarities in mind,” she says. Still, the main task of the design team is to make the spaces comfortable and to generate an informal atmosphere that would encourage people to be creative and develop.

In Wix Whaat, particular attention should be given to the details: a bar counter in the shape of a “hipster bus,” which took months to procure and do out, according to Zubets; hemisphere tables; a swing chair; a round two-story soft area; neon, and lots of greenery – all carefully elaborated by the designers.

Here employees can not only have a coffee but also use various services, such as a beauty salon or a massage room. Now, they are not fully operational due to quarantine restrictions. For example, the salon is open for self-service only, but soon, all services are to resume operation.

There is also a shop selling all kinds of goodies and necessities, including dog food and dog bowls. The space is dog-friendly as you can see on the photos from Kyiv Wix office below.

Working spaces and processes in Kyiv Wix office

The Kyiv representative office of Wix mirrors the company’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, with its independent infrastructure – all business and operational processes in it run autonomously. The capital of Ukraine is home to one of the largest technical support offices of Wix. One of the company’s engineering hubs is also located here, in Kyiv. Other hubs are in Tel Aviv, Beersheba, and Berlin.

Ukrainian teams work on Wix’s key products: the payment system Payments by Wix, the e-commerce platform Wix Stores, and Editor X, a website constructor and editor.

The working premises are designed according to the open space principle: they are airy and light, with glass partitions between rooms and corridors. Each floor has large kitchens and coffee points.

There are 23 meeting rooms in the office, which every employee can access by booking a suitable one in advance via Google Calendar. Large meeting rooms for up to 10 persons are fitted with all the equipment necessary for video conferencing. For those who need to focus or have an urgent call, there are 24 single Skype rooms.

“The most popular meeting rooms now are Feofaniya and Rusanivka. During calls, you always look so nice there thanks to the interior color schemes – green and pink; there is always a waiting line,” Darya Tkhorevska, Engineering Brand and Community Manager, says laughing.

We were also able to see Borshchahivka, Troieshchyna, Teremky, Bukovyna, and Halychyna. Room names are suggested and chosen by the Wix employees themselves through voting and can come from historical areas of Kyiv, districts of the capital, or regions of Ukraine.

Lest people lose their way in the office geography, there are signs on the walls showing directions. So far, they are few, but soon such signs are to appear on every floor.

A sports hall, a music studio, and a Lego table

There is a sports hall in Wix, where group boxing, yoga, and stretching classes were held before the quarantine. During the lockdown, they moved online, and now they are organized outdoors, in the park.

Next to the sports hall, there are showers and a changing room, just one though. But the company takes a creative approach to its use – there is a sign on the door reading “Who run the world?” – and the answer should be chosen depending on who occupies the room at that certain time.

There is a spacious lounge on one floor, where teams can come to play table soccer or table tennis. The special feature of this space is that it can be easily transformed into an area for conferences or in-company events.

Wix also has a music room and a large Lego table next to it.

Here and below are pictures of Olha Zakrevska, special for AIN.UA.

This year, it is third Comic Con Ukraine: in 2018, it has gathered 20,000 participants, and in 2019, there were over 30,000 participants. Last year, the festival was postponed due to Covid restrictions. Finally, in September 2021, it happened: visitors came to a large (37,000 sq. m) territory of the Platforma Art Factory, wearing masks — both medical and festival ones. There is no official number of visitors yet, but we saw massive lines of people starting at the Art Factory entry and almost reaching the Darynok market.

If you were there for the first time, you would not miss it — everywhere were people with their kids in superhero costumes, people with light swords, elven hears, and horned helmets.

On the territory of the former Darnytsia silk factory, after you passed the entry of Comic Con Ukraine, you could easily lose yourself, in particular, if you stood in a line of other pop culture and games fans. But in general, the location was divided into zones as in past years: photo zones; food court; the main and other stages; board and computer games zones; merchandise zone; kid pool with Lego, etc.

Many visitors were wearing masks, wigs, and make-up. At every comic con, you always want to enjoy cosplayers — people who are ready to spend so much time and energy to craft a costume and attributes of their beloved series, anime, or game characters.

And every time, you can see new looks and classic ones — Star Wars fans, for example, have cosplayed Boba Fett, the best headhunter in the Galaxy, several times.

Always popular universes and heroes were also there — World of Warcraft, Marvel, DC, and different avatars of Joker. To be honest, we recognized not all of them.

The most beloved character of Comic Con Ukraine 2021 was Loki from the Marvel universe, thanks to the recently aired Disney series. There were Loki-president, Loki-god from Asgard, Loki-girl, and even Loki-crocodile.

Have you ever wondered who these characters are in real life?

We interviewed some cosplayers about their looks and preparations.

