Ranting of the Best AI Startups in Ukraine from Ukrainian Business Award

The Ukrainian AI sector is one of the brightest and most ambitious stories of the domestic technology business. Ukrainian startups create solutions based on artificial intelligence that are used by millions of people around the world – from voice synthesis and computer vision to data analytics and countering disinformation. This is a story about deep engineering expertise, a scientific approach and the ability to build world-class products in wartime. When choosing an AI product or partner, the market focuses on the depth of functionality, team, integration capabilities, recognition and years of operation.

This rating presents ten leading AI startups: Respeecher, LetsData, Zibra AI, Reface, Elomia, 3DLOOK, Youscan, Holywater Tech, CheckEye and Osavul. Ukrainian Business Award conducted a comprehensive study based on a number of key criteria, which allows us to evaluate each company not only by scale, but also by technological depth and position in the global market.

The depth of AI functionality determines the technological maturity of a product and its ability to solve complex user tasks. The leader is Osavul with 12 AI functions – the most technologically advanced product among all participants in the rating. Youscan has 10 AI functions, LetsData – 9, Reface and 3DLOOK – 8 each, forming a group of leaders in terms of AI depth. Zibra AI, Elomia and Holywater Tech work with 7 functions, while Respeecher and CheckEye have 6 each, focusing on deep expertise in their narrow niche.

The size of the team directly affects the speed of development, the scale of the product and the company’s capabilities in technology development. The undisputed leader is Holywater Tech with a staff of 200 specialists – the largest team among all participants in the rating. Reface has 181 specialists, Youscan – 51, 3DLOOK – 47, maintaining strong positions in terms of human resources. Respeecher works with a team of 44 specialists, LetsData – 40, Osavul – 30, Zibra AI and Elomia – 25 each. CheckEye has 8 specialists, demonstrating the efficient work of a compact team.

The technical level of the official website affects the first impression of the product and the convenience of onboarding new users. The maximum 10 points were received by Zibra AI and 3DLOOK, which indicates the highest loading speed, adaptability and impeccable technical implementation. The remaining participants — Respeecher, LetsData, Reface, Elomia, Youscan, Holywater Tech, CheckEye, and Osavul — each have 9 points, which reflects the consistently high technical level of the sector’s products.

The Customer Experience Index reflects the level of customer experience, quality of support and user satisfaction with the product. The maximum score of 10 was received by Reface, Youscan and Holywater Tech, which puts these companies in the group of leaders in terms of customer experience quality. The remaining participants — Respeecher, LetsData, Zibra AI, Elomia, 3DLOOK, CheckEye and Osavul — have 9 points each, which indicates an extremely high and uniform level of service in the Ukrainian AI sector.

The length of time on the market is an indicator of the company’s stability and accumulated expertise in developing AI products. The leader in terms of experience is Youscan with 17 years of work — the most experienced player in the rating. 3DLOOK has been working for 10 years, Respeecher and Reface — for 8 years each, maintaining their positions among the most experienced companies. Elomia has 7 years of experience, Holywater Tech – 6, Zibra AI – 5. LetsData, CheckEye, and Osavul have been operating for 4 years each, demonstrating rapid development in a short time – a characteristic feature of the dynamic AI sector.

The level of brand awareness is determined by the number of branded search queries on Google using the Serpstat service. The undisputed leader is Reface — the highest awareness among all participants in the rating, which reflects the company’s status as one of the most famous Ukrainian AI products in the world. Holywater Tech takes second place, Youscan — third, forming a group of the most recognizable brands. CheckEye and 3DLOOK operate in the middle segment for branded queries. Osavul, LetsData, Zibra AI, Elomia and Respeecher have a basic level of awareness, which is typical for B2B-oriented technology products.

The volume of visits to the official website per month reflects the real interest of the audience and the effectiveness of online channels. The undisputed leader is Reface with 585,939 visits — the highest figure among all participants in the rating, which indicates a powerful global audience for the product. Youscan is in second place with 414,207 visits, Respeecher is in third place with 92,493 visits. 3DLOOK has 38,021 visits, Holywater Tech has 23,776, Osavul has 17,870, Zibra AI has 15,654. Elomia has 6,728 visits, CheckEye has 1,497, LetsData has 1,096.

Customer reviews are one of the most objective criteria for building an AI product’s reputation. Youscan has the highest score of 24.78, which puts the company in first place in terms of user satisfaction. Holywater Tech is in second place with 23.04 points, Reface is in third place with 17.79 points, forming a group of leaders in terms of reputation. Elomia has 9.49 points, Osavul has 6.33, Zibra AI has 5.67, 3DLOOK has 5.54. Respeecher and CheckEye have 3.16 points each, LetsData has 1.05.

