# Oleksandr Kosovan

> Oleksandr Kosovan is the Ukrainian founder and CEO of MacPaw, creator of the original CleanMyMac and co-founder of venture fund SMRK. He started the bootstrapped software business while studying in Kyiv in 2008, later introduced Setapp, collected historic Apple computers and supported Ukrainian entrepreneurship. His current work includes MacPaw’s transition toward AI assistants and on-device intelligence.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at MacPaw
- **Organizations:** MacPaw, Setapp, SMRK VC Fund, Diia.City United, CEO Club Ukraine, MacPaw Foundation
- **From:** Nadvirna, Ukraine
- **Nationality:** Ukrainian
- **Education:** Master’s degree, National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”
- **Known for:** Created the first version of CleanMyMac and bootstrapped MacPaw., Launched Setapp through MacPaw in 2017., Co-founded SMRK, whose portfolio includes Ajax Systems, Preply and Deus Robotics.

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Founded MacPaw while a student in Kyiv and wrote the original CleanMyMac.
- **2013** — Co-founded SMRK venture capital fund with Andriy Dovzhenko.
- **2016** — Bought Tekserve’s collection of nearly 40 historic Apple computers.
- **2017** — MacPaw launched Setapp and displayed the Tekserve collection in its Kyiv office.
- **2021** — Announced plans for an Apple Museum at MacPaw Space with 323 exhibits.
- **2022** — Led MacPaw during the full-scale invasion; the company released Together App and SpyBuster.
- **2023** — MacPaw opened a Boston office and established its Moonlock cybersecurity division.
- **2024** — Announced a 20% staff reduction in November, citing financial challenges. A December missile strike damaged the Kyiv office.
- **2025** — Announced MacPaw Space’s return and an AI lab at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in October.
- **2026** — Led MacPaw’s AI transition and announced an August partnership with Liquid AI.

## Achievements

- Created the first version of CleanMyMac and bootstrapped MacPaw.
- Launched Setapp through MacPaw in 2017.
- Co-founded SMRK, whose portfolio includes Ajax Systems, Preply and Deus Robotics.
- Preserved Tekserve’s historic Apple computer collection as a group.
- Named 2024 CEO of the Year in the technology industry category by European CEO, as reported in MacPaw’s leadership biography.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — MacPaw and Liquid AI announced a long-term partnership combining Liquid Foundation Models with Elix and Mnemos, starting with Eney. Initial results were expected later in 2026.
- **2026-06** — Participated with MacPaw executives in a post-WWDC discussion on AI, privacy, Siri and software distribution.
- **2026-03** — Discussed MacPaw’s AI transformation and the opportunities and threats assistants present to application businesses in a Tech.eu interview.
- **2025-10** — Announced the return of MacPaw Space and plans for an AI lab at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

## Links

- Website: https://macpaw.com/leadership/oleksandr-kosovan
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akosovan
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/kosovan
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KosovanO

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/oleksandr-kosovan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22