Current news on Rebuild Ukraine topic

For the first time since 2021, a foreign investor is preparing to acquire a bank in Ukraine.

The Estonian FinTech company Iute Group AS is in the final stage of acquiring the Ukrainian RVS Bank, which was declared insolvent in November. The company won the tender to purchase the bank and has already submitted documents to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) for approval of the transaction.

On 31 December, the Deposit Guarantee Fund announced the creation of a transitional bank based on RVS Bank. This mechanism is applied as part of the procedure for the sale of insolvent banks. Until the winner of the tender obtains approval from the NBU to acquire the bank, the transitional bank remains owned by the Deposit Guarantee Fund.

If the application is finally approved, Iute Group AS will become the owner of a fully operational bank in Ukraine. This will be the first entry of a foreign investor into the Ukrainian banking market since 2021, when Czech businessmen Tomáš Fiala and Ivan Svitek acquired UniEx Bank.

From January to September, the assets of RVS Bank decreased from UAH 4.5 billion to UAH 1.7 billion. By asset size, the bank ranked 50th among 60 Ukrainian banks. At the time it was declared insolvent, the bank had 13 branches.

Nearly 40 new factories have been built or are under construction in industrial parks.

According to the Ministry of Economy, as of the end of 2025, 37 industrial enterprises have already been built or are under construction in Ukraine’s industrial parks. These enterprises operate in agro-processing, food production, furniture and woodworking, mechanical engineering, and other sectors. A total of 3,716 jobs have been created at the operational enterprises.

The total amount of state funding allocated to stimulate the development of industrial parks in 2025 amounted to UAH 900.68 million. The Ministry emphasized that UAH 1 invested by the state in industrial park infrastructure attracts UAH 5–6 in private investment.

As reported, in 2025 the Ministry of Economy decided to provide state incentives to 13 industrial parks. As of 31 December 2025, 118 industrial parks are included in the Industrial Parks Register, of which 24 parks were registered during the past year. At the same time, eight industrial parks that did not conduct any activity were removed from the Register in 2025.

The US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund is fully operational.

The Board of Directors of the American-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund approved its investment strategy and adopted investment protocols. These decisions will allow the Fund to begin full operations at the beginning of 2026, the Ministry of Economy reported.

The Fund will focus on investments in critical minerals, energy, transport and logistics, information and communication technologies, and innovative technologies that ensure supply chain resilience and contribute to the economic security and prosperity of both the US and Ukraine.

"We already have an investment advisor, approved key policies and procedures, and $150 million in initial capital. This means the Fund is ready to start investing in Ukraine’s reconstruction," said Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev.

Additionally, in January 2026, the Fund plans to launch a website through which project sponsors will be able to submit proposals for consideration. The tentative schedule foresees the preparation and approval of the first investment decisions, including the first three projects, by the end of 2026.

Ukraine signed a minerals agreement with the US in April 2025 after several months of negotiations. The document grants the United States priority access to new Ukrainian projects in the mining sector in exchange for investment.

The capitalization of Ukraine’s startup ecosystem has soared 200% since 2020.

Since 2020, the capitalization of Ukraine’s startup ecosystem has increased by 200% and is currently estimated at $20.5 billion, noted Yana Hulak, Project Manager at the Ukrainian Startup Fund. According to her, over 90% of innovative small and medium enterprises assessed the future development of the Ukrainian startup ecosystem optimistically.

Additionally, the majority of surveyed players — 69% — noted an improvement in business conditions compared to previous years. This was facilitated, in part, by support from state institutions.

"In particular, our portfolio already includes more than 470 startups that have received state grant support totaling over UAH 380 million. These startups operate across 20 completely different industries," Hulak said.

Moreover, over 50 acceleration and incubation programs operate in Ukraine, offering participants not only funding but also mentorship and support for scaling to international markets.

The expert emphasized that, under the recently approved WINWIN 2030 strategy by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, priority sectors for support will include educational and medical technologies, dual-use products, and high-tech innovations. However, the main focus remains on defense innovations.