We recognize the need for representation for women in this industry. Many women possess knowledge and skills in investing, but they may not have had all the opportunities to fully explore this field. Others have the very relevant technology and scientifical background but were never introduced to the investment arena as a professional opportunity.

That’s why SUPERNOVAS was established — to prioritize the interests of women and provide them with a platform to thrive. The modern investment industry requires the inclusion of women, and we have tailored our program to be inviting and inclusive.

Gender disparities persist in the investment sector, and women deserve to have their voices heard and their potential shown. This industry is constantly evolving and full of innovation, and women from technology have a vital role to play in shaping the future of investment. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the gender gap in entrepreneurship and the investment ecosystem.

The Essence of SUPERNOVAS and the Activities Within It

Now, what is the essence of SUPERNOVAS? It is a large-scale, innovative programme for women that supports their growth in the field of investments in startups. It has several initiatives included. From networking opportunities to professional growth, these activities will represent your potential and will allow you to make a giant step forward.

Some key activities:

• Women Investment Network

Networking allows women in the finance field to feel more comfortable, connected, and empowered. And networking is especially important for women in need of an open and empathetic professional environment. Participation in the Women Investment Network will help women around the globe get the most out of this amazing professional opportunity.

• Rocket Up

This programme provides expert support to women-led startups to achieve successful international expansion in Europe. With Rocket Up, you will be able to develop your expansion strategy and enter the European market.

• Women2Invest

This programme facilitates women with a background in STEM to break into the investment ecosystem. Women2Invest is a training program on investment and offers networking opportunities, as well as the chance to get an internship or full-time job in top European investment funds. 

• Data Room

Data Room is a tool that gathers updated data on female-led startups supported by EIT with the goal of increasing the availability of pipelines for investors conscious of gender aspects.

• Women Leadership Programme

The Women Leadership programme is created to inspire and enhance the leadership skills of female entrepreneurs. The world needs more female stars in the entrepreneurial field, and with training and networking events available within this programme, you will feel empowered and ready to reach new horizons. In addition, the business coaching and mentoring opportunities for career development will provide you with more advanced knowledge in the field.

The entrepreneurship and investment ecosystem of tomorrow will be driven by women. With more talented, experienced, and educated female professionals, there will be more opportunities for innovation and growth. SUPERNOVAS is the launching pad to impulse these women to shine.

There is a gender diversity gap in the investment industry and tech startup arena. Only 15% of tech startups are founded or co-founded by women. Women-led startups raise less funding than their male counterparts, with only 2% of venture capital going to all-female teams in Europe and around 5% to mixed teams. 

SUPERNOVAS goes beyond simply including women in the ecosystem. It is a platform that offers empowerment, freedom, and inspiration to women. That is why it is crucial to take advantage of opportunities like SUPERNOVAS.

For more information and to get involved, we invite you to visit the SUPERNOVAS website and register today. The modern investment industry requires the inclusion of women, and we have tailored our program so that it would be inviting and inclusive.

This course targets IT students with a foundation in programming basics, algorithmization, and OOP comprehension, yet it’s open to motivated and talented  learners regardless of their background. The selected students started their studies on 22 February. This marks the third launch of the program. In the previous year, Empat saw the graduation of 20 students from the Flutter Fundamentals program, focusing primarily on Flutter technology. Collaboration opportunities were extended to seven of them by the company.

“We have a strong technical team and more than ten years of experience working with startups – I think we should share this. In addition, we’ve had some great and talented engineers join us from previous recruitments,” says Nazar Gulyk, founder of Empat.

Empat boasts a diverse technical team with over a decade of experience in startup environments. The team is strongly committed to sharing their expertise with eager students. 

The comprehensive three-month program includes online lectures, weekly mentorship sessions across various disciplines, and independent assignments. Mentors provide crucial support, offering feedback and guidance to students on a weekly basis. Upon completion, participants will showcase their skills through the execution of an individual project.

This year, Empat School introduces two new programs: Web Development and Mobile Application Development. These tracks offer hands-on experience in creating websites and mobile apps, emphasizing practical skills and real-world projects to prepare graduates for successful careers in tech. Additionally, students will have the chance to join Empat as trainees, further enhancing their professional journey.

Empat is a Ukrainian startup studio with more than 10 years of experience in the Ukrainian and global markets. Over 300 successfully implemented commercial projects. Participation in more than 10 non-commercial Ukrainian projects.

Empat School is a school founded by the Ukrainian startup studio Empat. It offers free education for students in technical fields from the 2nd year onwards. The program is founded on lectures delivered by Serhii Tytenko, CTO at Empat, who conducts these lectures at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and is integrated into the real cases of a modern IT company. After completing the course, students receive a certificate from Empat, and selected individuals have the opportunity for employment in the company.

The success of businesses and influencers largely depends on their online presence, which, in turn, requires a shift in strategies, the exploration of tools, and a fresh approach to its construction. In this context, HeyLink.me is changing the digital rules of the game and serves as a powerful tool for business growth, expansion, and monetization. It creates new opportunities for influencers seeking an effective way to share their content, enhance their authority, and attract a more engaged audience. Convenient social media management, centralized link control, in-depth analytics, global impact, and monetization are just some of the advantages offered by HeyLink.me.

