Ukrainian entrepreneur Ruslan Tymofieiev is expanding CLUST SPACE — a network of smart shelters at universities that combine certified bomb shelters with an underground co-working environment to keep education running during air-raid alerts.
The CLUST SPACE initiative is supported by the TYMOFIEIEV FOUNDATION and the team at CLUST Venture Builder, founded by Ruslan Tymofieiev. The first CLUST SPACE location opened on January 25, 2024, at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The implementation cost $415 000, and construction work lasted 5 months. The second site launched on February 5, 2025, at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. Its construction took 4 months and cost $350 000.
Both spaces are designed for long stays and can be transformed for different uses — from lectures and presentations to project work and thesis defenses. The concept of smart shelter is built around 3 linked requirements: physical safety, psychological comfort, and the ability to stay inside for hours. The layout includes work areas for individual study, rooms for group work and practical classes, call/video booths, reading zones, and places to rest. The smart shelter is designed to operate independently, allowing people to remain inside for up to 72 hours — even in scenarios involving chemical contamination.
As part of CLUST’s corporate social responsibility strategy, the initiative was launched in response to the challenges Ukraine’s education system faces during the full-scale war — shelling, damage, destruction of schools and universities, and recurring blackouts. The team describes the shelters as long-term infrastructure: they help universities keep learning going now and, later, can serve as meeting points for universities, talented youth, and businesses.
Ruslan Tymofieiev said: «For me personally and for CLUST, supporting security initiatives in the direction of education is not just charity, but a strategic decision that helps create conditions for the sustainable development of the country. If young people have the opportunity to study in stable conditions, we will get professionals who will stay and work in Ukraine, and not look for opportunities abroad».
Who is Ruslan Tymofieiev
Ruslan Tymofieiev was born on June 3, 1991, in Makiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine. In 2013, he co-founded Everad, a CPA network in the Health & Beauty. In 2019, he sold his stake and shifted focus to investment projects. In the same year, he became a partner and co-founded the venture fund Adventures Lab. Its portfolio has included startups such as Reface, DeckRobot, SALO, OneNotary, and Narrative BI.
In 2022, he founded CLUST, which invests in, launches, and develops startups, and also supports Ukrainian businesses entering international markets.
