YEP
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersKyiv, Ukraine
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
YEP firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- YEP
- Legal name
- YEP! company
- Website
- https://yepworld.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
YEP industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Incubation and Acceleration Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where YEP is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kyiv
- HQ country
- Ukraine
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
YEP business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Incubation & Acceleration Programs: Programs are provided free of charge to startups. YEP is supported by international development funds and government programs including USAID, Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, and various Ukrainian ministry partnerships. The organization operates as a non-profit entrepreneurial support initiative.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free incubation program for early-stage startups |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
YEP product offering
Product offeringCore offering
YEP is a Ukrainian startup incubator and accelerator that runs three free programs: the Entrepreneurial University curriculum (integrated online startup coursework delivered through 96+ Ukrainian universities), the YEP Incubator (a 3-5 week online pre-incubation track with mentor feedback for idea-stage founders), and the YEP Accelerator (an MVP/pre-traction program with individual mentors, grants, and a Demo Day pitch to investors). Programs are offered free of charge to founders and universities, funded by grants from USAID, the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, and Ukrainian government ministries.
Product overview
YEP is an innovation entrepreneurship ecosystem offering three interconnected core programs: YEP University (Підприємницький університет), an online entrepreneurial curriculum integrated into 96+ Ukrainian universities; YEP Incubator (Інкубатор), a pre-MVP startup support program offering online incubation and mentor feedback; and YEP Accelerator (Акселератор), an MVP/pre-revenue program providing individual mentor support, grants, and investor pitch opportunities. The ecosystem is supported by the YEP Alumni Network of 500+ graduated startups and includes flagship events like the YEP Acceleration Demo Day and Student Startup Battle competitions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- YEP! Moldova: Regional startup incubator and accelerator operation in Moldova, led by Viorica Cerbuska as Founder & CEO
Products and services
- YEP University (Підприємницький університет / Entrepreneurial University) A nationwide online entrepreneurship curriculum integrated into 96+ Ukrainian universities in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Education and Science, and Ministry of Youth and Sports. Delivered through Moodle LMS with structured modules covering startup ecosystem, customer development, business modeling, and pitch preparation. Reached 20,000+ students with 220+ teachers trained across 29 cities. Free for universities thanks to support from USAID and other partners.
- YEP Incubator (Інкубатор)
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ startups graduated from programs since 2016
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use YEP
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
YEP technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
YEP partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Ministry of Digital Transformation of UkrainecoreGovernment ministry partner in the Entrepreneurial University initiative, supporting integration of startup-focused coursework into Ukrainian universities alongside Ministry of Education.
- Ministry of Education and Science of UkrainecoreGovernment ministry partner in the Entrepreneurial University initiative, enabling curriculum integration into university educational programs.
- Ministry of Youth and Sports of UkrainecoreGovernment ministry partner in the Entrepreneurial University initiative supporting youth entrepreneurship development.
- GenesiscoreUkrainian product company providing marketing mentorship to YEP acceleration graduates. Part of Genesis StartUp Academy together with Meta. Provides additional opportunities for startups including video content for Startup Istanbul YouTube channel.
- Startup Wise GuysmajorBaltic-based startup accelerator and investor, partner in YEP ecosystem providing cross-border startup support and mentor network access.
- Lift99majorCoworking and startup community operator with Kyiv Hub providing free memberships to YEP acceleration graduates with access to coworking in Ukraine and Estonia.
- Garage48minorEstonian startup event organizer and ecosystem partner, part of YEP's partner network for global startup opportunities.
- Startup DayminorEstonian startup conference organizer where YEP alumni participate with science-based startups.
- Startup IstanbulminorTurkish startup ecosystem platform providing video content opportunities for YEP startups on their YouTube channel (160,000+ readers).
- Cisco UkraineminorTechnology company partner supporting YEP acceleration program with technical expertise and ecosystem connections.
- University of TartucoreEstonian university partner in the UnivEntre project focused on teaching entrepreneurship and strengthening university-business collaboration. Conducted joint conferences, webinars, and pre-incubation programs with over 100 teachers trained in 2022 and 1,000+ researchers engaged in 2023.
- UNIT.CityminorKyiv-based innovation park and startup ecosystem hub, partner in YEP's network providing infrastructure and community access.