“HeyLink.me, with 4 million users, has long been revolutionizing the approach to creating and managing links for social media worldwide, offering unique features such as advertising and e-commerce tools. We are happy to become even a more active player in the Ukrainian market. It’s great to see the percentage of Ukrainian users continually growing. Some notable HeyLink.me users in Ukraine include the non-profit organization Razom for Ukraine, the charity fund Tabletochki, the educational platform Prometheus, the waste sorting station No waste Ukraine, the platform Concert.ua, online media Svidomi, music media Slukhach, the band Druha Rika, and others”. – says Anastasia Yevsiukova, Head of Business Development at HeyLink.me.

What Are the Advantages of HeyLink.me?

HeyLink.me is a new generation link-management platform offering social monetisation tools: Instant Checkout, AI-powered Analytics, Advertising Feature, NFTs, and Cryptolinks. The platform allows users to create, customize, analyze, integrate, sell, and earn money through just one link.

HeyLink.me is a globally accessible platform that boasts an active customer base of over 4 million customers spanning across 95 countries worldwide (as of the publication date). HeyLink.me stands as one of the most highly frequented websites on the web, attracting an astounding number of over 250 million visits each month. 

It’s worth noting that the platform was created in 2021 in Sydney, Australia, by entrepreneurs with Ukrainian roots, Olga Oleinikova and Kyrylo Medvediev. However, with 77% of the team members hailing from Ukraine, it can rightfully be called a Ukrainian innovative product.

The Uniqueness and Main Mission of HeyLink.me

HeyLink.me aims to help everyone earn money on social media effortlessly, effectively, and consistently. That’s why the HeyLink.me team, in official partnership with Google, developed and introduced a unique earnings feature called HeyLink.me AdSense. All users can enable this feature on HeyLink.me, and every time someone clicks on their relevant advertising banner, which appears right after their account passes verification, they will earn money. To get HeyLink.me profile approved, users must meet certain requirements set by HeyLink.me. These requirements ensure that the platform maintains a high standard of quality and helps users monetize their online presence effectively.

“At HeyLink.me, we understand how important it is to assist our users in engaging with their audience, promoting content, and maximizing their income potential. In this context, HeyLink.me is a game-changer. The platform levels the earning playing field for everyone and allows them to monetize content, regardless of having a large number of followers or brand connections. Moreover, it is our main competitive advantage over other services”. – adds Anastasia Yevsiukova, Head of Business Development at HeyLink.me.

Everyone can estimate their approximate earnings using a special calculator. To do this, users have to select the relevant category of their social profile/business and the region where their audience is active.

“HeyLink.me completely changes the approach to online presence today, giving everyone the opportunity to create a unique and profitable web profile. With its help, you can build your own personal brand page and earn money. Thanks to our innovative approach to creating a relevant service, we have the ability to change the digital rules of the game and influence the future of online presence on a global scale and in Ukraine especially”. – comments Anastasia Yevsiukova, Head of Business Development at HeyLink.me.

We discussed how they set up their business when they were only in their twenties, the challenges they have faced over two decades in the business, the way the company has changed from a successful McDonald’s-like assembly line into a flat organization, and their life during wartime. 

Another quick note about this pair is that their colleagues often refer to them as DB and DK so we decided to do the same. 

What brought you into the IT profession? How did the company start? 

DK: Physics, Math, and Programming – those were the subjects I was interested in even when I was still in school. The first computer programs that I wrote analyzed experimental data collected by one of my relatives who worked at the B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering in Kharkiv.

I had almost made up my mind to pursue an academic career but was lucky enough to realize just in time that IT attracted me way more. Besides, in the early 2000’s it was something entirely new – a window into a world of opportunity. 

DB: I first familiarized myself with programming at school in Kharkiv. I was part of a group at the Kharkiv Young Pioneer Palace that wrote programs in BASIC for the BK 0010 computer and stored them on cassettes. 

After that, I started attending the lyceum “Professional”,  which I still remember very fondly and look upon as a defining period in my life. Then, I became a student at the Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics. The 90s were a tough but very exciting time for me.

When I first met DK, I was working part-time as a private tutor and also developing and trying to adapt for the school system my electronic assignment book project. We shared the same strong dislike for “sovok” (inefficient, Soviet-style approach to doing things), bugs, and hard-coding, so decided to create something where all those bad things would never have a place. 

DK: Our company’s first office was an Internet cafe in a basement in Saltivka (a district of Kharkiv). We not only rented the premises but also the computers. Later, when we managed to save enough money to buy our own computers, we moved over from the basement to my grandmother’s apartment in order to save on the rent. We basically lived from client to client, hardly able to make ends meet. 

What do you consider to be the company’s first success? 

DK: The launch of PSD2HTML.com, which is how our company got its name, was a game changer. We had been searching for an original idea and discovered a niche that, on the one hand, promised a lot of demand and on the other hand, allowed us to set up a bug-free development process.

In addition, it was the first “out-of-the-box” solution for an IT service that we know of that provided a flat rate and a fixed timeline. All that our clients had to do was place an order in the evening (EST), submit their PSD designs, and get back pixel-perfect HTML code the following morning. That is when the first clients started reaching out to us. That gave us a lot of motivation. 

DB: Very soon, we faced a problem: there were more orders than we were able to handle. We hired every available professional, so that a few months later there was no free markup developer left in Kharkiv.

In January 2007, we launched our training program. That was long before the get-into-IT rush. Over time, we managed to improve the program considerably. At first, it took us 6 months to train a junior developer, two years later we were able to cut the noob-to-junior developer training time down to just 1.5 months.

