SocialBoost

What SocialBoost does

SocialBoost is an international non-profit civic technology NGO founded in 2012 and headquartered at Sichovyh Striltsiv, 23a in Kyiv, Ukraine. The organization connects the startup ecosystem with government bodies and civil society to develop digital tools for governance, transparency, and citizen engagement. Its portfolio spans startup acceleration programs (1991 Accelerator, Cyberaccelerator, Fintech Master, Open Banking Lab, Hromada 4.0, 1991 Reload, EU Association Lab, Open Data Accelerator 2024), participatory budgeting platforms (Hromadsky Project used by 99 Ukrainian cities and All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting with 30 million hryvnias allocated in 2020), the National Open Data Portal (data.gov.ua), municipal technology platforms (Dosvit for community websites used by 85 communities, DOBRE.Pytannya for mobile surveys, ReDonbass for conflict damage monitoring), and recurring events (Civic Tech Summit, National Defence Hackathon, Open Data Hackathon).

Name

SocialBoost

Legal name

SocialBoost

Website

https://socialboost.ua

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SocialBoost is a Kyiv-based non-profit civic tech NGO that develops digital governance, open data, and participatory budgeting platforms for Ukrainian municipalities while running startup acceleration programs funded by international development donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Technology Software

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms (HDAEAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Q&A & Knowledge Communities (BPAMABAI)

Keywords

• Civic technology platforms
• Participatory budgeting software
• Government digital services
• Open data solutions
• Startup incubation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyiv

HQ country

Ukraine

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor-funded Programs: SocialBoost operates as an international non-profit civic tech NGO that develops tech solutions with social impact. Funding comes from international donors and development organizations to support programs in Ukraine and developing economies.
2. Platform Licensing (B2G): Since December 2018, the Hromadsky Project platform is monetized for cities through an annual usage fee that varies depending on the population. Fee includes server infrastructure support, system debugging advice, technical support, and bug fixes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SocialBoost develops civic technology platforms and runs digital acceleration programs that connect Ukrainian startups with government and civil society. Its core products include the Hromadsky Project participatory budgeting platform licensed to 99 cities, the Dosvit modular municipal website platform serving 85 communities, the DOBRE.Pytannya offline-capable survey tool, the ReDonbass destruction-monitoring platform, and the National Open Data Portal (data.gov.ua). The organization also operates startup accelerators (1991 Accelerator, Cyberaccelerator, Fintech Master, Open Banking Lab, Hromada 4.0) that have supported 250+ startups across 13 countries.

Product overview

SocialBoost is an international non-profit civic tech NGO that develops tech solutions with social impact. The organization operates a diverse portfolio of programs and platforms rather than a single unified product. Core platforms include the 1991 Accelerator (rebranded from 1991 Open Data Incubator in 2022) for startup acceleration, Hromadsky Project for participatory budgeting used in 99 Ukrainian cities, All-Ukrainian Participatory Budgeting for national-level citizen participation, and the National Open Data Portal (data.gov.ua). Supporting programs include acceleration initiatives (Cyberaccelerator, Fintech Master, Open Banking Lab, EU Association Lab, Hromada 4.0, 1991 Reload), hackathons and events (National Defence Hackathon, 1991 Hackathon: Media, Civic Tech Summit, Open Data Hackathon 2024), open data programs (Open Data Challenge, Open Data Mastermind, Open Data Unbroken, Open Data Accelerator 2024, Open Data Ambassadors 2024), and community platforms (Dosvit for community websites, DOBRE.Pytannya for surveys, ReDonbass for conflict monitoring). The organization also operates physical hubs including the 1991 Civic Tech Center and 1991 Mariupol Startup Development Center, along with mentorship programs like Civic Tech Sisters and Realies for disinformation countering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.44 social return on investment according to Impact Record 2021 by One Young World
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Mastercard UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration with Mastercard on Fintech Master - first incubation program in Ukraine for fintech startups using open data from financial institutions.
• National Bank of UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpened data in 2016 and collaborated on Fintech Master program, providing open data access for fintech startup development.
• Microsoft UkrainesupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvided Windows Azure cloud platform hosting for the National Open Data Portal (data.gov.ua).
• JSC OTP BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral partner and sponsor for Open Banking Lab - first open banking program in Ukraine. Provided corporate APIs and funding for fintech startups.
• UkrzaliznytsiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState railway company partnering on Future of Mobility Lab - incubation program for startups reviewing technological background and developing joint projects.
• Ministry of Digital Transformation of UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry collaborating on Open Data Unbroken accelerator, Diia.Osvita educational courses, and various digital transformation initiatives.
• One Young WorldsupportingOthersInternational organization that recognized SocialBoost's impact with $1:44 social return on investment documented in Impact Record 2021.
• PrivatBanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Ukrainian bank partnered on Hromadsky Project in 2017, developing APIs for integration into bank products and expanding voting capabilities through self-service terminals.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Code for All: Global network of civic-tech organizations (including Code for America, Code for Germany). Comparable mission to SocialBoost in deploying technologists into government and civic projects, with broader geographic footprint and more mature funding model.
• Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI): International development company that partners with SocialBoost on the Cyberaccelerator and operates donor-funded programs similar to SocialBoost's 1991 Accelerator. Comparable donor-funded program management and government engagement model.
• Open Knowledge Foundation: UK-headquartered non-profit promoting open data and civic technology globally. Comparable to SocialBoost in open-data publishing, civic-tech tooling, and developer-community engagement, though with broader geographic scope.
• Open Data Charter: International non-profit advancing open government data standards and adoption globally. Comparable to SocialBoost's National Open Data Portal (data.gov.ua) work and open-data advocacy across multiple country contexts.

Direct peers

• Govtech Poland: Polish government initiative supporting civic-tech innovation and startups working with public administration. Comparable to SocialBoost's 1991 Accelerator and civic-tech center model, and explicitly credited as a peer organization at the Civic Tech Summit.
• e-Governance Academy: Estonia-based non-profit that supports digital transformation and e-governance in developing and transition economies. Directly comparable mission to SocialBoost: building open data and civic-tech capacity, running acceleration-style programs, and partnering with international donors (USAID, EU, UNDP) across CEE and beyond.

Regional players

• betterplace.org: Germany-based donation platform that funds SocialBoost's Civic Tech Sisters mentorship program. Comparable non-profit/NGO operating model and donor-channel infrastructure, primarily serving DACH-region donors.
• DataFest Tbilisi: Georgian data and civic-tech festival/network focused on open data and government accountability in the Caucasus region. Comparable open-data and civic-engagement mission to SocialBoost, cited as a peer contributor to the Civic Tech Summit, and serving a neighboring geography.

Emerging players

• Catalisto: Acceleration program partner on SocialBoost's Cyberaccelerator, working with cybersecurity startups. Comparable to 1991 Accelerator in early-stage startup support and mentorship models, with cybersecurity specialization.

Others

• Luminate: Global philanthropic organization that funded SocialBoost's 1991 Civic Tech Center and Civic Tech Summit. Comparable to SocialBoost in deploying philanthropic capital to civic-tech and democratic-governance causes, though functioning primarily as funder rather than implementer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socialboostua

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SocialBoost