Chapter partner?

Brave Inventors is a Ukrainian platform of wartime inventors and inventions. It features more than 100 Ukrainian projects that help bring victory closer: attack drones, demining equipment, charging stations, pontoons, etc. The project was initiated by Cosmolot. ITC editors spoke with Olena, the founder and director of the project. She tells how this project was born and whether it became useful for Ukrainians.

How and when did the idea to launch the platform arise? Why exactly in this form?

About six months after the start of the full-scale invasion, Cosmolot realized that tipping is the standard for any responsible business. And they wanted to do more.

We thought for a long time what it could be. We considered the option of creating a fund, some offline event like a conference. The last option gave rise to the idea of ​​an online platform — because holding an offline event on such a topic is quite dangerous.

In the fall of 2022, the Brave Inventors team met Ukrainian inventors UA Dynamics. They make the Punisher reusable strike drone. After talking with them, we saw that Ukrainians are a very resourceful nation. UA Dynamics created it in 2016 for themselves, assembled it with their own hands, and now they have a powerful production, and their UAV is known far beyond the borders of Ukraine.

It became clear that many Ukrainian inventors lack publicity and communication. This is how the idea of ​​creating a platform that would give a voice to these people, tell the world about them and become a platform for the development of Ukrainian developers appeared.

Were there similar projects in Ukraine then?

There were none, at least we don’t know of any. The first landing page with a “hastily” made description of the project was released in December. At that time, the idea was unique and the Brave Inventors platform became one of the first such projects on the market.

Could not such openness be dangerous for inventors?

Of course, we are constantly worried about this question, as well as many of our subscribers on social networks. We constantly analyze the extent to which the information presented on our platform can be sensitive and useful to the enemy. But becoming famous and making a statement is the only way for inventors to find orders and investors. If no one knows about the invention, how will it be used? In addition, we do not publish deep technical details and production scales: only general characteristics, such as flight range or weight. Each of them is coordinated with the manufacturers.

When the invention begins to be used on the battlefield, word of mouth works best. Soldiers tell each other about useful devices, information spreads quickly. But in order to find the money to produce the first units, publicity is needed.

When did Brave Inventors get its “modern” look? How did the project look for the first inventors?

Initially, the project was handled by a small outsourced team, in addition to me. They looked for the first inventors, wrote to them themselves and offered accommodation.

In January 2023, a month after the launch, PR girl Veronika joined. Thanks to her help, the media began to write about Brave Inventors, the inventors themselves already applied. At the same time, we updated the site.

In the spring, it became clear that we would not be able to continue working with the outsourced team. A person from an agency cannot be fully involved in processes in the same way as a person inside a team. We had problems at the stage of applications from inventors — for example, they could be answered for a long time, but they were not given quick and competent feedback.

In July, Alyona, the platform coordinator, joined the team, and it turned out to be a very good idea. She is maximally involved in processes, can help inventors in various issues: collaborations, requests from investors, expert opinion. For example, someone can search for certain details, and Alyona knows that someone has already offered them before. And it can bring two interested parties together.

At the end of the summer, the platform finally got the look it has now.

How many inventors have already published their inventions and what path do they have to go through for this?

Inventions on the platform are divided into three categories:

Donating is just money. This category of inventors is not yet ready to work in the investment format, they do not fully understand how to scale and develop the invention as a business.
Investments are for inventors who want to build a business and are ready to make certain commitments to investors.
An order is a direct purchase of an already finished invention.

The main purpose of the platform is to connect inventors of military equipment with businesses that are willing and able to finance or otherwise support these projects. We made a system of donations from the population, but we do not make big bets on them. Many producers immediately fall into three categories — for example, a producer needs donations, is ready to work with an investor, and already has a product they can buy.

As of December 1, there were 137 projects on the platform. If in the first stages we were looking for inventors, now they come themselves. There are many of them and far from all of them are certified — that is, they have a finished product and a document certifying its quality.

To enter the platform, the inventor must fill out a form on the site. Elena receives it and checks whether it is full. If the invention is certified and there is enough information, we place it on the website.

How do you select projects for publication?

The Brave Inventors team does not have the expertise to understand whether this product is feasible, whether it can work, or whether it even has a right to exist. Therefore, we created an expert group: volunteer Boris Volkov, military officer Dmytro “Fox” and Punisher UAV developer Maksym Subotin. We are now adding a new expert to the platform, who has experience in obtaining patents in the field of AI, development for the Armed Forces, and is an inventor himself.

This group reviews all uncertified inventions. They can provide advice to the inventor on how to improve the product. Or explain why this invention will not work, give specific reasons.

We refuse, for example, when the idea is abstract, there is no clear implementation plan, or when it is an idea that someone else should implement, or implementation on the condition that “give us a hundred million money quickly and then I will do it.”

There are also very funny situations. Once we were offered to make an invisible drone. A Belarusian also wrote that he suggested dropping cans of vodka from drones on the Orcs’ positions in order to destroy them because of the main weakness of the Russians. And there is a person who draws inventions with a pen in a notebook and sends us photos and videos so that we can do it.

According to the percentage ratio, about 70% are inventions that have the right to exist, but after detailed analysis and obtaining expert opinions, about 50-60% get on the platform. Others, for various reasons, require revision or confirmation of the provided characteristics.

What results of the platform can you talk about now?

Investors from different countries started contacting us. Negotiations with a venture fund from the Arab Emirates, a philanthropist from Great Britain and a group of American investors are in an active stage. Ukrainian companies are also contacting us, which can’t help but please. There is already the first case, when the team of the Ukrainian IT company took the inventor under their care and helps him with the creation of a website for his development, and they also have joint plans to attract investors and set up serial production.

We help our inventors in negotiations. Olena (platform coordinator) does not just bring them together, she accompanies them at all stages. It can, for example, show templates of documents that need to be prepared, remind about deadlines, organize meetings, etc.

During our work, we have found partners who help inventors. One of them, for example, is the legal company Axon Partners. They help inventors with contracts and other legal issues.

How do you plan to develop the platform in the future?

Our future plans are to attract more businesses that would help inventors systematically. Ideally, get state support.

We are hindered by a biased attitude towards the gambling business. Brave Inventors is made on the initiative of Cosmolot. There is no monetization on the platform and there will not be. For us, this is a corporate social responsibility project. We will be happy if every inventor finds the support he is looking for.

One of our main tasks is to bring Victory closer by scaling up inventions and transferring them to the front, and in the future help Ukraine become a world “military hub”. We are a very inventive nation, and all our inventions are tested in real combat. Our inventions are tested as quickly as possible by real military personnel, and are improved based on military feedback. Therefore, I believe that this is one of the most promising areas of business that will help Ukraine develop after the Victory. But now we have to win and we can do it only thanks to technologies. Therefore, the main goal of Brave Inventors remains the scaling of useful technologies.

We call on responsible business to participate, choose an inventor and systematically financially support him.

Chapter partner?

Brave Inventors is a national platform of inventors and wartime inventions. Here you can place your military inventions, talk about developments and prototypes, find the necessary funding or a mentor, and also get more opportunities to cooperate with manufacturers, enterprises and businesses. You can support inventions by following the link.