At the beginning of July 2025, the fifth season of the Boot Camp project by Kharkiv IT Cluster came to a close. This year, participants worked under the theme “Innovations for the Reconstruction of Ukraine” — and they didn’t just brainstorm concepts, they brought their ideas to life by developing initial working MVPs.
Boot Camp is an initiative by the Kharkiv IT Cluster community that has been helping beginners gain practical experience in entrepreneurship and improve their professional IT skills since 2020.
In 2024, the Boot Camp project was honored with the Ukrainian Enterprise Promotion Awards, a national recognition.
Over a period of 2.5 months, participants worked in teams on real projects, guided by mentors from IT companies within Kharkiv IT Cluster. The teams presented six MVPs in various fields — from volunteering and education to Web3, fintech, and robotics.
The Boot Camp project brought in experienced mentors and selected the most relevant directions for modern societal development. Students not only gained hands-on project development experience but also contributed to shaping the future of Ukraine.
This year, Boot Camp:
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united over 430 young professionals who applied;
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64 participants were selected to work on the projects;
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a total of 7,248 hours were contributed;
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each participant invested on average 173 hours of their time;
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more than 30 projects have been created throughout the program’s history.
Students Angelina Danilova (KN-322a, Department of Project Management in Information Technologies) and Dmytro Volobuiev (KN-322b, Department of Systems Analysis and Information and Analytical Technologies) received finalist certificates for their participation in the development team of “Myrko”, a mobile anti-stress companion app for children. They worked under the mentorship of Tetiana Netrybiichuk, an expert from the IT company Viseven.
“Myrko” is an offline app that helps children cope with stress. It features virtual animals that users can play with, pet, and feed. The app is designed for children experiencing anxiety — in hospitals, shelters, or unfamiliar situations. Myrko responds to touch and requires no explanations: it is simple, warm, and always there.
Student Aliona Karas (KN-1223a, Department of Project Management in Information Technologies) received a finalist certificate for her role in developing “MyTut”, a volunteer app, as part of a team mentored by Volodymyr Kuzmenko, an expert from the IT company Quantum.
MyTut is a platform supporting volunteer activities and effective collaboration with businesses. It’s a social platform that connects volunteers, business representatives, and anyone who wants to help.
The app allows users to: organize fundraisers, check accountability, participate in charity events, and launch their own initiatives. MyTut simplifies and brings transparency to volunteering. It’s a bridge between those who have resources and those who need support.
Finalists gained:
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experience working in teams on real projects with roles, deadlines, meetings, challenges, and wins;
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mentorship from industry professionals, including feedback, support, and in-depth analysis;
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understanding of the MVP development process — from idea validation to presenting the results to the jury;
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career counseling and hard skills assessments to identify strengths and areas for growth;
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participation in a mini-camp by Junior Achievement Ukraine, which provided training in financial literacy, presentations, and leadership;
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certificates of participation, personalized LinkedIn feedback, and the chance to join the Kharkiv IT Cluster talent pool.
All Boot Camp 2025 projects show strong potential for further development and scaling, and the teams are already working toward that.
Boot Camp 2025 is a unique opportunity to take your first steps in IT and gain practical experience while collaborating with industry experts.