The most unusual ideas for business in Ukraine

Despite difficult conditions, Ukrainian entrepreneurs do not stop — they boldly launch unusual businesses, create their own technologies, develop unique products, and promote brands on the global market. 

Unconventional business ideas not only allow competition with traditional directions but also open new opportunities for growth. After all, one of the ways for an entrepreneur to survive in a popular niche is to offer something new that will undoubtedly attract customers' attention. 

The production of cosmetics for animals, sewing bags and wallets from mushroom leather, and other original solutions are examples of how creativity turns into a successful business, even in challenging realities.

In this article, we will consider unusual business ideas that are already operating in the market and those that can still be implemented in Ukraine.

Unusual Business in Ukraine

Due to the war and the development of technologies, companies have started to appear in Ukraine that offer non-trivial goods or services. Entrepreneurs bring to life little-known but useful and profitable business ideas. 

Mushroom Leather

Entrepreneur and innovator Marta Kondryn, in a small laboratory in Ivano-Frankivsk, produces eco-friendly leather from mushroom roots for sewing bags and wallets.

Mushroom mycelium is a natural material that requires fewer resources to produce but has properties similar to leather. The startup Mycelia Tech is working on creating an affordable alternative to natural and artificial leather. At the same time, the production does not cause harmful emissions into the environment. 

The business idea of producing leather from mushrooms is new in Ukraine. In Europe, it has been widely used since 2020. Major brands are already interested in the technology: Adidas, Lululemon, Kering, and Stella McCartney. And myco-leather (grown from mushroom mycelium) can even be purchased directly at markets. 

How does the production process work? Mushroom leather is made in laboratories using sawdust and other natural substances, including a special type of inedible mushroom — "Reishi." In 45 days, up to 50 sq. m of material can be obtained. The team is currently working on the biodegradability of finished products, as their disposal still takes place the same way as ordinary animal leather. The production cost is currently 32 euros per sq. m, but with scaling, it will decrease. 

Buying Catalysts for Extracting Precious Metals

In recent years, many companies have appeared in Ukraine that buy used car catalysts. Why? The fact is that catalysts contain rhodium, palladium, and in certain models even platinum — precious metals that coat the internal "honeycombs" to neutralize harmful combustion products. Natural extraction of these metals is a complex process, so the main sources of platinum, rhodium, and palladium are used auto catalysts. 

The catalyst, in particular, is designed to neutralize three harmful components of exhaust gases:

1) poisonous nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog formation and provoke acid rain;

2) carbon monoxide, deadly for the human body;

3) carcinogenic hydrocarbons.

For example, the Kyiv-based company TopAutoKat has been making money from buying car catalysts for 7 years, making deals both with individuals and large companies, and also cooperating with recycling laboratories in Europe for processing used catalysts. 

Modular Housing Construction

The topic of modular housing construction gained attention in Ukraine long before the war.

A modular house is a frame house consisting of separate modules manufactured at a factory and assembled on-site within a few weeks. The house is delivered fully ready for living: with walls, floors, wiring and pipes, windows, and even interior doors. All that remains is to furnish it — and you can move in. 

The average cost of an 80 m² house with two bedrooms and a studio kitchen, turnkey (with finishing, plumbing, basic furniture) in 2025 was approximately 1.6–2.1 million UAH. 

Usually, modular constructors are made with standard layouts, but by paying extra, you can order a house with an individual plan.

For example, the Ukrainian manufacturer SCANDI offers construction and commissioning of a ready modular house within 35 days. 

 

In the conditions of war and due to the constant displacement of citizens from dangerous territories of the country, there arose a need to build compact towns that could meet the basic needs for temporary housing. These needs of displaced persons are best met by modular houses, which are built many times faster than ordinary real estate objects.

The company Modulex offers an economical option for temporary residential and utility buildings — block-container structures, from which modular towns are then built. The cost of one modular dormitory starts at $550 per 1 sq. m. The Kyiv-based manufacturer NordiHouse builds modular houses in 30 days and has showrooms in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Lviv. 

Cheese Balls with 0% Liquid Content 

Another example of how Ukrainian entrepreneurs turn unconventional ideas into a global-scale business is the company snEco. Brothers Vadym and Pylyp Hryshyn from Kharkiv found a way to turn ordinary cheese into a true superfood. They created crispy cheese balls using vacuum drying technology originally developed by NASA.

The first batches of the product were almost a "garage startup": packaging was printed on an office printer, and production was minimal. Today, snEco produces hundreds of thousands of packs per month, cooperates with the largest Ukrainian retailers, and is entering international markets.

Despite the war, the entrepreneurs not only saved the business by relocating it from Kharkiv to Mukachevo but also managed to double production volumes. The installation of a solar power station made their factory energy independent. In 2024, the company became the first in Zakarpattia to obtain permission to export dairy products to the EU. 

