Samvel Akobyan, co-founder of the Ukrainian medical services Helsi and Lilo, has invested nearly €8 million in the development of Gridwe, a company producing smart gas meters and IoT-based data transmission modems. The entrepreneur disclosed this in the YouTube project Business Breakfast with Volodymyr Fedorin.
Gridwe was established in 2024 and specializes in the production of gas meters, smart meters, and IoT data transmission modems. The company’s main customers are state-owned enterprises, including Ukrainian regional gas distribution companies. According to Akobyan, there are virtually no local manufacturers of smart gas meters in Ukraine, creating significant growth potential for the company.
In 2026, Gridwe has already won tenders worth around UAH 600 million in the meter segment, as well as another UAH 192 million in the data transmission modem segment. The entrepreneur noted that the year is not yet over, but the company expects to finish it with revenue of around UAH 1 billion.
Gridwe has now begun the process of certifying its products for entry into the European market. Akobyan believes that in the smart meter segment, the Ukrainian company is capable of competing with European manufacturers. In the domestic market, Gridwe’s competitive advantage lies in local production and lower product costs compared to imports. According to the businessman, foreign suppliers find it difficult to compete with the company on price.
Going forward, Gridwe plans to expand production and enter new segments, including electricity meters and smart solutions for water supply systems.
Samvel Akobyan is known as a co-founder of Helsi, a service created in 2016 for online doctor appointments and the digitalization of healthcare services. In August 2022, Ukraine’s largest mobile operator Kyivstar acquired a majority stake in Helsi for approximately $15.2 million. Later, in May 2025, Kyivstar increased its stake in the company to 97.99% by buying out the shares of Samvel Akobyan and fellow co-founder Yaroslav Ivanenko. The deal amounted to $10.5 million.
In addition to Gridwe, Akobyan is developing other technology projects. In 2023, he founded the insurance service Lilo, which offers an insurance model focused not on individual services, but on specific diagnoses. The service currently serves around 3,500 clients.
In 2024, the entrepreneur also launched Bubibo, a service for pet owners. According to Akobyan, the project is preparing to enter international markets and could potentially generate revenue of tens of millions of dollars within its first two to three years of operation.