Cosplayer — @somnium_vita, look: Dark Sun Gwyndolin, an optional boss in Dark Souls game:

I love Dark Souls games so much, and I always wanted to play a boss from there. So, I chose a character hated by half of the fans, and the other half thinks he is too easy:)

His costume was a challenge to me; it is very complicated because it has so many small details and elements like beads wings, expensive materials, and different types of lace. I could not use a cheap fabric because anyone would see it for sure. Only fabrics cost me about 10 to 15K hryvnias. I have put the costume together for two years and spent about 300 work hours on it. And it is very complicated to wear it actually — I merely can’t see because of the mask 🙂

Cosplayer — @karindos345, look: Scrap Baby from Five Nights at Freddy’s 6:

I worked on the costume for six months. The hardest part was the head. Its framework is made from foam rubber covered with EVA foam [Editor’s note: ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, similar to rubber and often used for cosplay costumes], plus fabric and LEDs for eyes. When I watched a video on YouTube about a girl from Italy who has made a similar costume, I was so excited and decided to make one for myself. Why not?

Cosplayers — a couple of @Liorra and @Matagot, looks: Iris and Olgierd von Everec from the Hearts of Stone add-on to the Witcher 3 game:

We wanted to make these costumes in the past year, but it took us about nine months to manufacture all the details. The hardest part was the fabric. We needed to embroider the whole of it for our costumes. All the furniture was crafted only for these costumes. The coat [Editor’s note: for Olgierd’s look] is handmade; it took five months.

We also tried to be maximally similar to the characters because we like their love story so much.

Cosplayer — @rekfelus, look: Tirion Fordring, Paladin from World of Warcraft:

I have chosen this character because I look like him because of my body parameters, and I like him. He is the honor and justice itself, and a cool guy, by the way 🙂 The costume manufacturing took me about two years, including small pauses. The hardest part was pauldrons; it was a disaster. It was so difficult to replicate them.

Besides the Cosplay Show (the winners are listed in the official public), there was an unbelievable number of other activities at Comic Con Ukraine. There were interviews, autograph sessions, and photo sessions with stars: Richard K. Morgan, a British sci-fi writer, author of Altered Carbon novel, which was adapted into a Netflix series recently, and Natalia Tena, a Game of Thrones and Harry Potter star.

On the first festival day, the main stage was headlined by the Polish Percival Schuttenbach band — they wrote the soundtrack for The Witcher 3. The band was named after a character of one of Andrzej Sapkowski’s books about Geralt the Witcher.

At Comic Con Ukraine, you could take a picture with the large Tor’s hammer and Jabba Hutt, on the throne, under Dune sands, and even as a Funko toy in a box. You could play board games with your friends, shoot a bow, watch real knight fights, and also find a girlfriend.

We at AIN.UA hope that comic cons and other geek events in Ukraine will live long and prosper.

AIN.UA’s journalist visited WePlay Holding’s Kyiv office and did a photo report. The CEO Oleh Humeniuk showed and told her how it works and also shared some tips on how to become part of the media holding company team.

How the WePlay Holding office works

The office of WePlay Holding occupies seven floors in a building at 21 Dniprovska embankment. The total area of the space is 2,900 sq. m. The team moved here in 2018, only taking one floor, but soon, it started to expand. The previous office was also located on the capital’s Left Bank. This location was chosen based on the management’s and employees’ preferences. 

In 2021, the company has 348 employees. To give you some perspective, 32 people were working for WePlay Holding during the same period in 2018, 202 in 2019, and 308 in the middle of the pandemic in 2020. The team works in a sprawling open-plan office, with the option to pre-book a workstation online. The office is open 24/7, even though the standard work hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. WePlay Holding provides all the facilities for those who need to stay late, including a shower. 

All photos in this feature: Olha Zakrevska 

The WePlay Holding office was designed by Partner Design. The company also has its own design department, which oversees all the repairs. In 2021, the company is refurbishing the third floor. The total investment into outfitting the office is about $500,000. 

As of August 2021, WePlay Holding has 18 departments. They include Broadcast Solutions, Tournament Platform, R&D, Business Development, Communications, Content and SMM, Design, Finance, Marketing, the Studio team, and many others. 

Oleh Humeniuk explains that the company is experimenting with the number of departments and its internal structure. In addition to media products, the holding company is producing a large number of software solutions, which requires creating optimal and comfortable conditions for all employees. 

One of the main features of the WePlay Holding office is that it houses two studios for broadcasting the holding company’s esports tournaments in two languages — Russian and English. They are equipped with cutting-edge filming equipment, including that which makes it possible to integrate augmented reality elements into broadcasts right during live streaming. Studios are easily transformable and can be redecorated by designers for any league. 

In addition, on the sixth floor, there is a lounge area with beanbag chairs, board games, and a space that resembles a treehouse. Here, employees can spend their free time and relax. When tournaments are held, the floor becomes a dressing room for the talents. 

How work is organized

Before the pandemic, all company employees were conditionally divided into those who worked from the office and those who worked remotely — from other countries and cities. 

