Venture Camp Ukraine

Where next-gen entrepreneurs are born and determined to lead Ukraine’s new economy. Not with words. With action.

Venture Camp Ukraine

Where next-gen entrepreneurs are born and determined to lead Ukraine’s new economy. Not with words. With action.

Venture Camp Ukraine

Where next-gen entrepreneurs are born and determined to lead Ukraine’s new economy. Not with words. With action.

OVERVIEW

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2026 through May 30th

Venture Camp Ukraine puts entrepreneurial thinking in the hands of the youth who will shape what Ukraine becomes next. This free program for Ukrainian teens ages 15 to 17 combines online training with in-person immersion at Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. Participants develop real business ideas, learn to pitch under pressure, and compete on Demo Day for up to €100,000 in educational funding. Top finalists can pitch internationally at the University of Notre Dame.

The details: 

One-month program split into two stages: online learning followed by an in-person accelerator at Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv
Open to youth entrepreneurs from any region of Ukraine with an innovative idea and the drive to make it real
Stage 1 (Online): 4 lectures and 2 KKU experience talks focused on market discovery, competitor analysis, team building, and early pitch development
Stage 2 (Offline at UCU): 12 lectures and 4 KKU experience talks covering sales strategy, go-to-market planning, AI prototyping, and investor readiness
Top performers gain access to Ukraine's leading student accelerator and the University of Notre Dame's Race to Revenue program, with the chance to receive no-equity financing
Notre Dame's social impact research group actively measures program effectiveness and outcomes
Run in partnership with KidsKonnectUkraine, UCU Ideas Center, and the University of Notre Dame

What you’ll do: 

Build a real venture that solves a real problem in your community
Learn customer discovery, competitive analysis, and how to validate your idea with actual users
Create pitch decks and present to potential funders on Demo Day
Use AI tools for rapid product prototyping
Master the basics of performance marketing, social media targeting, and user acquisition
Explore value-driven leadership through UCU's teaching philosophy
Connect with successful global entrepreneurs as mentors
Share insights back to the KidsKonnectUkraine community through peer-to-peer talks throughout the program
Join an ever-growing alumni network of Ukrainian youth entrepreneurs who support each new cohort

Ukraine’s future runs on the ideas of its youth. One in five high school and early university-age Ukrainians have left the country. The ones who stay, and the ones who come back, need more than hope. They need tools, mentors, and a launchpad.

Venture Camp Ukraine is where ambitions and hard work make ventures come true.

This isn’t a classroom exercise. It’s the engine of Ukraine’s next economy, powered by you.

Ages: 15-17
Dates: May 31 – June 5
Location: Hybrid
Format: Two weeks online + two weeks in-person in Lviv
Cost: Free
Language: English
Partners: Ideas Center UCU, UCU Business School, University of Notre Dame, MoveUkraine, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Our Partners

Ready to join the movement?

Join thousands of youth already connected through KidsKonnectUkraine.