Vention is the premier global leader in software engineering, synonymous with technology designed for scale and the common denominator behind the world’s most successful tech-empowered enterprises, industry innovators, and startups. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Vention CEO and co-founder Sergei Kovalenko to learn more about the company.
Sergei Kovalenko’s Background
What is Sergei Kovalenko’s background? Kovalenko said:
“I began my career at the start of the dot-com bubble as a software engineer, when digitization was reshaping industries and VCs were heavily backing startups. Noticing that most software development firms catered to large enterprises, I seized the opportunity to support early- and mid-stage startups in navigating this emerging tech landscape. A green card raffle brought me to the US, where the demand for software engineering aligned perfectly with my vision, leading to the founding of Vention. Our early success included clients we still work with today.”
“Over 20+ years as co-founder and CEO, Vention has helped bring unicorn ideas to life — including the first unicorn of this decade — and supported $13B+ in client M&A deals. Now a $150M+ global software engineering leader with offices in 10+ countries, I’m immensely proud of the company we’ve built.”
“Despite these milestones, I stay connected to my roots. My collection of calculators, powered by the same processors as my first computer, reminds me of how far we’ve come since Vention’s start. Beyond Vention, I actively partner with and invest in early-stage tech companies through firms like TechLaunch, DreamIt Ventures, Arc Angel Fund, Scout Ventures, and Braavo Capital, which I co-founded in 2014 to grow mobile app and gaming companies.”
Formation Of Vention
How did the idea for Vention come together? Kovalenko shared:
“In my early years as a software engineer, I saw a critical need for experienced talent in emerging companies tackling complex projects. Recognizing their challenges with digital transformation, I envisioned a solution. After years of exploration with diverse projects and clients, Vention was born.
Today, Vention partners with fast-growing companies and startups across 30+ industries, including healthcare, education, real estate, and fintech. Our team’s resilience, strategic foresight, and adaptability enable us to evolve with clients’ needs and respond to global challenges.
As a global leader in software engineering, Vention provides business advisory and development services, becoming a trusted partner to our clients. We prioritize ongoing education in emerging technologies, equipping our engineers with specialized skills and career growth opportunities to ensure we stay at the forefront of innovation.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for Vention so far? Kovalenko reflected:
“At Vention, we’re proud to unite diverse cultures and perspectives across the tech industry. A standout moment for me was our recent rebrand which is a testament to how far our company has grown over the past 20 years. Seeing thousands of colleagues celebrate across social media, Zoom, and in person truly embodied the vibrant community we’ve built with over 3,000 employees.
“While our software development services have always excelled, the rebrand was a pivotal step in aligning our outward image with the caliber of our clients, achievements and growth. Thanks to our incredible marketing team, this year-long transformation reflected the contributions of every Ventioneer.”
“One year later, it’s inspiring to see our global offices amplifying our new vision. As we expand into new markets, maintaining excellence across all aspects remains our top priority. I am excited to see where this journey takes us next.
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Kovalenko and the team faced in building the company? Kovalenko acknowledged:
“Most recently, businesses faced global challenges like bank closure, inflation, and a VC funding decline. Amid this, Vention launched its rebrand to showcase resilience, retain clients, and secure jobs and salaries for its global team.
Post-rebrand, Vention strengthened its presence at 50+ industry events, debuting as a sponsor and demonstrating leadership through booths, roundtables, and speakerships. We’ve extended this momentum to our own hosted events, including TechTable and CTO dinners to bring global leaders together to address industry challenges, concerns, and trends that are launching us forward. These events foster deeper industry engagement, strengthen partnerships, and offer employees valuable networking and career development opportunities which are key priorities for Vention.
“While others scaled back on culture initiatives, Vention doubled down on its commitment to employees, earning workplace accolades such as National Technology’s “Best Tech Place to Work” Awards and Great Places to Work certification. By fostering growth, collaboration, and motivation, Vention continues to put its people first while amplifying our industry-leading work globally.”
Core Products
What are Vention’s core products and features? Kovalenko explained:
“We provide innovative leaders across industries with immediate, high-fidelity access to top engineering talent from the world’s most respected tech hubs. Vention’s engineers — the Ventioneers — bring extensive experience in AI/ML, application development, cloud, data analytics, DevOps, IoT, mobile, and web to deliver high-ROI and -performing products. Headquartered in New York with 20+ offices, Vention provides access to 3,000+ engineers worldwide and equips decision-makers with the top engineering talent from the world’s most respected tech hubs. Our teams seamlessly integrate with in-house engineers to advise and execute their product vision, accelerate their roadmap, and innovate faster and more efficiently.