When the coronavirus pandemic began, the entire office was moved online to minimize contacts and reduce the risk of spreading the virus. If necessary, an employee could come to the office, but in that case, they had to get tested for COVID-19.

As soon as the situation started to get better, the work format changed to hybrid, which is still in place today: employees can choose at their discretion whether to come to the office or not. The only exception is when the physical presence of an employee is required at the office. For example, studio team employees cannot organize event broadcasts while at home. 

Employee benefits

All WePlay Holding employees are provided with medical insurance after passing the probation period, usually three months. Also, the company offers an opportunity to get the coronavirus vaccine. 

In addition, members of the WePlay Holding team get:

• childbirth, marriage, and bereavement benefits
• paid time off for donating blood
• a 50% compensation of the cost of training
• the opportunity to attend English courses with a native speaker in the office free of charge

The company provides everyone with either macOS- or Windows-based work equipment (at the employee’s discretion). Everyone can get additional work equipment upon request. When choosing furniture, WePlay Holding lets the team test it for several days first. To be selected, chairs and tables must be comfortable, durable, and high-quality.

Corporate culture

The components of WePlay Holding’s corporate culture are its vision, mission, and values, Oleh Humeniuk points out:

“Our vision is to make esports a mainstream culture that brings people from all over the world together.

Our mission is to be a world-leading esports media holding company through the development of a unique ecosystem. We create and distribute premium products and services that help everyone immerse themselves in esports, grow in it, and have memorable experiences.

WePlay Esports’s values are responsibility, esports evangelism, teamwork, initiative.” 

How to get a job at WePlay Holding

Every candidate has to do several rounds of interviews, including bar-raising. Bar-raising is one of the final stages when the candidate is interviewed by a person from the company who is not directly interested in filling this position. The company notes that this stage is needed to assess to what extent the candidate shares its culture and values and will successfully complement the team. It’s an honor to be a bar raiser.

If all the rounds of interviews are completed successfully, the candidate signs the job offer. Before their first working day, our new employee receives a New Hire Package, which describes in detail what their first day will be like. 

“Our ideal candidate is an engaged, proactive, and energetic professional who shares our interest in our company’s area of activity and values and is ready for new challenges and summits.”

As of August 2021, WePlay Holding has six job openings. The team is looking for a Corporate Communications Lead, Product Designer, DevOps Middle+/Senior, PR Writer, PPC Specialist, Business Analyst & Project Manager | Tournament Platform. 

Performance review 

The company conducts a performance review with each employee personally on a regular basis. These meetings are attended by the employee’s direct manager and the People Partner assigned to them. Meetings are usually held every four or six months, depending on the specifics of each department’s work. 

Before the review, a 360-degree feedback collection is done (the employee themselves, their manager, and colleagues all share their assessment). To do this, they use WePlay Holding’s internal tool — Lattice. During the performance review itself, both the employee and the manager share their feedback aloud, analyze colleagues’ anonymous responses, evaluate how well the goals set for the previous period were met, and identify the next steps.

As a result of the meeting, both sides understand what’s next and what the expectations are for the following period. The goals are fixed in Lattice so one can check their implementation status at any time. The company also has a culture of regular one-on-one meetings between an employee and their line manager.

This and all photos in the article by Oleksandr Kozachenko.

MacPaw’s office is located in the Toronto Business Center, Kyiv. The company moved here in July 2014 and occupied a tiny space on the fifth floor. With the team growing, the office space was enlarging too. In 2016, the company opened a new part of the office. In 2019, it added space on the second floor that used to belong to the Setapp team.

Now, the total space is already 11,000 sq ft. The Ukrainian Baraban Design Studio worked on the design of the MacPaw office. The old part has mostly complementary colors, while the part on the secind floor has a more minimalist design and is full of light tones. 

Working Space

“MacPaw’s team is generally working in the open space. There are separate offices only for legal and accounting people due to the specifics of their work,” says the company’s representative.

MacPaw’s employees are using Apple devices, and depending on their role, they get either MacBook or MacBook Pro. One can request additional screens, mice, keyboards, or drawers. Everybody has the same armchairs with a lifelong warranty. All desks have an adjustable height. As a rule, all furniture is produced in Italy.

There are plenty of meeting rooms that could be booked on Google Calendar by any worker: ten big ones and twelve small ones. Moreover, there are transformable meeting rooms that could be turned into the conference room.

Additionally, there are a few meeting rooms with futuristic glass that can interchange between transparency and an opaque state. In each meeting room, the employees can draw on the walls, use different charges, and utilize smart conferencing tools SOVA.

There is a nice spacious terrace overlooking the city on the 5th floor where employees can work or take their meals. There used to be summer parties and barbecues before the lockdown. And even though all events have a smaller scale now, there are still parties for rookies each quartal so that they can get to know the whole team.

There is an exhibition of vintage Mac computers in the older part of the office opened in 2017. AIN.UA was there and made a detailed photo essay. 

