Chairman of the company Victor Hartwall stated that the total investment in the Lviv hotel project reached about €20 million since the project’s launch. Of this amount, approximately €2.5 million was allocated to the latest renovation phase, carried out during the war. Despite wartime risks, the hotel delivered its best results in the past five years in 2025, with revenue reaching about €2 million and occupancy at 53%, exceeding the average rate for five-star hotels in Lviv.
Hartwall emphasized that the Leopolis Hotel Lviv case demonstrates a successful long-term investment in Ukraine even under difficult conditions. As an additional positive signal for the market, he highlighted the growing share of foreign guests, which he believes indicates a gradual recovery of confidence in Ukraine as a destination for business and travel.
Beyond hospitality, Hartwall Invest is also developing an agricultural investment in Ukraine. This includes a stake in Strong Energy West LLC, a company operating in the deep agro-processing segment, covering the value chain from potato cultivation to the production of starch and biopolymers. The Finnish group holds around a 10% stake in the project, with total investment estimated at approximately €2.5 million.
According to Hartwall, the company plans to continue expanding this direction, focusing on starch exports and the production of innovative biopolymers for the global market. Part of the investment in developing short-term potato storage facilities was implemented with support from the USAID AGRO program, while the remaining financing came from other partners and investors.
Regarding new investments in Ukraine, Hartwall noted that foreign business interest already exists, although many potential investors remain in the risk assessment phase and are waiting for the war to end. At the same time, he predicts that once the war is over, Ukraine could experience a genuine investment boom, where each successful project would stimulate additional inflows of capital.
Among the key conditions for a stronger inflow of foreign investment, Hartwall named reducing corruption and ensuring stability of business rules. According to him, the predictability of the regulatory environment is one of the main requirements international investors consider when deciding whether to enter a country.
In 2026, K. Hartwall Invest Oy Ab plans to focus on improving the efficiency of its existing projects in Ukraine and does not currently plan new investments, although the company continues to analyze opportunities in logistics, industrial development, and related sectors where it has expertise in Europe.
