Andrii Hrytsenyuk has officially announced the completion of his tenure as CEO of the defense-tech cluster Brave1, a position he held since May 2025. In a public statement, he noted that «a stage of work within the state team lasting three and a half years has come to an end» and that he is no longer the cluster's CEO. According to him, it was a «difficult decision», but «moving forward generally requires hard steps». Hrytsenyuk did not disclose specific details about his new role, limiting his comments to stating that he will continue working in «Ukrainian defense».
Path in State Projects: From Fintech to Defense
In his address, Hrytsenyuk recalled his years of experience in the public sector. Since 2019, he served as an advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation on fintech projects, and starting in 2023, he focused entirely on state initiatives. Among the key projects he participated in, he named the Diia platform, the UNITED24 international service, the Mriya educational application, the Reserve+ mobilization system, and finally, the Brave1 cluster itself. Thus, his departure from the CEO position does not mean leaving the state defense sector, but rather a change in his format of involvement.
Results of One and a Half Years as CEO: Marketplace, Grants, and Testing Infrastructure
Hrytsenyuk joined Brave1 in May 2025 alongside a new leadership team. During his tenure, the cluster achieved several strategic goals: the Brave1 Market marketplace was launched, the grant support program for developers was updated, and an infrastructure for systematic weapons testing was created in cooperation with the NEXT unit. In an interview with RBC-Ukraine prior to his departure, he reported that over the course of a year, drones worth more than 35 billion hryvnias were sold on Brave1 Market, and the cluster reviews about 40 grant applications per week. Recently, he also stated that seven interceptor drones designed to counter jet-powered Shaheds are already operational in Ukraine, with 22 developer teams involved in their creation, 12 of which received state funding from Brave1.
Transition Period: Who Remains in Leadership
The cluster's management team generally remains intact. Viktor Rudenko continues to serve as the acting head of the Innovation Development Fund. Brave1 Chief Operating Officer Iryna Zabolotna, according to the company, will focus on developing the cluster during the transition period associated with the search for a new CEO. This means that the operational activities of Brave1 Market, the grant program, and project areas—including work with the 22 interceptor teams—are expected to maintain continuity during the leadership shuffle.
Context: The Role of Brave1 in Ukraine's Defense Ecosystem
Brave1 is a key state cluster coordinating the development and procurement of defense technologies in Ukraine. The scale of its activities—ranging from a marketplace with a turnover of tens of billions of hryvnias to grant funding for dozens of teams—makes leadership changes a significant event for the entire industry. Hrytsenyuk's departure, having gone from ministerial advisor to CEO of one of the country's largest defense projects over three and a half years, highlights high turnover rates within Ukraine's state tech teams amid the ongoing war and growing demands for defense technology import substitution.
