Vladimir Litvin, a Kharkiv-based digital entrepreneur and patron, together with his Lytvyn Foundation, has announced the launch of MindShift Awards — a new award for Ukrainian IT entrepreneurs aged 18 to 25. The event's slogan is "1,000,000 hryvnias for those who are changing Ukraine." The grant fund for the first edition of the award will amount to one million hryvnias, and the final ceremony is scheduled for the first half of 2027 in Kyiv. Young entrepreneurs who are building startups, SaaS products, AI solutions, technology services, or developing business ideas in any field using modern technologies and IT are invited to participate.
Two Tracks: From Idea to a Working Business
The award features two main tracks. The first — Startup Pitch — is designed for ideas, MVPs, and early-stage technology projects. Applications will first be reviewed by an expert jury, which will form a shortlist. The finalists will take part in mentorship sessions to prepare their pitches, after which they will present their projects live to the jury at the final ceremony. The second track is created for young entrepreneurs who already have a working business or startup. In this case, the audience will be involved in selecting the winner: an open online vote will be held on the MindShift Awards website, and its winner will receive a separate grant.
Grants and Non-Monetary Support
Support for participants will not be limited to a cash payment. The format of assistance depends on the specific needs of each project and may include funding, partner services, strategic and mentorship sessions, access to IT tools, and legal and marketing consulting. Participants will be able to use the grant support to refine their MVP, build a website or app, test hypotheses, work on design and branding, handle legal formalities, marketing, first sales, and participation in relevant events. Thus, a project at the idea or prototype stage will be able to obtain resources for a specific next step. In addition to the three main winners, special categories are provided: AI Product of the Year, Best MVP, and Future Impact.
Final in Kyiv and Networking
The first MindShift Awards will culminate in an offline ceremony in Kyiv, during which the finalists will present their startups to an expert jury. The winners will be announced and the grants awarded. A separate part of the final event will be networking between young entrepreneurs and representatives of the business community, experts, and potential partners. The organizers are addressing a problem faced by many young entrepreneurs: creating a promising product is not enough if it remains unknown beyond a small circle of users. MindShift Awards aims to give participants expert evaluation, mentorship support, new professional contacts, grants, and the opportunity to present their product to a wide audience.
Vladimir Litvin and the Mission of Lytvyn Foundation
Vladimir Litvin is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, investor, patron, and owner of a number of successful businesses. The Lytvyn Foundation, which he founded, is a charitable foundation that builds systematic free education for teenagers in the fields of entrepreneurship and technology. The strongest participants in the foundation's projects receive grants to develop their own ideas and dreams. Litvin is convinced that entrepreneurial thinking should be cultivated from a teenage age, which is why his foundation invests in the new generation that will build Ukraine's future. MindShift Awards continues the foundation's work with Ukrainian youth, taking it to the level of a professional award with real grant funding.