MacPaw has a spacious gym where professional coaches run classes. One of them is also a health and nutrition expert. There are groups for karate, stretching, and yoga. You can work out on your own at any time – the gym has enough exercise equipment for that, and there is a punching bag. There are men’s and women’s locker rooms and showers near the gym. During the quarantine period, the company organized online workouts. For those who want to work and work out simultaneously, MacPaw has a desk with a treadmill.

The office has a library with books available for ordering through the office manager. Also, there are meditation rooms (where employees can sleep), a massage chair, and a projector for presentations and movie nights. In the kitchen, the employees can have a coffee or tea, eat some granola or cereals. Seasonal fruit is provided for the entire team on Tuesdays. There is a wine cabinet.

Interestingly, MacPaw has its internal “currency” called Fixes. It was named after Fixel, one of two cats living in the office. The other cat is called Hoover. Cats are wandering around the office during the daytime, and the last leaving employee closes them in the special room.  

Five Fixes are equal to ten US Dollars. Each employee gets one Fix at the end of the week. Additionally, one can get more Fixes for helping co-workers. Fixes can be spent in special Fix-machines with snacks or could be changed for some Apple products or subscriptions in the AppStore. During the lockdown, the currency was circulating online.

How to get a job at MacPaw

According to the company’s policy, there are technical and value-based stages of applicants’ selection. It all starts with a screening call. Then applicants are invited to do the test task in the office. The successful ones are sent for the interview at the technical department. It is worth mentioning that the selection process can take up to two or, in some cases, up to six months. 

For the first three months, newcomers are supervised by buddies, other company employees who are responsible for their social integration. The probation period is three months. But there are some cases when it is extended. At the time of the publication of this photo essay, MacPaw was looking for both technical and non-technical specialists like QA, macOS/iOS, Front-End developers, product designers, recruiters, affiliate managers, and PR specialists.  

There are also internships available at MacPaw. The company has got 60 interns for the last five years. And 25 of them are now MacPaw’s team members. Meanwhile, 69 employees have worked as mentors for them, and nine of them are ex-interns. In summer 2021, the team is hosting 21 interns in 13 different roles. 

MacPaw’s core values are passion, people, honesty, quality, continuous improvement, design. According to the company’s representatives, they are now working on a new, more concise formulation of the values that would still contain the core of it.

Working Conditions

MacPaw employees are provided with additional benefits including:

• a full medical insurance package
• English classes
• a separate budget for self-improvement
• a recovery paid leave in case of the employee’s burn-out
• a sabbatical, one and half months paid leave for the employees who have worked for more than five years in the company
• a year and a half maternity leave for women and two weeks leave for men who become fathers
• two-day hackathons are happening every six months where people can work on their own projects and solutions
• a pets-friendly office

What lockdown has changed

In March 2020, MacPaw moved all employees to a remote working model. To work more comfortably, people could take all the equipment they needed including computers and armchairs.  

After a year since the pandemic started, the company is operating in a mixed-mode. People can come to the office upon the need or their will. The communication is done through Gmail and Slack. Once a month, MacPaw organizes meetings with C-levels.

According to the company’s statement, they are still growing and due to the possible lack of working spaces decided to cancel the system of fixed working desks.

Ever since the Covid-19, there have been hand sanitizers, thermometers for self-checking, gloves, and masks. Additionally, MacPaw has defibrillators. There are special pieces of training done for the employees to learn how to use them in case of emergency.

As a response to the pandemic, there is a special supporting podcast “Mental Health Теревені” (Mental Health Talks) dedicated to the trendy topics of burnout, distance work, socialization, etc.

MacPaw Space

In 2021, MacPaw announced the opening of the MacPaw Space, a creative space with an Apple devices museum. The total space would be 3540 sq ft. AIN.UA has a  detailed story on it. During a guided tour around the office, we could see the whole of the future Space. 

In 2011, 95% of the market was accounted for by wired systems, whereas in 2021, wireless solutions cover about 70%–80%, and Ajax itself holds a leading position in the segment. Today, the company’s devices protect over 850,000 users in 120+ countries worldwide. Remarkably, all the company’s products are developed and manufactured in Ukraine. Its facilities include R&D offices in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia, as well as two factories in Kyiv.

The AIN.UA editorial team has visited the main production site of Ajax Systems, situated in the capital. The company’s representatives have shared the principal processes of gadget development and demonstrated all the assembly stages.

Ajax Systems’ facilities

The main factory manufactures all 33 devices in the Ajax product range. Considering that the production facility is closely linked to the R&D department, and they both occupy the same premises, it is the place where the manufacturing of all new devices starts.

The new factory on the Left Bank, which Ajax opened in November 2020, specializes in the production of DoorProtect and DoorProtect Plus window/door opening detectors, SpaceControl key fobs, FireProtect, and FireProtect Plus fire detectors, and ReX signal range extenders. It is planned that in the future, both factories will duplicate each other’s project work and manufacture the entire project range.

