On November 20, Kyiv hosted the UP100 award, which brought together the best Ukrainian entrepreneurs and startups that shape the future of business. Among the partners was the HitBit Pro team (https://hitbitpro.com.ua/), which for the first time presented its global lifestyle project aimed at integrating cryptocurrencies into everyday life.
HitBit Pro is a modern financial instrument that allows you to pay for any purchases in cryptocurrency through automatic conversion to fiat currency (euros). The card is supported by the Mastercard network.
Registration and management of the card are as convenient as possible: everything can be done through a Telegram bot. This makes HitBit Pro accessible even to those who are new to cryptocurrencies.
At the UP100 award, the HitBit Pro team presented an interactive stand where visitors could familiarize themselves with the product’s functionality. Guests observed how easy it was to register, order a card, and make payments in real time.
According to the founders, their product is designed for people who value freedom in financial transactions. “We want to make cryptocurrency accessible to everyone. Our card is an easy way to integrate digital assets into everyday life,” said one of the founders of HitBit Pro.
The new HitBit Pro project is aimed at young people and active travelers looking for flexible solutions to manage their finances. It allows you to use cryptocurrency for everyday purchases in stores, restaurants, traveling, and even online.
The key goal is to bust the myth that cryptocurrency is complicated or inaccessible. HitBit Pro offers a tool that makes using cryptocurrencies as easy as using a bank card.
The partnership with UP100 was the first public presentation of HitBit Pro.
In January-September 2024, PJSC “Insurance Company ‘Persha’ (Kyiv) collected UAH 832.3 million of gross premiums, which is 38.9% more than in the same period of 2023.
According to the Expert Rating agency, which confirms the credit rating/financial strength rating of the insurer at the level of “uaAA” on the national scale, its assessment was based on the analysis of the insurer’s activities for 9 months. 2024.
It is specified that the part of the insurance premiums of the IC in the period under review, which belongs to reinsurers, increased by 8.89%, and their share in the structure of the company’s gross premiums decreased by 1.96 percentage points to 7.09%.
In the first three quarters of 2024, the company made 62.06% more insurance payments and reimbursements (UAH 320.5 thousand) than in the same period of 2023, and the level of payments increased by 5.52 percentage points to 38.51%.
As of June 1, 2024, the shareholders’ equity of IC “Persha” increased by 12.08% to UAH 207.65 million, and its gross liabilities showed an increase of 14.47% to UAH 848.92 million. The level of equity coverage of liabilities decreased by 0.52 percentage points to 24.46% as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2024.
As of the reporting date, the amount of cash and cash equivalents on the company’s accounts decreased by 17.08% to UAH 207.25 million, and the level of cash coverage of the insurer’s liabilities in the analyzed period decreased by 9.29 percentage points to 24.41%.
At the same time, as of September 30, the company formed a portfolio of current liquid financial investments consisting of bank deposits in the amount of UAH 52.78 million. As of the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2024, liquid assets covered 30.63% of the liabilities of IC Persha.
The RA also notes that according to the results of the first nine months of 2024, the activities of IC “Persha” were profitable. In particular, the insurer’s operating profit amounted to UAH 2.93 million against an operating loss in January-September 2023, and net profit amounted to UAH 11.19 million (-7.43%).
“Persha” Insurance Company has been operating in the Ukrainian insurance market since 2001. The company’s main specialization is motor insurance. IC “Persha” is a member of MTIBU, the League of Insurance Organizations of Ukraine, and the National Insurer of International Road Transport Carnet (TIR).
“Since February 2022, Kyivstar, the largest Ukrainian telecommunications operator, has expanded its 4G coverage to more than 4.4 thousand settlements, and today its high-speed mobile Internet is available to more than 95.6% of the population in the government-controlled territory of Ukraine, up from 94.7% a year ago.
“To achieve such results, more than 18,700 modernization works were carried out and more than 7,000 new base stations were built during the full-scale invasion alone,” the company said in a press release on Thursday.
In early December 2023, Kyivstar reported that since February 2022, the coverage area of the 4G network has increased by almost 4 thousand settlements, for which the telecom operator has built 1.4 thousand new 4G base stations and updated the existing equipment by 12 thousand base stations.
It is noted that the highest 4G coverage rates are in Kyiv – 99% and Dnipro regions – 98%.
It is noted that Kyivstar currently has the largest number of 4G base stations located in Ukraine.
“The expansion of 4G coverage continues even in small towns and villages throughout Ukraine, as well as along highways. In particular, in 2024, 4G coverage was launched in 15 new settlements in Ivano-Frankivsk region, 36 in Lviv region and 38 in Vinnytsia region,” the release said.
