Lemon.io

Dmitry Reshetchenko founded Lemon.io in Ukraine in 2020 as a two-sided marketplace that pre-vets European software developers and matches them with startups and scale-ups who needed to hire quickly. The model was different from typical freelance platforms: Lemon.io did extensive technical screening of each developer, guaranteeing a quality floor, and presented startups with just 2-3 matched candidates rather than hundreds of profiles to review. The supply side was Eastern European developers — strong engineers at competitive rates compared to US hiring costs. The demand side was US and Western European startups who needed to move fast. Lemon.io grew through outbound sales to YC companies and through developer community building in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Revenue grew to $100k+/month from placement fees. The company continued operating and growing during the war in Ukraine, relocating team members while maintaining operations. A resilient marketplace business that proved European developer quality and built a profitable niche in the highly competitive remote hiring space.