Despite the ongoing war, Ukrainian startups brought in more than $6 billion in revenue in 2022 — $542 million more than in 2021 — and have tripled in valuation since 2020. These tech companies are key to laying the groundwork for Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery. Since March 2022, Google for Startups has funded and coached three cohorts of the $5 million Ukraine Support Fund, a program allocating equity-free cash awards and Google support for Ukraine-based startups to help maintain and grow their companies, strengthen their community, and create economic opportunity.One year after launching the initiative, we were delighted to finally bring together the 58 recipients of the Ukraine Support Fund and other representatives of the community at Google for Startups Campus Warsaw last week to honor their accomplishments and resilience. “Ukraine’s technology sector is an important asset,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, in video remarks. “And its entrepreneurial spirit remains steadfast, like Ukraine itself. We’ve been honored to help during this time.”The Ukraine Support Fund Summit showcased the Ukrainian startup ecosystem’s strength and potential by providing an opportunity for Ukrainian founders to connect with one another in person and pitch to top investors and industry leaders from around the world. Entrepreneurs shared their personal stories about resilience and how they continued their operations despite the difficult circumstances.“Like many other companies, we've been going through the war with dedication to work,” said Alex Serdiuk, CEO of the AI-powered voice cloning startup Respeecher, who dialed in from Kyiv. “In 2022, we were able to deliver major pieces. We recreated the voice of James Earl Jones for Obi-Wan from bomb shelters, we delivered work for God of War Ragnarok and America’s Got Talent while Russia heavily shelled our country. The resistance of Ukrainian founders and startup team members is extraordinary.”
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Wednesday, October 16, 2024
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