Ukrainian Headway Joins Global Endeavor Network

In the fall of 2024, the global entrepreneur network Endeavor launched in Ukraine, making it the 46th country to join the organization. The first Ukrainian company to become a member of Endeavor was the tech company Headway, known for creating educational products.

Headway’s founder and CEO, Anton Pavlovskyi, became the first Ukrainian entrepreneur to join a community that includes the founders of Glovo, Rappi, Checkout, and over 1,600 other companies.

As a member of Endeavor, Headway gains access to mentorship, a global network of advisors, potential clients, and partners. The community includes over 1,000 mentors and investors, among them LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, former Netflix CFO David Wells, Amazon Senior VP Steve Kessel, and OpenAI Managing Director Oliver Jay.

Endeavor operates 46 offices worldwide and reviews around 5,000 businesses each year. Only 80-90 are selected to join. Each selection process involves interviews with founders conducted by a special panel assembled by Endeavor. Headway’s selection panel included founders and executives from UiPath, Nomad, BMB Group, Ding, Coverflex, and Flipkart.

There are three main selection criteria: An innovative business model with high growth potential; The founder must reside in or have a strong connection to Ukraine; The founder must have industry influence and be willing to invest in, mentor, or otherwise support other entrepreneurs.

Why is the Endeavor community valuable?

Endeavor is a global organization, founded in 1997, that now connects entrepreneurs in nearly 50 countries. Its mission is to help founders grow their companies. “It’s a support network where everyone helps each other,” says Sviatoslav Sviatnenko, Managing Director of Endeavor Ukraine. “From IPO or M&A preparation, to access to quality business education, market expansion, or pitching top investors — the community is there to support.” According to Sviatnenko, the network includes nearly 3,000 entrepreneurs, many of whom lead billion-dollar businesses, making it an ideal place to find mentors and partners.

Endeavor also operates its own investment fund, Endeavor Catalyst, which is among the top global early-stage investors outside the US and China.The fund can invest up to $2 million, provided the investment does not exceed 10% of the total round.

So far, Endeavor Catalyst has invested in over 350 startups and scale-ups, alongside firms such as Index Ventures, Accel, Sequoia Capital, General Atlantic, and the IFC.One in six of its portfolio startups is a “unicorn”.

According to Sviatnenko, Endeavor Catalyst may make its first investment in a Ukrainian company in 2025.

Endeavor officially began operations in Ukraine in 2024. The Ukrainian office was financially supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, with contributions of $250,000 and $200,000 respectively, according to Forbes. Additional funding came from members of the Board of Directors, which includes Vitalii Laptenok, Managing Partner at Flyer One Ventures and co-founder of Genesis, along with eight other top executives from Ukrainian companies — among them Oleksandr Kosovan (MacPaw), Volodymyr Kostiuk (Farmak), and Anton Borzov (StratMinds).