Oleksandr Konotopskyi, founder and supervisory board chairman of Ajax Systems, has turned a Ukrainian startup into Europe's largest manufacturer of security systems, with devices sold in more than 180 countries worldwide. RBC-Ukraine covers the history of the company and its founder — from the first steps in business journalism to international production facilities in Turkey and Vietnam.
From Journalism to Engineering: Shaping an Entrepreneur
Oleksandr Konotopskyi was born on June 7, 1986. Between 2004 and 2009, he studied at the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute," focusing on engineering, electronics, and computer science. His student years coincided with working for the weekly publication Vlast Deneg, where Konotopskyi wrote business articles. In his own words, business journalism gave him access to the entrepreneurial community, from whose members he adopted valuable experience. After winning an Olympiad, mobile operator MTS Ukraine (now Vodafone Ukraine) offered him a job: Konotopskyi spent about a year as a radio planning engineer.
Secur: First Steps in the Security Business
In 2008, Oleksandr Konotopskyi, together with his friend Yevhen Humeniuk, founded the security equipment online store Secur. The first months were a trial: orders came in extremely rarely, and the team experimented with various sales approaches. "It's a reality check: you enter business as a young entrepreneur with plans to conquer the world, and you get one request a month," Konotopskyi recalls. Finding their own approach to sales began to bear fruit, and in about four years, the store claimed a leading position among security system distributors in Ukraine.
Ajax Systems: Betting on an In-House Product
Distributing third-party equipment was profitable, yet Secur could not influence the quality of other people's devices. In 2011, Oleksandr Konotopskyi registered the Research and Production Enterprise Ajax, which later became known as Ajax Systems. Alongside developing the new company, he continued to manage Secur before eventually handing over management to a colleague. In 2014, the team decided to enter international markets, betting on their own product. "Building your own international distribution network is not easy, but if you enter as a manufacturer, all doors open," explains Konotopskyi.
Investment and Stress Testing
In 2015, Ajax Systems attracted its first external investor: the SMRK fund invested $1 million in the company. Four years later, in 2019, Horizon Capital acquired a minority stake for $10 million. A serious test for business models came with the 2020 pandemic: in markets with strict lockdowns, sales dropped by 90%, though the company's total downturn stopped at 55%. At the same time, Ajax preserved both its team and salaries. "We didn't enter the 1% of businesses for which coronavirus was not a problem, but we are among the 5% for whom it wasn't a major problem," Konotopskyi assesses that period.
Business Amidst War: New Production Sites
Ajax Systems met Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine with a clear stance: the company severed all trade relations with Russia and Belarus. On October 1 of that same year, the first device rolled off the line at a new plant in Turkey, and in November 2025, production launched in Vietnam. Speaking about how the business holds the blow, Konotopskyi uses poker terminology: "The game ends when you stand up from the table. Only you can stop it."
Recognition and Current Scale
In 2021, Forbes Ukraine named Oleksandr Konotopskyi Entrepreneur of the Year and honored him in the "Strategic Thinking" category. In 2022, he was featured in World of Forbes and the "30 Under 30: Successful Young Ukrainians" ranking. In 2024, Ukrainska Pravda included him in the list of 100 people moving Ukraine forward, and in 2025, New Voice named him one of the most influential Ukrainians. That same year, the British Security and Safety Entrepreneur Awards 2025 recognized Konotopskyi as Entrepreneur of the Year for his contribution to security innovations. Today, Ajax's portfolio features 280 devices for intrusion protection, video surveillance, fire safety, comfort, and automation. The company's products are trusted by over 4.5 million end-users and 330,000 PRO users across 180+ countries. Beyond technology development, Ajax Systems is engaged in cultural, educational, and social projects.