That allowed the company to ensure predictable growth. As a result, we had more than 100,000 clients in 17 years. By the way, our first client is still with us. 

How has the company changed since that time? 

DK: To be able to serve the enormous number of clients that reached out to us with straightforward projects, we built an “assembly line.” The company had a rigid hierarchical structure. There were no teams but “layers” of professionals. Every order went through those layers end-to-end: the managers accepted the orders, the markup developers converted designs into code, while testers checked the quality and delivered the projects to clients. For a few years, it worked fine and we were able to reach all the goals we set for ourselves. 

DB: However, the projects grew in complexity and the requests became more complicated. The hierarchical “assembly line” was no longer functioning as smoothly as before, and we decided to move in a completely different direction – to switch over to a holacracy.

We were confident that the decision-making freedom would motivate a team to improve the product. It did work, but only for some teams. As time went on, we finally chose a flat organizational structure, cutting down the number of managerial levels and reducing the red tape.

This gives all the required freedom to those who need it while providing transparent and clearly defined processes for the rest. Judging by the feedback from our colleagues, they feel very comfortable working in this format since it enables them to realize their professional potential. 

DK: Let me add that we have evolved along with the company. The move from a rigid hierarchy to a flat organizational structure and transparency is impossible to make without personal evolution. I learned to value the people I work with. Just 6-7 years ago, that was a big problem for me. 

What is the company like now? 

DK: Thanks to our good reputation, many clients come to us on recommendation. We serve a wide range of clients – from small digital agencies that order “out-of-the-box” solutions to large enterprises and state companies. For example, we have a client for whom we develop e-government projects for Saudi Arabia. 

DB: When that client first reached out to us, one of his projects was already in the active development phase. The client was planning to use Java, but there was a task that none of his contractors was able to handle. That caused a standstill in the development process. 

The most interesting thing happened next. Our professional took up the task and delivered a solution in just one weekend, but in Ruby instead of in Java. As a result, the client decided to hand the entire project over to us. 

That gave birth to our team which specializes in digitizing public services in Saudi Arabia. Over 5 years of collaboration, we have understood that working with a client from a Middle East country is something entirely different due to a specific culture, traditions, and ways. This is certainly an interesting and invaluable experience that will allow us to expand our activities to the markets of other Middle East countries in the future. 

How is the company coping with the war? 

DB: When the war broke out, both of us had already been living abroad for four years. First, it was the USA and then Portugal. We were here, in Lisbon, on the 24th of February too. I woke up in the morning and saw a bunch of messages on my phone. I read them and woke up my wife Ira, saying, “Wake up. It’s war.” 

DK: The 24th of February was kind of a blur for me. I remember how I remotely guided the first evacuation convoy with some members of my family out of Kyiv; how I planned the route so that it was a long way from potentially dangerous places; how I followed the news, etc. At that moment, our colleagues – those who were in relatively safe places – were already helping those who were in war-stricken areas in every way they could. 

DB: The following two weeks rushed by like one day. Every day, we took care of the most essential things, from finding and renting evacuation buses to guiding cars with our colleagues and their relatives along the safest routes toward Western Ukraine.

More and more of our colleagues got involved in the evacuation efforts. Those who could work picked up the work tasks that their colleagues couldn’t handle. Looking back, I can say that I am proud of the way the whole company acted during that trying period. 

DK: Certainly. I saw the crisis bring out the best in all of us. For example, some people picked up their colleagues from the suburbs in their own cars and brought them to the evacuation buses despite the shelling and gunfire all around. All that made a strong impression on me. 

By the first week of March, a great number of our colleagues and their families had to leave Kharkiv where the largest office for P2H used to be located as well as other towns and cities that were being shelled by the aggressor. 

Most of the people settled down in a hotel in Lviv rented by the company, which is still a temporary home for many of our colleagues. With time, some people moved to the EU countries while a small group returned to their homes. 

At the moment, around five of our colleagues are still staying in really dangerous areas not counting those who are fighting for Ukraine in the Armed Forces and Territory Defense Units. 

DB: As for our clients, they started to write to us from the very first days of the war offering their help from providing financial aid to accommodating our colleagues in their homes. We received and are still receiving words of support and solidarity from them. 

What are your guiding principles for building teams? 

DK: A company is above all the people who make it up. We have a set of values that define how we form teams. Among these values is the willingness to take initiative, be open, think critically, and so on. 

However, there is one, in addition, that I put above the rest: your work must bring you satisfaction since you spend a sizable part of your life doing it. No perks can make up for wasting your time on work that you dislike. 

DB: I can’t agree more. Striking the right work-life balance is very important. In fact, we are for a balanced approach to everything: a healthy hobby, healthy perfectionism, constructive criticism, etc. If someone shares this view, we will work well together. 

At present, P2H continues walking down its development path with confidence. We are planning to expand both of our divisions. In addition, the company’s founders are in constant search of new business niches that allow us to create our own products.

The company has recently launched a digital platform for a contractor referral program. At the moment, the project is being tested inside the company. The platform provides access to the program not only for the company’s professionals but distributes rewards among all those involved in a successful referral. 

A large number of program participants makes the talent sourcing process more effective and creates a ground for expanding a network into an IT community. 

Why do you need a roadmap? In a nutshell: this is a plan containing a number of actions. When such actions are implemented, it should lead to a certain result. The roadmap will become a guide that will at any time let you know what stage you are at now and what you need to do at the next step.

