Endeavor Catalyst Backs 3 Ukrainian Tech Firms in $320M Funding

Preply, Headway Inc. and HOLYWATER TECH – three tech firms with Ukrainian roots – are backed by Endeavor Catalyst, the venture capital arm of the global entrepreneur network Endeavor, which has closed its Funding V at $320 million. The closure brings the firm’s assets under management to more than $850 million.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Preply and Headway Inc. are EdTech companies, with the former becoming a unicorn, a tech term for companies valued at over $1 billion, in January 2026, while HOLYWATER TECH is an entertainment company focused on vertical videos and interactive stories. Preply was founded in Kyiv in 2012 and has since expanded globally with offices in Europe and the US. Headway Inc. was founded in Ukraine in 2019, initially offering book summaries and has since expanded into lifelong learning. Endeavor Catalys said it aims to promote startups outside Silicon Valley, describing its mission as “invest in the founders Endeavor believes in, backing them as they grow from local markets into global companies.” Demand for Fund V exceeded the amount the firm planned to raise, making it oversubscribed. The fund invests exclusively in companies led by Endeavor Entrepreneurs, the founders selected into the Endeavor community, and co-invests alongside leading venture capital and growth equity firms. The firm has named Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund and General Atlantic among its co-investors. According to the company’s press release, Fund V is backed by the founders of Nubank, Revolut, LinkedIn, Snowflake, Checkout.com, Globant, Careem and others. Other Topics of Interest Austria Releases Ukrainian Investigative Journalist Mykhailo Tkach After Detention in Vienna The two journalists had been hunting for a sacked Ukrainian official in hiding who is wanted for corruption, when Vienna law enforcers picked them up. Endeavor Catalyst said it has deployed more than $500 million across more than 400 investments since its founding, with a portfolio that includes 83 companies valued at $1 billion or more, 39 exits to date and 11 initial public offerings (IPOs). Sviat Sviatnenko, managing director of Endeavor in Ukraine, said the three Ukrainian firms backed in Funding V are “shaping what’s next for their categories.” “Three companies with Ukrainian roots are already in the Endeavor Catalyst portfolio – Preply, Headway Inc. and HOLYWATER TECH. All of them are building global products from day one and shaping what’s next for their categories,” Sviatnenko was quoted as saying in the press release. Under Funding V, Europe saw 12 new investments in the first half of 2026, compared with 14 in all of 2025. Latin America remains the portfolio’s largest region, while Endeavor Catalyst also invests in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the US and Canada. Endeavor Catalyst said it invested in Venezuela for the first time in its Funding V. Beyond Preply, Funding V has made early investments in startups including Replit, Moove, Cashea, Respond.io, EnduroSat, HappyRobot, and Lunar Outpost, among others. Endeavor Catalyst said it expects to deploy an additional $25 million to $30 million over the remainder of 2026. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.