Polina Kyriushko‘s journey is not just a narrative of professional success; it’s a testament to the power of determination, empathy, and innovation. From her beginnings in Ukraine to her current role as the founder of Edge Connect AI, Polina has consistently sought to make a difference in the world around her.
Her story begins with a passion for physics that led her to excel in international Olympiads and earn a scholarship to study in the United States. However, Polina’s ambitions extended beyond academia. During college, she founded a nonprofit organisation in Ghana, driven by her desire to address educational inequality. Witnessing the financial struggles of children in Ghana, she devised an innovative solution: a business model that provided fair wages to local producers and funded education in the community.
Though her social enterprise eventually ended, Polina’s journey continued with a transition into investment banking and later into a strategy role at a cybersecurity company. During this time, her desire for a closer connection to products grew stronger, leading to her eventual transition into a role at HG Capital, the largest software investor business in Europe.
For the past three years, she has been immersed in the world of private equity funds, leveraging her experiences to make strategic investments and contribute to the growth of software companies. Today, however, Polina is here to speak about her latest venture in the world of AI, her recently launched company Edge Connect AI.
Edge Connect AI is a portfolio analytics platform for private investment markets. While public equity funds have successfully automated and leveraged data throughout the investment lifecycle, the private markets segment has notably lagged due to the challenges in obtaining data from private companies. To address this gap, we have developed a solution that directly fetches data from these companies, utilises AI to transform this data into actionable insights, and enables private equity funds to enhance their value-creation strategies. PwC’s Private Equity Survey indicated that 54% of PEs still use email attachments to collect data from portfolio companies. We are here to change this with Edge Connect AI.
We are enduring the toughest fundraising environment for the private equity industry in the modern era. Over recent years, General Partners (GPs) have amassed a historically high number of portfolio companies. With higher interest rates, overall economic uncertainty and increased competition in the private equity industry, PE firms must rethink their operating models and how they drive value creation. The old playbook of financial engineering is no longer sufficient, so investors are increasingly focusing on active value creation.
Today, the private equity (PE) space is undergoing a significant transformation, presenting numerous opportunities for new vendors to enter the market. HG Capital, my former employer, has been at the forefront of this shift by focusing on enhancing internal data science capabilities. This strategic move showcases a commitment to embracing innovation and staying competitive in a rapidly evolving industry landscape.
Internally, we hope 2023 has already hit the bottom, but a lesson must be learned. There is a clear need for agility, tech innovation and increasing data transparency in PE, and that’s the solution we are trying to bring in with Edge Connect AI.
I firmly believe we are at the inflexion point where data management and AI solutions are set to disrupt every industry. The PE space is embarking on a transformation journey, creating many opportunities for new vendors to enter the market.
The Edge Connect AI team has a unique blend of industry expertise and tech skills to lead this journey. I come from the PE investment space, having faced the data challenge firsthand, and my team brings experience in building software for financial markets and leveraging AI for data management.
I am greatly inspired by my former CEO, Ondrej Vlcek at Avast (now Gen) who built the global data privacy and security market leader, protecting customers at every step of their digital journey. These topics are incredibly critical and relevant for Edge Connect AI as we handle customers’ private, sensitive data.
From my perspective, the most exciting part of our journey to date was the customer discovery stage. Speaking with hundreds of potential customers to understand their pain points confirmed that we had uncovered a powerful value proposition for our market. This stage allowed us to gain invaluable insights into what our target audience truly needs, laying a solid foundation for the development of our product
Building our team was the most challenging but arguably also the most rewarding part. Meeting my co-founder, Matthew Kordonowy , at University was a stroke of luck, as our career paths naturally aligned. Our first connection in 2013, while working on separate projects to support schools in Ghana and Guatemala through non-profit apparel businesses, created a unique bond that laid the foundation for our future collaboration.
The stars seemed to align when I decided to create a product for private equity, and Matthew, who had spent the last decade spearheading a European franchise for DealCloud, the largest financial CRM vendor that caters to the same clientele, crossed paths with me.
Our venture was created when Matthew and I joined forces, and Matthew recruited Jake, our head of engineering and data expert.
Our next step was to find the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). I meticulously reviewed over 400 candidates to identify the perfect match, considering their experience, drive, personal ethics, and entrepreneurial mindset. After a rigorous selection process, we were thrilled to have Arnaud Blois join us. With his extensive background in leading developer teams at Goldman Sachs and 7Bridges and his strong vision, positive energy, and ambition, we are confident that he is the ideal fit for our startup.
We are fortunate to have strong fundamentals and a diverse and complementary skillset within the founding team. As we continue to grow, our strategy is to leverage our unique company culture and mission to attract individuals who are not just looking for a job but a purpose. We aim to foster a culture of inclusion and innovation and enhance a sense of ownership through equity incentives. My next personal challenge is actively seeking female talent to join the team, ensuring diversity and balance in our journey forward.
The first lesson is to treat people well. This cultivates trust, enhances your business reputation, improves loyalty, and enhances collaboration.
The second lesson is to be a “customer-first” company—that’s your product market fit, that’s your value. This principle underscores the significance of prioritising customers’ needs and experiences above all else. When you place the customer at the forefront of your operations, you inherently align your product offerings with market demands and enhance your value proposition. Only through continuous dialogue and feedback loops with customers can businesses refine their products and services to meet evolving needs.
The third lesson pertains to leveraging the power of data and automation. This strategic move is paramount for staying ahead in today’s dynamic marketplace. Drawing from my experiences, especially with my recent employer, HG, I witnessed the transformative impact of investing in a highly skilled data science team. Collaborating closely with portfolio companies, they unearthed invaluable insights from data, driving significant value creation.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of finance, characterised by fluctuating interest rates and intensified competition, traditional profit avenues are no longer as accessible. Gaining a competitive edge now necessitates harnessing the potential of data and technology. This advantage enables businesses to adapt to market shifts more effectively and ensures long-term sustainability.
As Polina continues to write the next chapter of her career journey, one thing is sure: her story should inspire female tech leaders across the globe. Through her passion, perseverance, and dedication to making a difference, Polina is shaping the future of technology and leaving a lasting impact on the world.