As regards business data migration, a roadmap will help you plan your migration properly and avoid critical mistakes. It is an ideal scenario if during migration the services will work seamlessly or with minimal downtime, in such a way that your customers will not notice it and so that the migration does not affect your business processes.

It is impossible to develop a universal roadmap, so we have put together the common guidelines for those planning to transfer their data to a third-party provider or from one service provider to another. Let us roughly single out two global stages: preparation and migration. The first covers the period from the moment you decided that you need to transfer data to the moment you conclude an agreement with the selected provider. 

1. Identify migration goals and objectives

The war has greatly shifted the focus: now Ukrainian business looks on data migration as the most obvious and effective way to protect the data from physical destruction. Yet other goals have remained outside war-related context: to make IT infrastructure more reliable, reduce its maintenance costs, and prepare for surges in demand. Moreover, service model (as a Service) of using cloud services can become especially useful for solving problems related infrastructure security or data safety (for example, Firewall aaS or Backup aaS) after moving to a provider. Companies looking for a more flexible IT solution to carry out their tasks will be interested in Infrastructure as a Service (Infrastructure aaS) model, which will make required cloud resources available for them within a few hours or even faster. 

2. Audit your current IT infrastructure

At this stage, you have to understand what kind of resources – servers, virtual machines, databases, applications – you currently have and which of them need to be transferred. You can conduct this audit in-house or outsource it.

The points to analyze:

• current load: identify load peaks, plan and lay down IT infrastructure growth for the near future. Among other things, this will simplify budgeting and help prepare for increased number of services or the amount of data;
• network activity: consider optimizing it and whether current settings and firewall operations comply with security requirements;
• services on virtual machines: if the load on some of them has increased, it makes sense to move them to separate virtual machines;
• interrelations between applications: you need to keep them after migration.

Keep in mind business’ goals and plans: if in the near future you plan to automate new business processes or introduce a new service, put these needs into IT infrastructure to be designed. In the face of uncertainty that has arisen because of the war, cloud will become useful due to the fact that it is flexible. You can easily scale cloud resources up or down at any time, while on-premise infrastructure requires long-term planning as it is strictly tied to hardware procurement.  

3. Shape resource demand

Audit findings will help identify your expectations related to IT infrastructure to be put in place after migration. Consider it as draft terms of reference which lists technology stack requirements, the amount of resources (computing, storage and others), data networks, scaling, fault tolerance, compliance with current industry requirements. 

“Audit should not be taken as a formality, since migration success and efficiency depends on it. If the audit is conducted in a top quality manner, it will be easier for you to draw up the proper terms of reference and choose the best solution. This is especially important for companies whose activities are subject to mandatory licensing or certification: in this way they will be able to comply with the regulator’s requirements and successfully pass IT infrastructure audit.

Depending on the business field, there may be specific industry standards and requirements set for the IT infrastructure, which are mandatory in order to be licensed and carry out company activities. For example, several Colobridge clients are regularly checked by external auditors who, among other things, evaluate to what extent the companies’ IT infrastructures meet the licensing authorities’ requirements. Since clients work with confidential information (personal and financial), regulators must be confident that data storage and processing and transmission systems are absolutely reliable. If the auditors’ findings do not satisfy the licensing authorities, our clients will not be able to renew their licenses to operate”, Vitalii Bohomiakov, Head of Sales at Colobridge GmbH.

4. Choose a provider 

The extent to which you will be satisfied with migration and its deliverables largely depends on the service provider. As migration is a rather voluminous topic which can be covered in a separate entry, we focus only on the most important features common for a good provider.

• Reliability and security of its data centers are confirmed by international certificates. Evaluating fault tolerance is easy: the more nines, the better. Optimal number of nines is three or more: for example, 99.95%.
• A clear and transparent pricing system: no hidden fees and enabled opportunity to budget the costs of IT infrastructure in the long-term perspective.
• Service Level Agreement (SLA) containing financial guarantees and clearly delineated levels and areas of responsibility.
• If you are to implement a complex unconventional or hybrid solution, consider whether the provider has successfully completed projects for well-known brands and has relevant cases. 

Generally, this is what basic preparation for migration looks like this, but when it comes to practical implementation, a lot depends on how complex the services are and what current IT infrastructure is like. For example, a company that migrates from multiple providers to one provider and intends to deploy a single, centrally managed IT infrastructure in a private or hybrid cloud will have to do more preparatory work.

The following global task will be to implement the data migration project. So, we are telling you what to prepare for now.

5. Choose the suitable technical solution

Companies whose core activity is not IT-related can turn to a provider with this task, especially since large market actors often have consultants and even free consulting. The provider will help to chose the best suitable solution, resource sizing and offer migration options. You, in turn, will need to assess whether they correspond your business objectives and whether they are economically feasible. For example, a rented server is suitable for some entities while others would want to place their own equipment in the provider’s data center. A startup or small company will be fine with public cloud, while a more mature company will often prefer to deploy a private one. You can transfer all the data to the provider or leave some of the services on premise locally. You can also combine several cloud and physical products from one provider to get an even more fault-tolerant and efficient solution.

6. Choose the best suitable time to migrate 

The best time is when the company’s services are the least loaded, and for some companies it is at night or on a weekend evening, while for others it is exactly the opposite. We definitely do not recommend you to start migration during the high season, especially if surges in demand are common for your business. 

