Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025: Regional Investment Projects and Defense in Focus

Organized by the governments of Italy and Ukraine, URC featured government and business leaders from across Europe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attended the event, as well as European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the prime ministers of a dozen European countries — Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Greece, the Baltic states, and a government delegation from Ukraine.

Valery Krasovsky, CEO and Co-Founder of Sigma Software Group, together with Daria Yaniieva, Investment Director at Sigma Software Labs, took part in the conference, highlighting our deep IT consulting and software engineering expertise along with the opportunities to shape the future of DefenseTech through an ecosystem created in cooperation with our partners.

The aim of the conference was to raise funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine, showcase specific projects and opportunities, and conclude relevant agreements, eventually turning them into specific investment projects, primarily in the real sector of the economy. The key topics of this year’s conference were boosting Ukraine’s recovery, Ukrainian private business development, and investments in innovative technology.

Highlights & Results

• Over €10 billion for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The money will mainly go towards rebuilding destroyed infrastructure, housing, energy, and transport. Part of the funding is planned to be raised through private investment.
• A signed agreement to create the largest European fund for direct investment in Ukraine’s reconstruction with the support of Italy, Germany, France, Poland, and leading European development banks. With an initial catalytic capital of EUR 220 million, the Fund aims to mobilize EUR 500 million by 2026 through strategic, results-oriented investments, primarily in equity capital, informs the Ukrainian Government Portal.
• A €300 million initiative launched by Italy to encourage Italian small and medium-sized businesses to invest in Ukraine. The idea is to attract Italian entrepreneurs to work with Ukraine and support the economy through private investment.
• A new campus in Kyiv, presented by Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) during the event, raised $25 million from donors. The goal of the initiative is to increase the number of students and launch new bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs in economics, public administration, IT, and engineering. KSE is a co-founder of the defense ecosystem alongside Sigma Software Group.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, on her Facebook page, highlighted main discussion areas of URC and what was reached over two days of the event:

“One of the central topics of the URC was the defense industry. We discussed the creation of joint ventures, localization of production, and technology. Agreements have been signed. Drones, air defense, and electronic warfare are already part of the new economy. The world understands that reconstruction requires security. And security will be provided by a strong Ukrainian defense industry.”

Yulia continues:

“A separate focus was on industrial recovery. For the first time, the conference featured an industrial agenda, in discussion panels, in the exhibition area, and in signed agreements. And, of course, human capital development. Ukraine’s main asset is at home. Millions of people are ready to work, change professions, and participate in reconstruction. At the URC, we agreed on new employment programs for women and support for female entrepreneurship.”

“URC 2025 became a great platform to gather and investigate Ukraine recovery initiatives. An interesting direction at this year’s conference was The Local and Regional Dimension that presented investment projects from 50 thousand to dozens of million euros aimed at recovery of Ukrainian municipalities and regions. The demonstrated projects emphasized our country’s investment attractiveness as well as readiness of our community to drive these initiatives,” notes Valery Krasovsky.

Showcasing Ukrainian DefenseTech

Ukraine`s innovative defense potential was represented by the booth of DefenseTech development cluster Brave1 that attracted keen interest from international investors. Along with the overview of the Ukrainian DefenseTech landscape, it presented the companies moving DefenseTech innovations forward, including Sigma Software Group.

Being an active IT service provider for the defense industry as well as a contributor to the development of Ukrainian DefenseTech ecosystem, Sigma Software joins the two worlds – enterprise and startup – building synergy and streamlining cooperation. In this combination, Sigma Software serves as a connecting link helping defense enterprises, governmental agencies, state structures find common ground with innovators and startup founders, developing a complete DefenseTech ecosystem.

Thus, our company, together with partners and the support of the Ministry of Defense, launched the ‘Defence Builder’ accelerator in Ukraine to bridge defense manufacturers with emerging technologies and streamline adoption. The accelerator has already validated 500 startups, attracted 100+ active investors, and helped almost 20 startups complete the acceleration program. ‘Defence Builder’ acts as a platform for direct investments in game-changing solutions proven on the battlefield.

To help key players navigate the business side of Ukrainian defense industry and integrate it into the global context, we have supported Defender Media, a niche media focused on the business side of Ukrainian DefenseTech.

To prepare the next generation of tech leaders and help businesses become more efficient, we provide specialized tech education at our in-house education platform, Sigma Software University. We also remain committed to social impact and charitable causes, supporting those who need it through our charitable initiatives:

• Sigma Software Unity Fund founded in 2022 to help the Ukrainian Army and people, that has already mobilized over $5M for humanitarian, infrastructure, and defense aid;
• Star for Life Ukraine fund that helps unprivileged youth access quality IT education and learn more about career opportunities in tech; and others.

Find out more about our expertise and ecosystem activities.

Our corporate venture arm Sigma Software Labs backs dual-use technologies through funding, global access, and strategic partnerships, while also helping others to do so. Recently, Sigma Software Labs together with KSE, Buntar Aerospace, and other partners have launched a syndicate investing platform, which allows private individuals to invest in defense startups starting from $1,000.

“The next generation of companies shaping Ukraine’s recovery and defense sector is being built here and now — and it’s critical to stay connected and grow together with them.

That’s why we’re investing, partnering locally, and building mechanisms that make this possible. You can’t engage with Ukraine’s future from the sidelines,” says Daria Yaniieva.

Looking Ahead

URC 2025 clearly demonstrated that Ukraine’s recovery is not just a national priority—it’s a shared global mission. For Sigma Software Group, this event reaffirmed our belief that sustainable rebuilding requires more than funding: it needs collaboration, innovation, and long-term commitment across sectors. By contributing our technological expertise, fostering defense innovation, and supporting emerging talent, we aim to be a reliable partner in shaping Ukraine’s future. We’re grateful to be part of this growing movement and will continue to drive impactful initiatives that benefit not just Ukraine, but the global digital and defense ecosystems alike.