We seamlessly partner clients with experienced onsite architects and project managers to deliver the right solutions needed to move their business forward with confidence. The combination of our services — including software development, web development, mobile app development, and IT services for startups — provides clients with a full-service and end-to-end tech partner.”
Evolution Of Vention’s Technology
How has Vention’s technology evolved since launching? Kovalenko noted:
“We’ve kept pace with emerging technology by offering upskilling opportunities such as hack-a-thons, crypto challenges, internal meetups, educational programs, and more. We promote diversification of knowledge and collaboration, so our tech professionals are well-equipped to take on any blue-sky challenge from clients. In previous years we’ve seen a growing need for mobile, then blockchain, and in today’s climate, AI services.”
For example, this year, we launched Vention’s AI group to deliver actionable insights and practical AI solutions, empowering businesses to optimize performance and drive growth. This dedicated division harnesses cutting-edge AI technologies to solve complex challenges, enabling clients to stay competitive in rapidly evolving markets.
Vention’s educational programs extend from providing access to engineering career insights and tools for university students to internships and internal knowledge-sharing events for team members. Most recently, Vention hosted 35 team meetups, inviting external audiences to engage in industry conversation about skills, challenges, and emerging technologies. With a heavy focus on upskilling the company and growing future engineers, Vention also hosted 36 internal technical presentations led by senior-level colleagues.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of Vention’s most significant milestones? Kovalenko cited the following:
- Opened Vention’s North American development hub. The opening of Vention’s Mexico City development hub strengthened Vention’s abilities to serve clients in the western hemisphere, bridging time zone gaps and creating seamless access to vetted and skilled talent. Vention now operates in nearly 15 cities across the globe.
- Continued accolades and tech recognition. Vention was shortlisted for contributions to the technology sector. Vention is a reoccurring name among industry accolades, landing recognition on lists including 5000’s Fast-Growing Private Companies in America list, Financial Times Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies list, IAOP Global Outsourcing 100, among others. Vention drives innovation, delivers next-gen solutions for clients, and fosters a culture of excellence.
- Rebranded globally to match the caliber of clients and tech recognition in 2023. Since its inception, Vention thrived in the startup community, with a third of new business driven by referrals, yet kept a low profile while helping clients achieve critical milestones. Last year’s rebrand modernized the company and expanded its reach beyond word of mouth, serving as Vention’s reintroduction to the industry and beyond.
- Vention launched an international holiday and its first incubator. On May 17, Vention introduced “International Invention Day,” a new global holiday honoring human ingenuity and creativity while fostering a culture of innovation. The holiday also launched the company’s first In:Vention incubator, offering $150k of free custom software services for startups to bring their innovations to life.
- Vention is increasing awareness for software development by creating digestible information for non-tech audiences. Vention’s State of AI report provided insights into AI trends, and the company developed 50+ blogs and two white papers to educate both the industry and beyond on software development and emerging technologies.
Customer Success Stories
When asking Kovalenko about customer success stories, he highlighted the company’s portfolio page.
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates Vention from its competition? Kovalenko affirmed:
“Vention is a global team of engineers and innovators, transforming industries by taking client visions from inception to IPO and shaping new industry standards. We prioritize our people, fostering a culture of upskilling, encouraging passion projects, and celebrating milestones. Innovation drives our ethos, and our dedication sets us apart as a trusted partner.
With a mission to provide top talent, accelerate roadmaps, and scale operations, we continue to expand globally. Now operating in nearly 15 countries, our latest hub in Mexico City underscores our dedication to client service worldwide.
Our clients define us, and embracing change—whether opening new locations or rebranding—strengthens our people-first approach and ability to serve them better.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of Vention’s future company goals? Kovalenko concluded:
“At Vention, our future centers on growth and innovation, with a sharp focus on AI services and evolving tech solutions. We’re upskilling our developers and expanding internal initiatives like hackathons and workshops to stay ahead of global tech trends and deliver cutting-edge solutions to our clients.
Global collaboration remains a core pillar, and we’re deepening our investment in employees to tackle complex challenges, leverage diverse expertise, and scale effectively. The coming year marks a new chapter of expansion as we focus on empowering our people to deliver exceptional talent and innovation to our clients.”