7. Migrate part of your IT infrastructure and test it

It is an optional step since it can not be implemented in all models of hosting the client’s IT infrastructure. However, if there is such an opportunity, first transfer some of the services and perform under load tests. This will help you identify issues related with performance and proper hardware and cloud services operation in order to set everything straight before problems spread to the entire IT infrastructure. You can migrate the data on your own, involve the provider’s support service staff, or choose a hybrid option – solve this problem together.

Testing will help assess the support service too: response time, responsiveness, willingness to do real work at night and on holidays. Even if an extended service package is available for a fee, it makes sense to make a one-time payment and simulate a critical situation – to report an alleged problem late at night in order to understand how satisfied you are with the response of the provider’s technical support team

8. Migrate the rest of your IT infrastructure

The same principle applies here: transfer the remaining services when the IT infrastructure is least loaded. Arranging a seamless migration (the one without stopping business processes) is a task an experienced provider can reasonably implement: it is necessary to carefully work out and strictly adhere to the migration plan which provides for the likelihood of failure points and elaborates on ways to cover all possible risks.

During the migration process, take documenting all the work seriously – this will help avoid discrepancies with the provider’s actions, simplify administration and speed up the recovery of the IT infrastructure if unforeseen incidents occur. Therefore, describe architecture as-is and to-be in detail, develop network diagrams, control software versioning, and also consider backing up data and making a plan for restoring it.  

The gist about migration in five bullet points

We have identified five main components of a successful and seamless data migration from anywhere to anywhere for you:

• Know your infrastructure of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
• Predict business growth and choose an IT solution depending on size.
• The key to success is a reliable provider with extensive expertise.
• Delegate tasks where you lack expertise.
• Test and only then transfer all business services.

“Migrating IT infrastructure is always a team effort on the part of the client and the provider. It is at this stage that the foundation for cooperation is laid, which in the future can become a reliable long-term partnership. Colobridge team, for its part, is doing its best to ensure that data migration for our clients is as seamless as possible and entails no business downtime. We are open for cooperation and offer to test IaaS for free for those planning to transfer their data to the cloud; we are also willing to discuss mutually beneficial service provision terms with our clients”, Vitalii Bohomiakov, Head of Sales at Colobridge GmbH.

Charity Organization “Charitable foundation Front – U”, joins forces of the financial sector representatives and focuses on four priorities: buys drones, walkie-talkies, thermal cameras and other special optics as well as tablets with software “Kropyva” for the effective adjustment of fire. Philanthropists work with particular requests from the specific military units and close the main technological requests of the army. During 2 months of the project’s work we have managed to raise over 3,5 millions UAH and deliver more than 100 necessary devices to the frontline.

“According to the research of necessities and work of NGO (non-governmental organizations)  during the war, approximately 326 organizations are involved in particular activities, 48 of them raise resources for the army’s necessities. Many Ukrainians have been volunteering and donating since the beginning of the war and the financial sector is not the exception. We decided to unite into the charity fund to strengthen each other”, comments one of the Front-U volunteers Yaroslav Bilan.

“We don’t compete with other organizations, we have found our niche and use all our experience   and contacts for the Victory. The name “Front-U” is symbolic for us because everyone does all his best on his frontline”, adds Andriy Siabro, a Front-U volunteer.

The initiative has already been supported by the authoritative representatives of the sector – Ambassadors, whom about 60 members of the financial market joined. At the same time Front-U is happy to involve new partners from any spheres.

“Today it is unacceptable to be not united, not involved into all the possible processes helping to win. “Charity Organization “The League of Ukrainian Banks” under the Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine donated 1 million of hryvnias to Front-U. I am happy that financial sector and we managed to build the foundation which works systemically and effectively, comments Olena Korobkova, the Ambassador of Front-U. – We are united in our fight with the enemy. And where there is sincere unity, truth and efforts – there will be definitely the Victory”.

The initiative helps the soldiers on the frontline to get the technological edge in such directions like optics, navigation, communication, drones. Over 600 people have already joined the initiative. More than 80 of them have become Front men and Front women and have received their place on Front-U site.

Nowadays, Front-U raises 3 millions UAH on the current purchases for the Defenders of Ukraine on the frontline. Front-U volunteers work with donates from the private people as well as from the legal establishments of Ukraine and from abroad.

WePlay AniMajor, the Dota 2 tournament hosted by WePlay Esports, got shortlisted to compete for the Livestream Event of the Year title by Ragan’s 2022 Video, Visual & Virtual Awards. The winner in the category will be announced on August 24, 2022. 

Every year, Ragan’s Awards celebrate the most successful video, visual design, and virtual events that managed to engage with audiences remotely. This year, WePlay Esports became a finalist in the Livestream Event category with the WePlay AniMajor case.

WePlay AniMajor, a Dota Pro Circuit Major tournament, took place on June 2–13, 2021, at the WePlay Esports Arena Kyiv, Ukraine, during the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite strict sanitary restrictions and the absence of a live audience, the event went down in history as the most popular Dota 2 Major during the pandemic era. According to Esports Charts statistics, the tournament got 647,214 peak viewers, and the general number of hours watched exceeded 37 million.

“One may think there is no significant difference between organizing an offline event and an online one. However, the atmosphere of a LAN tournament with spectators is a blast. Our task was to create an event that would be remembered by our viewers forever, even if they couldn’t attend in person. The music, the setting, AR, and other details all made up a new world where our viewers wanted to stay longer. For us, getting recognition for our work is so much needed right now when it’s impossible to make this event happen in Kyiv again due to the Russian invasion,” says Maksym Bilonogov, chief visionary officer and general producer at WePlay Esports.

