Kyiv · Technology
Ukraine IT sector leads new company registrations for third consecutive quarter
Ukraine's information technology and software sector registered more new legal entities in Q1 2026 than any other sector of the economy, continuing a streak that began in the third quarter of 2024. The Unified State Register of Legal Entities recorded 1,847 new IT-sector registrations in January–March 2026, compared to 1,209 in the same period of 2025 — a 53% year-on-year increase.
The data reflects several overlapping trends. Ukraine's IT sector has benefited from a talent inflow as technology professionals returned from displacement in other European countries. The IT sector's exemption from military conscription for certain specialist categories has made software development employment attractive. And wartime demand for defense technology applications has created new product categories with rapid commercialization potential.
## Defense-tech registrations
A significant subset of Q1 registrations are defense-technology companies entering the Brave1 cluster, Ukraine's government-run defense tech accelerator. Brave1 reached 140 active portfolio companies in Q1 2026. The cluster provides registered companies with simplified procurement access to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and eligibility for government co-investment instruments.