Running a start-up is infinitely tougher for Ukrainians amidst the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. Read ahead to get a better idea of the situation on the ground.
Story of a start-up in war-torn Ukraine: 95 percent of his workforce “have gone to fight”
The plight of a start-up ecosystem in Ukraine is very sad as people are busy fighting for the nation. Lyubomyr Dykun revealed 95 percent of his workforce “have gone to fight”. Dykun is the Chief Executive Officer of G-Mak, a home security company based in Ukraine. His company works on something similar to Amazon Ring’s home security system but, much more powerful. The small-black box with a camera developed by G-Mak can detect intruders and fire tear gas for putting off any possible burglar.
“Ukrainians know how to defend. We have lost five people,” stated Dykun. The war has created a huge problem for the business owner as his workforce is decimated. Creating a successful firm is generally a huge challenge. However, the war adds an additional barrier. Working in Ukraine under war condition include issues such as blackouts and bombings targeting infrastructure. Getting funding and working has been a struggle for several Ukrainians since the start of the conflict.
More stories of Ukrainian Startups amid the war
Despite all problems and suffering, a delegation of Ukrainian start-ups has made their way to Las Vegas to attend the biggest tech gathering in the world. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is offering Ukrainian business owners an opportunity to meet investors from the West who can help. “It took me three days to get here,” admitted Artem Didinskyi. Didinskyi is the co-founder of online kitchen designer Corner. Since Ukrainian men under the age of 60 are not allowed to leave the nation, he obtained special permission to attend CES.
“Sometimes my working day is limited to the battery of my computer. Two weeks ago I didn’t have any electricity for three days. I sleep with my dog in my bed to help keep me warm,” revealed Artem. To Artem, the unending neon signs of Las Vegas were a huge difference in the cry for electricity in Kyiv. The programmer has been working from a local gas station offering reliable electricity thanks to a generator. “It’s very hard now if you’re a business in Ukraine. All of our big investors and big companies are supporting the army. We started to think that maybe it’s better for us to be near the European Union – because we can deliver more easily,” said Mariana Romaniak. Romaniak works for a Ukrainian start-up that makes cutlery from old coffee beans.