“For over 50 years, the Ragan’s Awards have celebrated excellence in internal and external communications, and our team is thrilled to be one of the nominees for this year’s award. Being on the list side-by-side with world-famous brands, whose cases are admired by the whole world, is a source of great pride for us. 

Recognition of our efforts by leading experts in the field is an incredible motivation for new achievements, as well as the implementation of new projects in esports,” comments Alena Dalskaya-Latosiewicz, chief communications officer at WePlay Holding.

The winners of the Ragan’s 2022 Video, Visual & Virtual Awards will be announced on August 24, 2022. They will be selected by the responsible jury, who have great experience in the communications sphere. 

About WePlay Holding

WePlay Holding is an esports corporate group with headquarters in Los Angeles, U.S., and Kyiv, Ukraine, which has offices around the world together with its affiliates. The multi-brand holding company is bridging the gaps between entertainment, esports, and technology through its innovation strategy. 

The organization accelerates industry development with interdependent creative solutions in broadcasting, augmented reality, interactive experiences, data mining, and other tools. WePlay Holding empowers businesses with personalized products and services created through merging concepts. This produces quick-impact outcomes required in the competitive world of entertainment.

Since 2006, the WePlay brand is well-known for the high-quality organization and broadcasting of esports tournaments. It grew into WePlay Esports, a world-class tournament organizer and production company with studios, talent crews, and arenas operating across multiple continents. 

WePlay Holding puts together its technology ecosystem to create unique results. It aims to bring together brands, investors, nonprofit organizations, industry experts, and other stakeholders into a playful prosumer environment. 

Almexoft Open Day is a conference that brought together Almexoft clients and partners, experts, and professionals in the field of business automation and digital transformation in the Nest innovation space (UNIT city).

There were two main news shared by the company:

• platform rebranding;
• announcement of a new version of the Almexoft 3.0 platform.

Almexoft has come to a global rebranding of the platform. The key modules of the system, AlmexECM, and AlmexBPM, are united under a common brand and from 2022 will be presented as part of a single low-code platform Almexoft. Despite the transformation, all the previous functionality will be available within a single user platform, and the platform licensing policy will remain the same.

As part of the announcement of a new version of the Almexoft platform with an index of 3.0., the company’s top management presented new functionality for automating business processes and electronic document management, as well as a new low-code platform interface.

Shared their expertise:

• Igor Prikhodko, CEO Almexoft Ukraine;
• Vasiliev Nikita, СTO Almexoft;
• Koktash Andrey, Product Owner Almexoft;
• Medet Abenov, CEO of Almexoft Kazakhstan.

Rebranding of the Almexoft platform

Even 5-10 years ago, the market for corporate document management systems was a set of heavy corporate software products with desktop clients and an outdated design, and the categories of such systems were focused on building workflow and complying with state standards.

The Almexoft team was sure that it was the process approach in building electronic document management that would make it possible to implement effective automation projects anywhere in the world.
It should be noted that the approach paid off, and today the system is a platform that allows solving a variety of tasks and building a corporate software solution of any complexity. On the basis of the platform, companies in Ukraine and abroad are building systems for automating the orchestration of internal processes (BPM), contract work management systems (CLM), corporate content and knowledge base management systems (ECM), classical document management systems (EDM), and are also switching to a digital signature (e-Signature).

It is for this reason that Almexoft has come to a global rebranding of the platform. The key modules of the platform — AlmexECM and AlmexBPM — are united under a common brand — low-code platform Almexoft. The new version of the platform will be under the index 3.0. for existing customers will be available from February 2022.

Almexoft is more than a software product. Almexoft is a unique ecosystem that combines the low-code Almexoft platform, related services, modules, and integrations thanks to an open API. Our global goal is to provide our clients with a tool that will allow them to be as flexible as possible and at the same time easily configure any internal processes, forms, reports, and integrations with other systems, while spending minimal resources.

Announcement of a new release of the Almexoft platform, version 3.0

The Almexoft team also presented new functionality as part of the release of the Almexoft 3.0 platform, which allows users to transform and automate processes even faster, taking into account modern business challenges. Release 3.0 for platform users will be available at the beginning of 2022.

The new low-code version of the Almexoft platform has even more useful tools for automating complex business processes and efficient document management. To speed up the platform and work with large amounts of data effectively, a transition to numeric identifiers has been made to speed up the system.

The set of functions for convenient administration of the platform has been expanded:

• added new features for developing complex business rules and cases;
• implemented new features for data inheritance;
• added new section “Scheduled tasks”;
• expanded list of available fields and forms;
• added setting to download the original attachment at the stage;
• extended delegation settings.

Users will be able to see the new functionality:

• additional features for working with EDS and its visualization on the document;
• search for organizational structure by user’s last name;
• inheritance of attachments when creating a document based;
• new opportunities for working with nested directories;
• improved mobile apps. The interface of the mobile application on Android has been completely redesigned according to Google’s user experience recommendations, and the performance of the application on iOS has also been significantly improved.

Exchange of cases and experience in automating processes and workflow based on the Almexoft platform

The second session of the conference, in turn, was devoted to the exchange of experience and cases of business process automation and electronic document management based on the Almexoft platform from the most innovative companies and banks: Moneyveo, MTI, Accordbank, Concordbank, Radabank, ESKA Capital.