Interestingly, in 2016, the factory on Skliarenko Street occupied only one of six floors. In 2021, the facility occupies five floors, which is 4,920 m². At the same time, the production site on the Left Bank has an area of 1,840 m², and Ajax Systems’ warehouse premises occupy 4,300 m² in total.

As of 2021, Ajax Systems employs over 1,800 staff, of whom 1,010 are involved in the production, including 687 employees at the main site and 323 more on the Left Bank. The R&D department is a separate entity; in 2021, the company employs about 350 engineers.

Where it all begins

The Ajax R&D center, specifically the Device Department, is responsible for the development of all devices and detectors. The development process for all devices is usually structured as follows. The business team generates an idea: what kind of device should be developed. Then, technical and product requirements to that idea are drawn up. They are passed on to the developers, who decide how and on which basis the device will work, considering the requirements. Following that, the research stage begins, during which similar/competing solutions are tested, and the main components are selected: sensors, processors, camera modules, etc.

After the research stage, the device team and lead present their concept to a wide audience of R&D professionals – it is like “defending a project.” Thus, ideas pass an additional filter and are further refined. And then, the industrial design stage begins. The industrial designer receives the input constraints: for example, the front should have a Fresnel lens on it, the camera in the detector should be oriented at such and such an angle, etc. Based on those requirements, the design of the device is created. But sometimes Ajax works backward: when there are no particular external constraints, the design is created first, and then the complete set is “embedded” into it.

In parallel, the scheme is worked out, and the software is programmed. After that, a printed circuit board (PCB) is developed. Then, depending on the needs, the device casing is printed on a 3D printer or manufactured by hard tooling: the company orders molds not for mass production but simpler and cheaper ones and casts prototypes from plastic. As a result, it gets prototypes in the final design.

Following that, the prototypes undergo extensive testing performed by developers and QA. If something doesn’t take off, it is readjusted, and new prototypes are assembled. And if everything works as expected, a big milestone follows, which takes a lot of money: molds are ordered for the final plastic. The pilot batch is assembled with the final casing and final boards, and this “gear” is used to test the release candidate of the firmware.

Everything ends with beta testing. First, there is a closed beta: devices are distributed among the employees. Then an open beta follows; for that, there is a selection of active users (both in Ukraine and abroad). After that, the device goes into mass production.

The development cycle draws heavily on the device. Ajax can make something simple or based on established technologies in six months. The most complex devices took eighteen months to develop, according to the company’s comments.

How the production is organized

It takes nine hours to make one device. But, since the factory handles devices in batches, the manufacture of one batch of final product units requires 3 to 4 days. First of all, components arrive; they are received at a remote storage depot, laid out, after which they undergo incoming inspection. Two truckloads can be inspected in a day. Ajax Systems works with Swiss, American, Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch brands, having established direct contacts with them. All new Chinese suppliers are subject to approval by the CEO, the company comments. After the incoming inspection, the materials become available for processing.

All Ajax Systems devices go through 4 main production departments: the surface mounting department, assembly department, semi-finished product department, and finished product department.

Surface Mounting (SMT)

This department is responsible for surface mounting components onto PCBs. This kind of mounting is carried out on SMT lines: the printer applies soldering paste to the PCB, the mounter places the components on the board, and then the board is soldered in the soldering furnace. SMT lines produce more PCBs than there are devices in the Ajax product range: this is necessary because some products of the company contain multiple boards each. Usually, a project is launched for 10,000 or 15,000 PCB units, and a working shift at the production area is at least 6 hours long.

Then, there is the AOI, which controls the quality of the soldering. The area has control islands, where one in ten PCBs is checked. As explained by the company, this helps selectively monitor whether the components are placed following the necessary points on the board.

There is a visual/optical inspection at the end of one of the SMT lines. The scanner checks a produced circuit board against the reference photo. If everything is fine, it proceeds to the next stage; if something goes wrong, the QA team re-examines the board to find out the cause and sends it back for re-soldering if necessary. After that, the board goes through another kind of inspection and returns to the route.

The department keeps records. The results are summed up daily – how many PCBs have been made. Performance is measured at each stage and displayed on monitors. This is to understand what buffers exist between the areas to ensure a smooth workflow, the Ajax representatives explain.

Assembly Department

Finished boards are sent to the assembly department, where DIP components are manually soldered onto them. On average, one person can solder around 500 devices per shift. The through-hole mounting is handled by several teams, and each is responsible for a separate device. Ajax notes that the production meets the EU quality standards and uses only lead-free solder alloy.

For components that are difficult to solder, production tools produced at the factory are used. They help lay out the boards and components at the right height and angle. It is noteworthy that all the factory employees wear green antistatic bracelets since the board is destroyed when static occurs.

The production follows the 5S workspace organization system. Each workplace is zoned, so there is space for a soldering station, components, etc. When the shift is over, employees clean their workplace. Ajax notes that by adhering to this method, work has become faster and more efficient.

