Exclusive: UK to host demo day for Ukrainian defence companies

As part of efforts to increase investment in Ukraine, defence companies from the country will showcase their products to potential UK customers at an upcoming demo day, Denys Demko, Economic Secretary at the Embassy of Ukraine, told DSEI Gateway.

The day will be run by the Ukrainian Embassy in the UK and the UK Ministry of Defence and will take place by the end of the year, Demko said exclusively to DSEI Gateway at the Apex Europe conference in London on 7 October.

While Demko revealed that capacity for the demo day is full, it is part of a wider drive to connect Ukrainian companies with end users. 

How else is UK investment in Ukraine being promoted? 

The demo day follows a UK roadshow organised by Brave1 – Ukraine’s defence-tech accelerator – that was held in June. The three-day investment tour aimed to promote the establishment of joint ventures between the two countries. 

Artem Moroz, Brave1’s Head of Investor Relations, said that at one showcase during the “oversubscribed” tour, over “200 UK investors” were present. 

While Demko revealed that there are no plans at present for another iteration of the roadshow, smaller events like the demo day aim to continue the promotion of investment in Ukrainian defence companies. 

“Our aim is to organise different opportunities for companies to present themselves to potential end users and British partners,” Demko said.