Also, special attention was paid to the formation of business ties, the creation and development of a network of professional acquaintances, the discussion of global trends in the transition to electronic document management, and in terms of process automation using modern tools. Speakers and clients shared their personal experiences of using the system and setting up processes first-hand.

Almexoft clients made the following presentations:

Also, within the framework of the conference, a panel discussion was held, in which the speakers and guests of the conference discussed the information received and the challenges facing the business associated with automation and digital transformation of the business, and also shared ideas for the formation of a competitive business digitalization strategy.

See you at Almexoft Open Day 2022!

So what does the future of payments hold, and what innovations can we expect in the way we manage money?

Disruption in the payments market is accelerating, albeit less blatantly than in other sectors. The soaring success of mobile payments, the emergence of neo-banks and fintech alternatives to traditional banks, and the accelerated adoption of digital wallets over physical cards in some markets are all reshaping the payments industry. 

Incumbent payment methods (the likes of bank transfers or card payments) still account for a large portion of global transactions but with major drawbacks. They are expensive (adding to financial inequality), time-consuming, and sparse (around 1.7 billion people globally remain unbanked).

This gives fintech newcomers plenty of space to innovate in a traditionally slow-changing industry. Notably, the use of technology can increase the availability of financial services, reduce costs, speed up transactions, and streamline the consumer experience.

Instant money transfer platform Fin.do is set to transform the payments industry by removing the costs and friction associated with cross-border transactions.

Fin.do aims to become the most convenient, fast, and affordable way for anyone to send money anytime, to and from anywhere in the world. This can facilitate life-changing transformations: you can work abroad but send money home anytime, instantly; you get paid for work the same day; or you can move money digitally without opening a bank account.

Fin.do’s innovative technology is built to provide:

• convenience: send and receive money using a smartphone;
• accessibility: use existing cards and transfer money straight from card to card;
• speed: processing time is on the order of minutes or seconds; and
• affordability: typical bank fees and charges are eliminated.

Fin.do’s innovative technology is built to provide convenience (send and receive money using a smartphone), speed (processing time is on the order of minutes or seconds), and affordability (typical bank fees and charges are eliminated).

Convenience

Conventional means of transferring money no longer satisfy consumers’ evolving needs. A fast-paced life and work environment require solutions that can build into a rapidly changing lifestyle.

Fin.do enables seamless money transfers via a smartphone, without the need to create new payment accounts. To initiate a transaction, users simply need to add their existing payment cards (Visa or MasterCard) to the Fin.do app.

Money can be easily be transferred to other Fin.do users by selecting their phone number and to anyone else by entering their 16-digit card number.

This eliminates the need for complex payment information such as the recipient’s address or IBAN and makes digital payments available anywhere and to anyone without having to carry a physical wallet or card.

Speed

The technology behind Fin.do enables the transfer of money from one card to another in real time, even for cross-border operations. 

This is possible because Fin.do doesn’t hold funds at any time during the transaction, which reduces processing times down to minutes or even seconds.

Instant money transfers reduce physical distances, allowing anyone to support their family, connect with friends, or get paid in real time whenever they need.

Financial inclusion

With traditional payment methods such as bank transfers, costs remain high. Transaction fees, currency exchange rates, currency conversion charges, alongside other hidden fees prevent many from accessing cashless transactions.

Fin.do eliminates most of the costs to facilitate access to digital payment instruments and simplify the way people work and get paid. Transfers can be made from and to any currency, no matter where the sender and recipient are located. No double currency conversion takes place as any two currencies are directly exchanged at a competitive rate.

Lowering money transfer charges also makes it possible to reduce the cost of hiring internationally, giving small businesses leverage to scale up and grow remote teams with less friction.

In a crowded market, Fin.do is establishing itself as a competitive money transfer solution, with an impact on how consumers and businesses work, grow, and connect with each other. It provides the flexibility, speed, and convenience that have become integral to our lives.

The days of brands engaging with their audiences through TV commercials or product placement in movies are over. Now, companies can tell the world about themselves in a different, creative way by collaborating with different industries. And if soccer or car races have long since become popular advertising platforms, esports has so far remained a blind spot for many.

The esports industry is growing fast. According to analytics provider NewZoo, the global esports audience will reach 577 million by 2024. It is predominantly made of men aged 18 to 35 with medium and high incomes. These people are open to innovation, know all about the latest tech gadgets, and are actively seeking new experiences. That’s why brands should take notice of esports as a new platform for communicating with potential customers. Representatives of esports organizations and tournament operators will tell you how best to integrate into this area.

Let’s consider one such case of interaction using the example of energy drink brand Monster Energy and WePlay Esports. Monster Energy has been using esports as an advertising platform for 10 years, but integration with WePlay Esports is the brand’s first step in the Ukrainian market. The Russian-language broadcast of the BLAST Premier: Fall Season 2021 group stage was chosen for the interaction.

BLAST Premier is a global tournament series in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), the 2021 Fall Season of which took place from September 16 till November 28, 2021. The total prize pool of the season was $1,737,000. The Russian-language broadcast of the event was organized by WePlay Esports, the flagship company of the WePlay Holding esports corporate group.

Esports offers a ton of creative ways to interact with your audience, among other things. For instance, as part of the Monster Energy case, a mechanism was developed that encouraged viewers to support teams. Here, we are talking about the “comeback” button. A comeback, or a turning point in the game, is what loyal fans want when a team begins to flounder. By pressing the “comeback” button, the audience would share their energy with the favorite team. When the viewer support dial was full, the hosts would make an announcement to that respect. Thus, the players would know of their fans’ support without ever seeing them.