Social media activity determines the level of interaction with the audience and the quality of the company’s digital communication. Youscan is the leader with 8 points, which indicates the most systematic approach to content. Holywater Tech has 7 points, 3DLOOK and CheckEye have 6 points each, maintaining strong positions. Respeecher, LetsData, and Zibra AI operate with 5 points, Reface and Osavul with 4 points each. Elomia has 2 points, which reflects the room for development in this channel.

The number of integrations demonstrates how easily the product is integrated into the client ecosystem and expands its capabilities through external services. The leader is Youscan with 10 integrations — the widest connectivity among all participants in the rating. 3DLOOK has 8 integrations, Osavul — 6, CheckEye — 5, maintaining strong positions. LetsData and Holywater Tech work with 4 integrations, Respeecher and Elomia — 3 each. Zibra AI and Reface have 2 integrations each, which reflects a more closed approach to their own product.

The final jury score is formed based on the expert opinion of the panel members and takes into account all key performance indicators of the companies. Respeecher received the highest score — 8.71 points, reflecting recognition of the technological depth of the product. Holywater Tech takes second place with 8.57 points, LetsData, Zibra AI and Osavul — 8.43 each, forming a strong group of leaders. Reface has 8.29 points, 3DLOOK, Youscan and CheckEye – 8 each, Elomia – 7.86. The minimal difference between the participants emphasizes the exceptionally high overall level of the Ukrainian AI sector.

Dmytro Voroshylov, an entrepreneur and engineer in the field of artificial intelligence and digital product development, joined the evaluation of projects within the rating. His professional activities are focused on creating and scaling AI solutions for international companies, integrating large language models, and building intelligent digital platforms. Experience in the US and European markets allows him to evaluate startups not only by idea, but also by real technological value, scalability, and readiness for the global market.

Dmytro began his journey by creating technological startups in the field of IT and mobile development – some of his products at one time reached an audience of over a million users in the App Store and Google Play. In 2017, he became the co-founder and CEO of Ensocore, a company specializing in creating MVPs, R&D solutions, and web and mobile applications for clients from the US and Europe. Starting in 2020, his main focus shifted to the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning — developing AI/ML solutions, integrating LLM, and building next-generation conversational AI systems.

This perspective is especially valuable for the AI ​​startup rating: it is important to distinguish between a real technological foundation and a viable business model from high-sounding formulations. Dmytro evaluates projects through the prism of practical experience – from the standpoint of technological maturity, innovation and commercial potential of the solution. His participation adds applied depth to the final assessment and brings it closer to the real requirements of the global technology market.

The Ukrainian Business Award study showed that the Ukrainian AI sector in 2023 is a world-class technological ecosystem that combines deep engineering expertise, a scientific approach and global ambitions. The leaders of the rating were companies that create products that are competitive in the international arena – among them Youscan in functionality, integrations and reputation, Osavul in depth of AI technologies, Reface in recognition and global traffic, and Holywater Tech and Respeecher in team size and jury assessment. These startups shape the face of Ukrainian artificial intelligence in the world and prove that even in times of war, Ukraine is creating technologies of the future. This rating will become a useful reference point for investors, specialists, and businesses who follow the development of Ukrainian AI.

The analytics were developed by Ukrainian Business Award with the support of analytical partners Serpstat, Clarity Project.

The following members of our jury also reviewed the analytics and gave their expert opinions: Ilya Slavhorodsky (CEO — Ukrainian Business Award), Oleksandr Stepanov (HBD — Head of Business Development Department UBTA — Ukrainian Business & Trade Association), Dmytro Savytsky (psychologist, consultant, business trainer, partner Tomalogy-Supervisor), Viktoriya Papazova (Head of R&D and Innovation AmA Invest, Chief Marketing Officer — SOCAR Energy Ukraine, Marketing Director — GC Novi Produkty), Kateryna Makarenko (Retail, E-commerce, HoReca, FMCG, Pharma, B2B), Dmytro Bova (Anti-crisis CEO and business accelerator), Konchenko Alisa (IT innovations for business, AI, digital transformation) and Voroshylov Dmytro (Artificial Intelligence/ Machine learning engineer).

Conclusion based on the Results of the Ukrainian Business Award: TOP-10 AI Startups in Ukraine 2023.

Summarizing all the information, we can announce the nominees of AI Startups in Ukraine 2023:

Place in the ranting	Company	Baly	Baly %
1	Reface	17,2065644	100,0
2	Youscan	16,07867831	93,4
3	Holywater Tech	15,4115411	89,6
4	3DLOOK	9,488309758	55,1
5	Osavul	8,021990168	46,6
6	Respeecher	7,20320341	41,9
7	Elomia	7,041967726	40,9
8	LetsData	6,738666823	39,2
9	Zibra AI	6,437637234	37,4
10	CheckEye	6,37144106	37,0