Bank of Memories: We believe that people need us, despite the challenges of war
Ucluster is a Ukrainian organization that brings together startups, investors, academics and local governments.
During the war in Ukraine, Ucluster did interviews of Ukrainian startups who still fight not just for freedom, but also for their startup growth.
Summary of the article
🌱How do your startup live during wartime?
All team members have changed their profession during wartime.
🔸Project author and COO Andriy Melanchyk became a volunteer. He evacuates disabled people, children, delivers medicine and ammunition from the border, and accumulates donations for people who cannot leave.
🔸Co-founder Dmytro Kuznets Dima Kuznets opposes the spreading of false information on the Internet.
🔸A team of programmers is fighting in the cyber army, as well as volunteering in IT projects.
🔸Our angel investor — in the past an anti-terrorist operation soldier, took up arms again.
🔸Girls, Irina (CEO) and marketers are now working abroad as planned.
🌱How does your team help Ukraine❓
🔸Members of our community help families to evacuate, create a telegram channel to provide operational information on safe roads. They also coordinate the Armed Forces about the enemy’s movement, deliver medicines to Kyiv and other cities and give a ride to doctors. The programmers participated in the creation of a project — Site for recruitment to the territorial protection units and the website called “Spivdiya”.
Is it possible to attract new customers and keep existing ones?
Yes, but many times less. For example, in March and February 2022, downloads of the application fell by almost 50%.
We will soon launch App updates and will continue work as planned.
Our new customers are those who register in the App, store important information and pass it on to the future. Our startup does not focus only on the Ukrainian market. The largest number of potential customers (about 60%) are coming from the United States, as well as in countries where family values and cultural heritage are paramount. For example, in Arabic countries.
What are the startup’s plans for the future if the war continues?
The only thing we can do (apart from volunteering) is develop the economy, work and do what we do best.
The Japanese say that “fast is slow but constant.” I believe in these words and stable work is the only thing that will bring the fastest result.
It has always been difficult for startups. Hundreds of people will tell you “no”, “the idea is so-so”, “there are already a lot of such products” and so on. Startups didn’t have money anyway. Startups have been filling out applications for grants and competitions for hours and have never received a result.
Startup is super difficult, everyone knows it. And to make a startup in the war, it sounds almost unrealistic.
Despite all these difficulties, we believe that people need the Bank of Memories. We see thousands of users and tens of thousands of followers.
We had 40% growth in a few months and an extremely effective marketing campaign. Therefore, we will take further risks and make our startup. We know that digital wealth is important: everything from memories to assets. Preserving all the wisdom and digital assets is important to millions of people.
Thank you, international community, for supporting products made in Ukraine!
Website: https://ucluster.org/blog/2022/03/bank-of-memories-my-virymo-scho-potribni-lyudjam/
