The Ukrainian Anti-Monopoly Committee (AMCU) approved Kyivstar’s acquisition of taxi service Uklon on Feb. 6, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov announced at an American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine event.
AMCU head Pavlo Kyrylenko said Kyivstar will also acquire Tech Uklon LLC, Uklon Corporate, and Uklon Ukraine.
"The committee concluded that Kyivstar’s actions will not lead to structural changes in any of the three affected markets: online advertising, passenger transportation, and goods delivery," Kyrylenko said.
Forbes Ukraine reported on Jan. 27 that Kyivstar had filed an application with Ukraine’s antitrust regulator to purchase Uklon, estimating the deal's value at $40–80 million.
Uklon generated Hr 1.2 billion ($28 million) in revenue during the first three quarters of 2023, doubling its earnings from the same period the previous year. However, the company has struggled to expand internationally, facing tough competition from Uber and Bolt.
Veon, Kyivstar’s parent company, brings capital, expertise, and access to other markets, one market insider told Forbes.
In January, Veon announced plans to list Kyivstar on Nasdaq, with Komarov suggesting this could happen in the third quarter of 2025. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyivstar has invested Hr 32 billion ($772 million) into the company.
At the end of 2024, Kyivstar also signed an agreement to make Ukraine one of the first countries with access to Starlink's direct-to-cell service.
Liliane Bivings
