Ukrainian investor and IT entrepreneur Oleksii Vitchenko, together with Andrii Malienkov, have launched a new startup called WorkUgo. This platform designed to help employers in developed countries find qualified workers in construction, infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing.

• According to Vitchenko, the startup aims to tackle a global challenge: the shortage of skilled labor in physical professions.
• WorkUgo manages the entire immigration support process and leverages AI technology to quickly and accurately match employers with suitable candidates.

«Our mission is to remove barriers between employers in developed countries and talented professionals from developing markets — giving the latter a chance for decent work, stable income, and safe relocation,» Vitchenko explained.

• As reported by Vector, the platform’s main target audience is Canadian employers seeking to hire workers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Ukrainians looking for employment abroad can also use the service.

• WorkUgo automates candidate sourcing, document verification, migration processing, and diploma recognition in Canada. The platform is built around three core modules:
  • Sourcing and verification
  • Program compliance verification
  • Document scoring
• The company’s business model is based on a 15–25% commission from the worker’s annual salary, depending on the profession. For top-skilled roles, the fee reaches 25%.
• The team is negotiating with its first clients and preparing for the next funding round.
• According to Forbes, Vitchenko invested around $200,000 of his own capital into WorkUgo — roughly the average ticket size for his Digital Future investment firm, which has invested over $9 million in 40 startups over the past decade.
• For Vitchenko, WorkUgo marks his second startup venture after launching the Calmerry online therapy platform in 2020.