Launching a Canadian Aerospace Startup in Ukraine During Wartime

About the Client

Valence UAS is a Canada-based aerospace technology company specializing in the design and production of advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and other innovative aircraft solutions. With expertise in wildfire monitoring, aerial intelligence, and mission-critical drone systems, the company operates at the intersection of aerospace engineering and real-world emergency response.

Driven by a mission to support resilient infrastructure and safety technologies globally, Valence UAS chose Ukraine as a strategic expansion market — both to contribute to critical innovation during wartime and to build a long-term technological presence in Europe.

The Challenge

Expanding to Ukraine as a deep-tech aerospace manufacturer during an active war presents unprecedented regulatory, operational, and immigration complexities. The founder needed to:

• Establish a Ukrainian legal entity (LLC);
• Register the company as a startup within Diia City, Ukraine’s special digital & tech legal regime;
• Manage immigration and residence procedures to legally relocate to Ukraine;
• Ensure compliance with local regulations for high-tech and aerospace-related business;
• Enable future operational integration for R&D and potential manufacturing activities;

The challenge required a seamless legal, immigration, and compliance strategy with zero room for administrative delays — especially given the sensitive nature of aerospace technology and the wartime environment.

Our Approach

Vertex Immigration developed a comprehensive support framework designed for high-tech foreign founders entering Ukraine. Our approach included:

• Full legal setup and entity formation advisory;
• Preparation and submission of all documents for LLC incorporation;
• Strategic consultation and successful enrollment in Diia City as a tech startup;
• End-to-end immigration support for the founder, including work permit and residence permit;
• Regulatory guidance tailored to dual-use / aerospace innovation considerations;
• Ongoing legal compliance support during the transition phase;

We ensured a frictionless process while providing clear communication, structured guidance, and proactive regulatory risk-management throughout each stage.

The Solution

We delivered a fully managed expansion pathway, including:

• Registration of a Ukrainian LLC;
• Successful startup validation and Diia City residency;
• Full immigration and residence support for the founder;
• Establishment of an operational legal presence in Ukraine;
• Advisory on regulatory landscape specific to aerospace & dual-use technology.

By handling every procedural step end-to-end, we enabled the founder to focus on product vision, R&D goals, and exploring future production partnerships in Ukraine.

The Outcome

Valence UAS successfully:

• Entered the Ukrainian market as a legally established entity;
• Obtained Diia City status to operate under Ukraine’s leading tech legal regime;
• Completed relocation and secured lawful residence for the founder;
• Built a foundation for long-term R&D, engineering, and operational scaling in Ukraine.

Despite wartime conditions, the company now holds a compliant and future-ready footprint in Ukraine’s rapidly growing defense-tech & aerospace ecosystem — positioned for innovation, collaboration, and contribution to national resilience.