After the board is soldered, it goes to the varnish area. This is necessary to protect the components from possible condensation that may occur when consumers use them. At the factory, there are manual (when the stenciled varnish is applied) and machine varnish coatings, which speeds up the process significantly.

After the boards are varnished, they are placed in dryers. Drying takes about 4-6 hours. Accordingly, when the varnish dries out, the board is ready for the next stage.

Semi-finished Product Department

Varnished boards are sent to the semi-finished product department. It consists of a test section, where the PCBs get a unique QR code and are flashed, and an assembly section.

In the test site, the board goes through certain control stages. On average, this test takes about 16-20 seconds per unit. If the program sees an error, the PCB is not flashed and takes the test several more times as described in the manual. If it fails, it is sent to the production repair area, where all problems are found and fixed, and then the board is returned to the production flow. It passes the test and only then is transferred to the packing and assembly lines. There are four of them in the main Ajax factory.

At the assembly area, specialists initially do many small operations. For example, they insert buttons or gaskets into the plastic between the case. Each assembler is responsible for a specific set of actions to deliver a finished device at the end of the line. It takes a minute to assemble one product; however, the conveyor line can produce 600 devices of one type or, for instance, 900 devices of another type per day.

There is quality control at all stages of assembly: every employee must check the item for quality before performing their task. The finished product is forwarded to the department of finished products.

Finished Product Department

The first section is a long-test area, through which 100% of Ajax devices go. Here sensors are assigned to the hub, and the employees perform manipulations with the products to check them programmatically.

There is also a production room where the intelligent control panel of the hubs is tested. They are connected to all communication channels, and the battery is tested as well. Moreover, the devices are tested physically in special test rooms. For example, to test the device operation in the dark, the factory has a “black room,” a space with black walls where no light can enter. Thus, the devices are calibrated to proceed further to the quality control section.

At the quality control area, the finished device is once again tested programmatically. Here the workers also check whether the device has passed all the previous stages. While the test is in progress, a visual check is carried out – the product is checked for scratches, gaps under the case, inclusions in plastic, its graininess, and other parameters. Each controller performs certain steps. For example, if it is a MotionCam, they need to swipe a hand in front of the device three times, and so on. When the program sees that the manipulation has been done, they proceed with the check. When the program does not let through the device, it is returned to the skipped stage. If everything is fine, the device is sent to the packaging area.

Overall, the company’s devices go through 11 stages of control. The defect rate is only 0.1 – 0.3%. Production is organized in such a way as to minimize the likelihood of defects and block their transfer from one stage to the other, as Ajax adds. The in-circuit test is used where visual inspection is not possible, such as after soldering and programming. The quality system works from incoming inspection of all the incoming components and semi-finished products to acceptance tests before packaging the finished products.

At the packaging area, the workers fold boxes, pack assembly kits, and add instructions. It is noteworthy that during packing, each assembly kit has to be weighed. A fully assembled product is weighed separately. At this stage, all the necessary stickers and QR codes are attached.

At the end of the process, we get a complete Ajax product. At the end of the line, all devices are scanned and sent to the database, from which you can see how many packed devices are ready for shipment. The production capacity of Ajax Systems is 25,000 items per shift. This means that each of the areas serves 25,000 units during one shift.

Hiring and Working Conditions

Ajax states that it is important to hire employees quickly and efficiently at the same time. They need to be adapted and trained. At the very beginning, candidates will have a short interview with a recruitment consultant, get a small test task, and have an interview with a foreman in the production facility (the department where the candidate will work in). If a person passes an interview, they can go through staff onboarding the next day.

The onboarding day starts with an Intro (a training on product, company, quality, health, and safety), followed by signing the documents and a tour around the production facility. The next day, the candidate becomes an employee, and their senior colleagues (foremen) help them adapt to the workplace.

Further, the newcomer will have a one-month probation period. The person is given a checklist, which has to be filled out during this period. It helps the newcomer to get acquainted with the different stages of production and learn certain skills. After the probation period and successful certification, the person is introduced to their position. There is a referral program – an employee can invite a friend and, after their friend goes through the probation period, they will receive a monetary reward.

The production facility has a grading system. After the certification, everyone confirms their qualifications or improves them. The first certification is carried out three months after the start of work, other ones – every six months. Based on the results of the assessment, the employee is assigned a grade. And this is the way they can influence their level of income. At all the production stages, senior employees can switch people between operations. Thus, everyone can try themselves at different stages.

Most of the employees work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; however, some areas work 24/7. For example, SMT installation specialists work in shifts: the machines stop only for readjustments and maintenance. The same schedule works for the test and long-test departments.

Work during the quarantine

With the imposition of the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ajax Systems continued its work. The company launched transportation to subway stations, disinfected workplaces, and informed employees about the necessary protective measures. As noted by the management of Ajax, at this time, they worked according to the strategy of “no layoffs” – the staff was not laid off, but new team members were not recruited as well. At the same time, the salaries of the employees remained the same. Those who self-isolated kept their jobs.