Today, snEco snacks can be purchased not only in Ukraine but also in Poland, Germany, the USA, and even Japan. The startup also received an award at the prestigious food exhibition SIAL Paris in France.

The Hryshyn brothers’ case shows that even in the toughest times, Ukrainians are capable of creating innovative products that compete globally and shape a new image of the country — as a nation of creative and determined entrepreneurs.

Growing plants from pencils

One of the interesting and environmentally friendly ideas is growing greens, vegetables, flowers… from used pencils and other household items. The idea of zero-waste eco-products was implemented by the couple Artem and Anna Silko. 

The assortment of the Brinjal store includes ordinary pencils, growing kits: a wooden cube, soil and seeds, desk organizers with space for pencils and pens on one side and a patch of grass on the other, pots with soil, postcards that can sprout greenery, as well as other stationery products — reusable notebooks, blooming calendars, bookmarks, and more.

 

For example, after finishing a book, you can tear a blooming bookmark into pieces, plant them in soil, and grow a plant. And the capsule located instead of the eraser on a pencil can be placed in moist soil to grow basil, arugula, or even tomatoes. The prices of these products are low, starting at 45 UAH per pencil.

Harvesting snail caviar

Snail caviar is an expensive and exotic delicacy, more costly than black sturgeon caviar, with an average price of 50,000 UAH per kg. This high cost is explained by the difficulty of harvesting. A breeding snail produces only 100 eggs a year, or 4 g of product, and lays them in a peat mixture, which means the final product must be carefully cleaned from the soil. Snails have a unique composition of biologically valuable nutrients. For example, their mucus is used in the production of anti-aging cosmetics. 

The first in Ukraine to harvest Mediterranean snail caviar was the "Zdravlyk" farm in the Dnipropetrovsk region. It is the first snail farm in Ukraine, opened by Italian entrepreneurs, since Italy is considered the homeland of snail farming. The farm raises snails both for export and domestic supply. Anyone can join this elite agricultural business, learn the technology of snail farming, and purchase a starter breeding stock of Ukrainian reproduction snails.

 

Natural sweets from buckwheat and fried onions

Gastronomic experiments can bring good profits. It turns out that salted caramel is not the last culinary invention of mankind. For example, Oksana Martymianova from Sumy, with no entrepreneurial experience, invented a unique recipe for sweets made from buckwheat and fried onions. She started with making truffles, brittle from green buckwheat, and marmalade.

The unusual sweets may include: dark chocolate, cocoa, honey, raw seeds, and the main ingredient — buckwheat. Before the war, HrechkaSweets buckwheat candies were sold in small coffee shops at prices starting from 150 UAH per box.

Hotels for animals

So far, pet hotels are an underdeveloped niche in Ukrainian business, but quite a promising one — demand for temporary accommodation of pets during their owners’ absence is constant. Mostly, this function is performed by veterinary clinics or shelters, but only a few offer full-fledged temporary housing with all necessary amenities for pets. In particular, services of accommodation, feeding, and care are provided by the Kyiv DogHotel for dogs and cats and the veterinary center "Zviropolis".

 

Excursions with locals

These are unusual business ideas in the service sector, but they are also worth attention. Private tours with locals are quite popular abroad, but in Ukraine, they are not yet in high demand. A local guide not only knows the area well but can also adapt to the traveler’s pace, capture their preferences, and adjust the plan on the go. In the Carpathians, such a local is Myroslav Melnychuk, who not only guides people through the mountains but also shows them hidden and lesser-known places. At the same time, he knows the way back, which in the mountains is perhaps the most important thing.

Selling eco-souvenirs

Products made from natural materials that are easily recyclable can be an excellent solution for those who want to contribute to environmental protection. These can be not only souvenirs and gifts made from natural materials but also items, bags, and accessories made from special eco-friendly materials that do not harm the environment after use. 

In Ukraine, the niche of online eco-product stores is still not fully occupied. Mostly, businesses focus on general-purpose goods, among which one can find a separate group of eco-material products. 

For example, the packaging manufacturer LLC "Borsa" produces kraft bags and fabric totes, and the Podaro4ek online store sells unusual "natural" gifts, made both by hand and mechanically. Here you can buy anything from chocolate computer video cards to teapots with Petrykivka painting. 

The largest hazelnut orchard in Ukraine

Another illustrative case is the largest hazelnut orchard in Odesa region. Its founder, entrepreneur Maksym Sheiko, became interested in nut cultivation more than 15 years ago, and today his plantations cover more than 800 hectares. This is not just an agricultural business but a full production cycle: from growing hazelnuts to making confectionery products and exporting finished goods abroad.

In 2022, despite the war, Sheiko launched a modern nut processing plant that produced more than 10 tons of sweets per month. The assortment impresses with variety: hazelnuts in chocolate, bars, paste, salty snacks, nougat, as well as flour, groats, and oil. Plans include expanding the product line with truffles and cookies. The products are already available in major Ukrainian retail chains and are finding customers in Romania and Italy.

