From Upwork to a Global IT Services Provider: An Interview with Fedir Kompaniiets, CEO of Gart Solutions, Ukrainian IT Services Provider

In 2022, amidst the instability caused by a full-scale invasion, Fedir Kompaniiets and Roman Burdiuzha founded Gart Solutions to address a pressing need in Ukraine: securing IT infrastructure and migrating businesses to the cloud. As two accomplished engineers with over 15 years of experience in large IT outsourcing firms and the biggest telecom providers, they began receiving numerous requests to secure digital environments and migrate businesses to the cloud.

“We initially focused on building expertise in cloud computing and DevOps, which became our core strengths,” says Fedir Kompaniiets.

Over time, their client base grew, particularly with SaaS companies and service-oriented businesses.

“Demand surged as companies needed robust and secure digital environments,” Fedir Kompaniiets recalls.

Drawing from their Upwork experience, they quickly gained traction, receiving requests from businesses worldwide. “That was our launchpad,” adds Roman Burdiuzha.

In just two years, without a formal marketing function, we completed over 20 projects based purely on word-of-mouth. Exceptional customer feedback, reflected in their 4.9-star average across 12 Clutch reviews, earned them the recognition of Clutch Champion twice.

 
Early Momentum: Turning Upwork Success into a Company 

As demand for IT security and cloud solutions grew, Roman and Fedir’s Upwork profiles started gaining serious attention. 

The thousands of hours worked for various clients enriched their problem-solving abilities, particularly in applying business logic to technical challenges.

“We later established a marketing function and expanded our team with two highly skilled professionals,” says Fedir Kompaniiets. “They know to build companies with global ambitions, starting from the ground up.”

By early 2023, Gart Solutions had evolved from a freelancing duo into a full-fledged IT company, focusing on helping innovative product companies overcome the challenges of digital transformation. “Acquiring customers and building our brand’s reputation from scratch was one of the most difficult challenges we faced,” Fedir reflects.

Why Gart Solutions Stands Out

“We focus on resolving business challenges that are hindered by technology, ensuring that our clients can optimize their IT infrastructure without disruptions,” Fedir Kompaniiets explains. This approach has fostered long-lasting relationships with clients in Europe and North America, especially in industries like healthcare, finance, greentech, and SaaS.

What services does Gart Solutions offer, and why are they important?

“Our services range from IT audits, cloud computing, and DevOps to digital transformation consulting,” says Fedir. “Each service is designed to improve our clients’ operational efficiency. For example, our cloud solutions enable businesses to scale seamlessly, while our DevOps services ensure continuous deployment and faster release cycles. These are critical for SaaS companies that rely on agility and responsiveness to stay competitive.”

What sets Gart Solutions apart from other IT consulting firms?

“Our competitive edge lies in our tailored approach and deep industry expertise,” Fedir Kompaniiets shares. “We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. For each client, we craft a strategy that aligns with their unique needs. Our team’s strong background in cloud technologies and our commitment to continuous improvement also set us apart. Moreover, we maintain a customer-centric culture, ensuring that our clients see measurable outcomes from our solutions.”

For example, we can optimize cloud costs by over 40% on average, and in some cases, up to 80% or make an IT infrastructure absolutely resilient, scalable and cost-effective. And that’s only some of the examples.

Vision for the Future: Growth & International Expansion

With a focus on expanding into new markets, Gart Solutions is leveraging its expertise in cloud services, IT infrastructure audits, and AI integration to meet evolving market demands.

“In the coming year, we aim to deepen our focus on AI applications and advanced cloud strategies,” says Fedir Kompaniiets, “ensuring our clients remain competitive in a fast-changing tech landscape.”

The company’s key markets include the Nordic countries, the United States, and Western Europe. However, they have also completed projects in regions like Africa. With employees distributed across various time zones, Gart Solutions offers continuous project monitoring and 24/7 support under their Service Level Agreements (SLA).

“We’ve also participated in industry events across multiple countries, sharing expertise, learning trends, and networking with industry leaders, partners, and customers. These events are key to exploring new markets.”

 
What’s Next: Supporting Startup Accelerators

“Our next milestone is to channel our knowledge into supporting startup accelerators, helping tech startups grow and avoid common early-stage pitfalls,” says Fedir Kompaniiets.

Also, we want to build up more interesting partnerships, as well as solve more clients’ cases. 

Challenges Along the Way

“The biggest challenge was stabilizing our operations amidst the war,” says Fedir Kompaniiets. “We developed a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to ensure that our operations could continue without significant delays. We focused on securing the safety of our team and stabilizing autonomous power access to mitigate the impact of power outages.”

Another challenge was managing rapid growth while maintaining service quality. “As we expanded, building a strong team and creating scalable processes became critical. We invested heavily in training and maintaining a strong company culture. Additionally, adapting to market changes and client needs has been a continuous learning process. Our agility has been key in overcoming these hurdles.” – says Roman Burdiuzha.

Long-Term Vision

“Our long-term goal is to become a global leader in IT consulting, known for our innovation and client success stories. We aim to continue building strong partnerships with companies that value our expertise, growing alongside them. Our focus will always be on helping businesses achieve their goals through effective and customized IT solutions.”- Fedir Kompaniiets concluded.

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