Despite some difficulties with parts and components delivery to factories, the Ajax factory actively produced devices. Ajax started recruiting new employees after the easing of quarantine restrictions. The production has doubled: if in January 2020, there were 456 employees, in December, its number grew to 1,000. The company’s goal for 2021 is to recruit 1,000 more employees to work at the new factory on Boryspilska.

Ajax noted that it planned to hold the second Ajax Special Event, a large online presentation of the company’s new products in 2021. It is going to present several new products; however, the company does not disclose detailed information.

According to him, this approach is the future of entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur came up with the name and the idea back in 2014, however, he was not able to put it to life immediately.

It is my dream — I had thought about this format before I even began my previous project. Initially, I wanted to create not only a business space for residents, but a bright and large hub. It had to have all the necessary facilities for people to have fun and flourish. In other words, I wanted everyone to live their lives and feel themselves needed. We did not make it happen initially, but if we persevere, I am confident we will make it happen eventually.

Ilia Kenigstein. Hereinafter – photos by Olha Zakrevska / AIN.UA

People are informally calling the project ‘Creative States of Ukraine.’ The area of the first location, on the 14^th floor of ‘Senator’ business center, is about 2,100 sq.m. Capacity is up to 400 residents. Interior is done in Art Deco and recreates scenes from the 40s and 50s New York.

The main wall of the lounge area is adorned with a mural, the hall is furnished with leather and fabric upholstered sofas, coffee tables, and oversized armchairs. The distinctive feature of the space is the bar counter. Another eye-catcher is a retro Jukebox. Windows are overlooking Pechersk and other local areas.

All that has been developed by an in-house team of designers. It was decided not to engage third-party studios. Firstly, says Kengistein, it allowed to save funds, secondly, not all contractors have sufficient expertise.

Creative States, Lounge Area

Details matter in this co-working. For instance, one of the conference rooms has a modular table — it allows converting the room into a small lecture hall and eliminates the need for a movable wall. It helps to save costs and optimize space.

The same approach applies to the fittings: conference rooms are equipped with Logitech conference cams. They capture all participants and automatically zoom in speakers as well as provide sound and allow to share the screen on a TV. In the future, it is planned to equip the rooms with Google Home smart speakers and set up custom integrations. For instance, residents would be able to schedule meetings or call an office manager through voice commands.

How It Works

Majority of residents will be accommodated in mini offices. There are 55 mini offices in coworking and they occupy most of the space. Offices are kind of makeshift: there are quite large spaces that can be remodeled, there are rooms for small teams (1-10 persons) and even one-man office. In addition, there are 6 conference rooms: three big halls and three smaller rooms.

Conference room, Creative States

It is expected that 50-60 persons will visit the project individually, without corporate agreement. However, the space will be closed for random passers-by — you can get access only on a monthly basis, there will be no daily or weekly access. Creative States is pursuing the idea of a community that is closed from the outside but open from the inside.

Individual workspace

The workspace is already 70% sold, and there are no plans to make it 100%. According to Kenigstein, they strive to give companies space for development — if needed, companies can occupy new spaces or move to bigger offices. The most flexible format is provided by the so-called suite offices with spaces that can be restructured and with walls that can be branded.

One of the Suite offices

A special area is a co-selling or shared space for sales managers. It can accommodate up to 25 specialists and is separated from the lounge with a movable wall. This workspace features active noise canceling. It works just like noise-canceling headphones, but for an entire room: speakers produce a specific white noise. Human ear gets used to it within 15 seconds, and it allows to reduce the noise coming into\from the room by 50%. The cost of this solution is unknown, but we are talking about ‘reasonable cost’, says Kenigstein.

Co-selling space

He emphasizes that sound insulation is actually a weak spot of modern Ukrainian coworking workspaces — that is why they made extra efforts in order to soundproof conference rooms, offices and a co-selling area at Creative States.

They’ve also invested in network infrastructure: workspaces come with Cisco solutions worth tens of thousands of dollars. There are as many as twenty stations available. Each station can accommodate 400 to 600 users with several devices each. In addition, Wi-Fi routers will perform two functions: they will also indicate an approximate location of residents in the coworking.

Resident companies have not yet been announced publicly — all we know is that they include both tech startups and companies, as well as traditional businesses.

They, in turn, undertake to comply with the internal code of conduct. The purpose of the document is to rid the space of toxic and problematic participants. For instance, internal headhunting is strictly prohibited.

We are a great choice for companies with up to 100 employees. Larger teams shape their own culture and require their own space, while coworking is a great option for growing businesses.

Another principle of the project is the absence of hard selling. Residents are not required to sign long-term agreements. According to Kenigstein, companies should have an option to move in, expand or leave promptly. In turn, Creative States view themselves as a services provider and do not intend to cross that line — there won’t be any acceleration programs or similar commotion in the coworking.