At first, retail partners did not believe it was truly a Ukrainian product grown and processed locally. However, visits to the orchards and production facilities convinced the skeptics, and today the company enjoys the trust of large chains and stable sales.

Growing hazelnuts in Ukraine has its challenges: higher production costs due to importing equipment, fertilizers, and spare parts from Italy and Turkey. However, thanks to perseverance and long-term partnerships, the business not only survived but also became competitive in the international market.

Cat cafés

In a cat café, you can enjoy coffee while interacting with various breeds of cats that are present with you. Such establishments are very popular in different parts of the world, as they attract visitors who love cats and enjoy spending time in cafés.

 

In Ukraine, there are currently only a few places open for cats and their owners. These include Cat Cafe Lviv and Zoo Cafe in Lviv, Cats and coffee in Kharkiv, "Black Cat & White Cat" in Vinnytsia, "Mama Cat" in Ivano-Frankivsk, and others.

Unusual business ideas not yet implemented in Ukraine

Co-working spaces for pets

Unusual business ideas from around the world that can also be implemented in Ukraine include creating co-working spaces for four-legged companions. In such a place, people can bring their pets and work without leaving them home alone. A co-working space can be equipped with special play areas for animals, training equipment, and other amenities.

Although this idea is quite promising, co-working spaces that allow dogs are not suitable for everyone. Some people find it difficult to concentrate on work in the presence of dogs, while some dogs are too active to simply lie by their owner’s feet, especially when other animals are around. Perhaps it makes sense to create workspaces with separate mini-rooms for different types of animals. 

Selling original bouquets

Bouquets made of candies, chocolates, toys, dried fruits, or snacks no longer surprise anyone. However, you can go further in this business and offer the market, for example, bouquets made of ice cream, socks, or other household items.

Unique services for travelers

Finally, a business that offers unusual services for travelers could become popular. You could organize trips in old cars or retro-style bicycles. Another option is to earn money just by renting vintage vehicles. Give an interesting experience to travel enthusiasts and those who want to feel the atmosphere of the past. 

In Ukraine, there are more than enough travel ideas. You can find them, for example, on the travel_to_ukraine page. Of course, full-scale trips around the country will only become possible after our victory. 

Making toys from children’s drawings

Handmade toys are not cheap, and if it is a unique toy with no analogs, its price at least doubles. Using children’s drawings as sketches, you can unleash your imagination and create a truly one-of-a-kind product that will delight both kids and adults.

Unusual ice cream shop

Opening a shop specializing in selling different types of ice cream could be a promising business idea. The shop could offer not only traditional ice cream but also ice cream with unique twists. 

For example, Ukrainian variations could include cheesecake ice cream with raisins and sour cream sauce (for kids), honey-buckwheat ice cream with caramel, or blueberry ice cream with lavender. 

Bold and contrasting combinations: chocolate ice cream with chili pepper, cucumber ice cream with mint, beetroot ice cream with lemon, or even kangaroo milk ice cream. Such a shop could become popular among tourists and lovers of exotic products.

Eco-trends: vegan ice cream made from coconut or oat milk, matcha ice cream, ice cream with added superfoods such as spirulina, chia, or hemp seeds. 

Another original idea could be unusual visual presentation: layered rainbow ice cream, ice cream with edible flowers, or surprise ice cream with a sauce or candy hidden inside. 

Such a menu could be presented not just as a dessert but as a culinary adventure, where customers try something they won’t find in ordinary shops.

Store for left-handed people

This shop could sell specially designed items for left-handed people, such as scissors, openers, pens, and more. In Ukraine, there are no stores that specialize exclusively in products for left-handed people; there are only products for left-handed people available in stationery or office supply shops. 

Vending machines: sushi, pizza, ice cream

Vending machines can do almost everything, and their assortment expands every year. For example, by equipping a machine with freezers, you can even sell ice cream or sushi that will not spoil and will retain their appearance. 

The list of products that can be sold through vending machines may include: freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, bottled uzvar, homemade baked goods, craft drinks; fast food vending machines: pizza, hot dogs, or even dumplings. 

Vending machines can also sell unusual and gift products:

• Mini-format cosmetics (lip balms, hand creams, travel kits).

• Souvenirs for tourists: magnets, postcards, small handmade items.

• Flowers in tubes or boxes, and more. 

For children, vending machines with surprises may be suitable: capsules with toys, stickers, funny accessories, or book vending machines (children’s books, comics, notebooks). 

Overall, you can come up with unusual business ideas from scratch simply by observing life around you. Pay attention to friends, relatives, acquaintances, or even strangers on social media. What bothers or annoys them most? What needs are most relevant at this time in your circle? The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment, learn something new, combine seemingly contradictory ideas, and observe — and who knows, maybe you will become the next inventor of a useful and profitable product.

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