- Spyre.GroupminorUkrainian innovation ecosystem company with expertise in startup ecosystem development, represented on YEP's Expert Advisory Board.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
YEP competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Techstars: Global, well-funded accelerator network with mentor-driven 3-month programs and standardized equity-based terms. Relevant broad incumbent benchmark for YEP's accelerator program; provides a comparison reference for program structure, equity terms, and post-program investor syndication scale.
- Y Combinator: The largest global startup accelerator, operating twice-yearly cohort-based programs with standardized seed investment. Comparable as the category-defining benchmark for accelerator methodology, Demo Day format (the direct inspiration for YEP's Demo Days), and alumni network effects YEP aspires to replicate regionally.
- Antler: Global early-stage investor and accelerator with active operations across Europe and CEE. Comparable broad incumbent running structured cohort programs targeting first-time founders and idea-stage teams - directly overlapping with YEP's Incubator target segment, with significantly more capital and follow-on capacity.
- Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator and founder training program operating in 200+ cities with a structured 14-week curriculum. Comparable to YEP's Incubator/University programs in methodology (structured curriculum, mentor-led sessions, idea-to-MVP focus) and target audience (first-time founders), though FI operates with equity participation.
Direct peers
- Lift99: Estonian-origin coworking and founder community network with active Kyiv Hub. Direct partner to YEP (free memberships to YEP accelerator graduates); both serve the same cross-border Estonia-Ukraine founder community with comparable community-led programming and Demo Day-style activation events.
- Startup Wise Guys: Baltic-based B2B startup accelerator and investor. Directly comparable to YEP as both run equity-based acceleration programs targeting early-stage CEE founders, share the same investor network (YEP lists Startup Wise Guys as a strategic partner), and serve overlapping cross-border startup communities in Ukraine, Estonia, and the Baltics.
- Garage48: Estonian-origin startup hackathon and weekend event organizer with active Ukraine/CEE operations. Comparable to YEP in event-driven founder activation, mentorship networks, and a partnership relationship referenced on YEP's site; both target idea-to-MVP founders with structured short-format programming.
- 1991 Accelerator: Ukrainian tech accelerator operating in Kyiv, focused on early-stage startups with mentor and investor support. Direct regional peer competing for the same Ukrainian pre-seed founder pool as YEP's Accelerator, with overlapping investor networks and Demo Day-style graduation events.
Emerging players
- European Innovation Academy (EIA): Europe-based university-linked entrepreneurship program operating intensive summer bootcamps and pre-incubation curricula. Comparable to YEP's Entrepreneurial University initiative in curriculum integration with universities and first-time-founder focus, though EIA targets student founders primarily through short-format programs.
Regional players
- Impact Hub Kyiv: Kyiv-based member of the global Impact Hub network providing coworking, incubation programming, and impact-focused community. Comparable as a Ukrainian ecosystem peer offering incubation-style programming for early-stage social/tech founders; competes for the same pre-seed Kyiv founder community.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
YEP social profiles
Digital presenceYEP financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
YEP leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
YEP subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
YEP funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
YEP M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about YEP
What does YEP do?
YEP is a Ukrainian startup incubator and accelerator that runs three free programs: the Entrepreneurial University curriculum (integrated online startup coursework delivered through 96+ Ukrainian universities), the YEP Incubator (a 3-5 week online pre-incubation track with mentor feedback for idea-stage founders), and the YEP Accelerator (an MVP/pre-traction program with individual mentors, grants, and a Demo Day pitch to investors). Programs are offered free of charge to founders and universities, funded by grants from USAID, the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, and Ukrainian government ministries.
Is YEP a public or private company?
YEP is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was YEP founded?
YEP was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is YEP based?
YEP is headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, in the Europe region.
How does YEP make money?
One revenue line is on record: incubation & Acceleration Programs.
Who are YEP's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Techstars, Y Combinator, Antler and Founder Institute. Direct peers are Lift99, Startup Wise Guys, Garage48 and 1991 Accelerator. European Innovation Academy (EIA) is listed as an emerging player. Impact Hub Kyiv is listed as a regional player.
Does YEP have an API?
No public API is recorded for YEP.
What industry is YEP in?
YEP's product category is Startup Incubation and Acceleration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators, with a secondary code of FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.