According to the release, 225 new technology sites were built along the highways in 2024, which increased the quality of 4G coverage from more than 12 thousand km to more than 12.8 thousand km of international and national roads since December.
“Kyivstar reminded that over the next five years (from 2023 to 2027) it plans to invest $1 billion in the development and restoration of Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, as announced at the International Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine in June 2024. In particular, the additional radio frequency spectrum in the 2100 and 2300 MHz bands, for which the company paid UAH 1.43 billion at the November 19 auction held by the NCCC regulator, will be a significant boost to 4G coverage.
According to the press release, the main advantages of 4G are high data transfer speeds, stable connections and higher network capacity, which provide more comfortable conditions for users to access online services, which is important for remote work, education and telemedicine.
As reported, the number of Kyivstar 4G users increased by 4.3% in the third quarter of 2024 to 15.3 million, or 65.4% of the total subscriber base, up 4.8% percentage points year-on-year.
At the same time, Kyivstar’s mobile subscriber base decreased by 3.3% year-on-year to 23.3 million in the third quarter. The number of Ukrainians living outside Ukraine had an impact on the subscriber base, the quarterly report said.
Kyivstar’s revenue in January-September 2024 increased by 4.7% to UAH 26.86 billion, while EBITDA decreased by 2.6% to UAH 15.13 billion.
The cargo turnover of Ukrainian ports increased to 86.8 mln tons from January 1 to November 17, 2024, of which 53.5 mln tons of grain were exported, the press service of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reports.
According to the USPA’s Facebook post on Thursday, the key export items are sunflower oil – 5.3 million tons worth $4.4 billion, corn – 25.5 million tons worth $4.2 billion, and wheat – 19 million tons worth $3.4 billion.
Port operations are complicated by Russian aggression, mine threats, and military challenges. Despite this, Ukraine’s seaports are demonstrating record export capacity, the USPA said.
Earlier it was reported that in January-October 2024, Ukrainian ports increased cargo handling by 78.1% compared to the same period last year – up to 82.1 million tons. In October, the ports handled 8 million tons of cargo, of which 6.8 million tons, or 85%, were transshipped through the “sea corridor”. More than half of the cargo handled by ports in October was agricultural. They accounted for 5 million tons, which is almost 3.3 times more than in the same period last year.
The international chain JYSK opened a new store in Odesa in the Rodos shopping center (1 Genoese St.) on Thursday, the company’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
The new store has a retail area of 955 square meters, a warehouse of 216 square meters, and office space of 47 square meters. Like all new JYSK stores, it is built in accordance with the modern 3.0 concept with full spot lighting, convenient arrangement of goods, which will create a comfortable shopping experience, the company said in a statement.
The new store became the 101st store of the chain in Ukraine, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on the Ukrainian market in October. In the financial year 2025, it is planned to open eight more new stores and renovate 12 existing ones.
JYSK is part of the family-owned Lars Larsen Group with more than 3.5 thousand stores in 48 countries.
JYSK’s revenue in the financial year 2023/24 amounted to EUR 5.6 billion.
In January-September 2024, PJSC “European Insurance Alliance” (Kyiv) collected UAH 220.9 million of net premiums, which is 23.03% higher than the volume of premiums for the same period in 2023, and also increased by 10.3% the collection of gross premiums – up to UAH 254.8 million.
In the report of the Standard Rating agency on the update of the company’s financial strength rating (credit rating) for the first nine months of 2024 on the national scale at the level of “uaAA”, it is noted that revenues from individuals increased by 34.3% to UAH 78.7 million, from reinsurers – more than doubled to UAH 0.875 million.
Thus, legal entities continue to dominate the company’s client portfolio.
During the reporting period, the company paid out UAH 121.8 million in insurance claims, which is 46.1% more than in the same period a year earlier.
As of the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2024, 53.36% of the company’s liabilities were covered by equity, and 10.49% by cash and cash equivalents.
At the same time, the company has formed a portfolio of financial investments consisting of government bonds and bank deposits in the amount of UAH 83.270 million. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2024, liquid assets (cash, government bonds and bank deposits) covered 67.27% of the company’s liabilities.
European Insurance Alliance has been operating in the Ukrainian insurance market since 1994. The company is a member of the Audit Commission of the MTIBU, a party to the agreement on direct settlement of losses on compulsory insurance of civil liability of owners of land vehicles and a member of the Board of the Nuclear Insurance Pool of Ukraine.
The company provides 30 types of voluntary and compulsory insurance, including property, motor, liability and personal insurance.