However, residents will not be left solely to themselves. On Fridays, the coworking will have ‘Happy hours’ after 6 p.m. during which residents will be able to enjoy a drink and relax to ambient music. On Wednesdays, they are planning to invite famous speakers to speak on subjects, as Kenigstein puts it ‘ranging from Scrum implementation case studies to backyard barbecues.’

Events will be held in the morning before the workday begins, and residents will be able to have breakfast while listening to a lecture. The key is no pomposity or stateliness, says the head of the project. Even to celebrate their opening they are going to replace ‘ribbon cutting’ with a party.

What’s Next

Creative States are not planning to limit themselves with a single ‘state’. Creators of the project are planning to open two more spaces by the end of 2019. Due to competition, not much information has been disclosed so far. The second coworking is going to copycat the concept of the first one — about 2,000 sq.m., business center, downtown Kyiv.

The third location is going to be a far cry. As Ilia Kenigstein explained it, the area is going to reach up to 6,000 sq.m. with the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 people. This is going to be a separately standing building with its own adjacent territory. Furthermore, the team is planning to expand the project activities beyond the coworking business based on the third coworking. It is not clear what the team is going to do, but it is going to be related to learning or education space for kids. According to Kenigstein, the demand for this service is easy to forecast — children of most residents are 2 to 6 years old.

The maiden workspace of Creative States has already made a step towards reaching out to children. There’s a separate conference room for kids in coworking with a lower table and armchairs. One wall of the room is adorned with paintings while the other is writable. There’s even a separate toilet for kids, and ladies’ room is equipped with a changing table. As Ilia Kenigstein puts it “It is unfortunate that the table is installed only there. Changing tables should be in men’s toilet as well, but the society is yet to understand this.”

Children’s Conference Room

Another initiative is still in the making — they want to launch a hire a nanny service in Creative States. A dedicated person would spend a day with a child while parents would be able to work.

Price Policy

Creative States position themselves as a coworking of upper tier, but not a premium segment. Price per workstation — starting $300 (hot desks) and starting $390 (offices). There are more expensive offers on the market, but the States are confident that such positioning is adequate for the project.

In addition, the firs residents got some extra perks: some got a great deal for singing long-term agreement (for half a year), some were allowed to move into an office for 10 persons with only 8 employees — this way the companies literally got room for growth. Moreover, Creative States do not share the idea of ‘extra charges’, when on top of a fixed rent residents pay for additional services, like access to a printer or scanner.

Kitchen in mid-20th Century Retro American Diner Style

As far as investments are concerned, creating space from scratch is a matter of approximately $500-600 per square meter. According to Kenigstein, this indicator is below market average due to previous experience of the team, relatively low organizational expenses and in-house design development. He did not respond to the question about the amount invested directly, but explained the following:

In order to launch a similar coworking space one will need to have at least $1 million. The amount includes not only the necessary repairs, but also installation of equipment, salaries, marketing costs, etc.

According to preliminary calculations, it will take 4 years to recoup the investments made in the project. In his conversation with AIN.UA reporter Ilia Kenigstein preferred not to disclose the identity of the project’s investor. According to him, they have developed strong partnership relations. Day-to-day business is primarily run by Kenigstein.

The entrepreneur emphasizes that this time he has an ironclad protection against the risk of losing his influence and share in the project: all agreements and terms have been scrutinized and underwent multiple legal and personal review. He says:

You should never neglect agreements. If you cannot reach a general consensus — don’t rush it, put it on hold and resume work when all issues are taken care of.

According to OpenDataBot, legal name of the project is Kreatyvnyi Shtat Senator (Creative State Senator) LLC with shares in the hands of two holders. 60% belong to К.А.N LLC with ultimate beneficiary via Austrian firm Deverte Holding GmbH is Aleksandr Spektor, the owner of Senator business center.

Another 40% belongs to Kreatyvna Krayina (Creative Country) LLC, which is solely owned by Ilia Kenigstein.

The Future of Coworking Spaces

Ilia Kenigstein is not worried about business prospects. In his forecasts he relies on statistics. According to the most modest calculations, Ukraine has around 150k IT specialists with roughly half of that number living in Kyiv and vicinity. This is a market with 70-80k potential clients — it has room for a few dozen new large locations.

It is possible to ‘nip off’ 10k people from the market already at this stage. 20k is more difficult, but still possible. We are not talking here about behemoth companies, like the largest outsourcers.

He is also confident that 8-10 years from now virtually all businesses would transition to coworkings. Offices would only be viable for behemoths that are capable of building own campuses and facilities.

Needs of others would be met by the new format. In addition to being simple, it would make things easier for businesses: a bank or an IT company would not have to have an expertise in designing spaces, arranging for office equipment and catering. And whereas now a coworking at best occupies a single floor of a business center, in the nearest future it would be able to devour an entire building.