Oleksandr Bornyakov becomes head of Brave1’s supervisory board

Oleksandr Bornyakov, who spent almost seven years at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, has become head of the Brave1 Supervisory Board. Among his tasks is to improve the efficiency of the grant model, the official announced. He also names the following priorities in his work:

• to attract more private capital, making Brave1 an entry point for investors in defence tech;
• to improve the pathway of Ukrainian defence technologies from development to export;
• to focus on areas where Ukraine is capable of being a global technology leader and meeting its own needs.

Oleksandr Bornyakov worked at the Ministry of Digital Transformation from 2019 as deputy minister. He was responsible for the development of the IT sector, including managing the Diia City project. In addition, he was involved in the development of the Ukrainian Startup Fund and the creation of Brave1.

After Mykhailo Fedorov’s move to the Ministry of Defence in January 2026, he served as acting Minister of Digital Transformation. In July, Oksana Ferchuk took over as head of the Ministry, and Bornyakov announced his dismissal.

Oleksandr Bornyakov had already been a member of the Brave1 Supervisory Board. This body is one of those that assess applications for grant programmes. When applying for a grant of over UAH 2m, developers are required to pitch to the Supervisory Board. Ultimately, it is the board that decides whether to award the funds or refuse.