One should also keep in mind that advertising of any product should look native. There are brands for which integrations with esports are natural, for example, gaming equipment manufacturers, and brands for which the choice of esports as an advertising platform seems less obvious. Monster Energy is a representative of the latter. While energy drinks are not a necessity for gamers as a computer or headphones would be, they are an integral part of esports competitions and a companion of gamers’ sleepless nights. Monster Energy drinks give an energy boost to gamers, fans, and talent (esports commentators and analysts) alike. As WePlay Esports talents Oleksii “уХо” Maletskyi and Yuriy “Strike” Tereshchenko discussed the game, every now and then, they would mention the key messages of the brand. Thus, the viewers’ attention was drawn to Monster Energy, but at the same time, they weren’t distracted from the game itself.

The most classic integration format esports can offer a brand is product placement. In the case of Monster Energy, online viewers could see energy drink cans placed around the studio throughout the broadcast. The fridge, which featured the bright green Monster Energy logo, drew particular attention.

When choosing a language for communicating with the esports audience, it’s important to remember that the community itself consists of dynamic people who crave their fix of creativity. When they are interested in a tournament, they can watch it non-stop and share their excitement in chats. They have their own fan clubs, celebrities, and influencers. For this audience, video games are not mere entertainment — they are a lifestyle.

In view of this background, a brand’s task when entering the esports niche is to surprise the viewer, make its impressions blend in seamlessly, and create high-quality, vibrant content. You can create an SFM video, use AR technology, or come up with engaging activities within the broadcast. Under this scenario, a loyal audience and great results are guaranteed.

How to buy bitcoin in BUYBank

All-Ukrainian service of digital assets exchange BUYBank invites beginners and experienced crypto-traders to cooperate. It is possible to buy or sell bitcoin online with a Visa/Mastercard card issued by any Ukrainian bank. To do this, go to the official website of the service and select the desired option in the list. Fill the appropriate fields in the calculator, initiate the exchange, and the transaction will be made as quickly as possible. Thanks to an intuitive interface and information about fluctuations in exchange rates over the past day and week, it is easy to make a profitable exchange of cash for bitcoin: the clients don’t even need to call a manager. The advantages of the BUYBank online exchange do not end there: registered customers can participate in the referral program and receive additional bonuses.

In case you want to exchange bitcoin for cash, you need to visit one of the offices of the company. The main branch of BUYBank is located in Kyiv at 45 Antonovicha street. Also, there is a recently opened branch in Odesa. You are allowed to carry out operations with cash in other regional centers: you can get detailed information from managers, as well as support service by phone or via Telegram chat. If you want to buy bitcoin with cash, the procedure is as follows:

1. Discuss the details of the exchange with the manager, specify the amount and currency of payment (this can be done in advance via Telegram-chat). 
2. Pay for your purchase at the cash desk. 
3. Immediately after the payment, bitcoins will be transferred to the specified cryptocurrency wallet.

There will be no problem with bitcoin exchange for cash either. The BUYBank manager will give you the details of the BTC wallet to which coins should be transferred. After sending the stated amount, you need to wait for the network’s second confirmation which takes about 20 minutes. Then, the money will be issued through the cashier of the exchanger. The branch provides an opportunity to exchange bitcoins for UAH and USD.

Advantages of bitcoin exchange in BUYBank

The market of digital currencies is rapidly developing. Planning to exchange bitcoin for USD or UAH, crypto investors make a confident choice in favor of reliable exchangers. BUYBank is one of the leaders in the market of Ukraine. It is a large-scale and modern service, working with BTC and many other popular crypto-assets. Among the advantages of the company you will find:

• Convenient and comfortable exchange. Both in the online format and when visiting the office in Kyiv or Odesa, the client can count on a high level of service. 
• Confidentiality, reliability, and safety. The service doesn’t disclose information about transactions, doesn’t request documents, and uses SSL protocol with 256-bit encryption to ensure transaction security. 
• Client focus. The exchanger offers high-quality services, which is confirmed by statistics: 95% of traders who perform an exchange at the site or office become regular customers of the company later.
• Online information support. On the buybank.io website, you can find all the relevant information concerning changes in the bitcoin exchange rate, which will help you make timely and correct decisions about the necessity of exchange.
• Accessibility. Any resident of any region of Ukraine can initiate transactions and sell or buy bitcoin.

All of the above makes BUYBank an attractive service for cryptocurrency transactions. The key aspect is active work with cash: most clients prefer this safe way. The office staff will answer all the questions, dispel the doubts of inexperienced crypto-traders and give advice on how financially sound and profitable the planned operation is.

Why you should buy bitcoin

The prospects of the first cryptocurrency are quite promising. It is present in the portfolios of the world’s major funds and investment companies. In October 2021, the asset experienced a sharp rise: its quotes broke the historical record and crossed the $67,000 mark. According to analysts, the upward momentum will stay until the end of this year, and the long-term trend is unambiguously upward. Moreover, the interval between growth cycles is getting smaller.

Many investors prefer to keep coins in a cryptocurrency account and wait for the asset’s further rise in price. If you decide to convert profits into fiat money or, on the contrary, want to invest funds in digital currency, choose BUYBank exchanger. The company guarantees fair and profitable exchange, acting as a reliable financial partner of Ukrainian crypto traders.