Ukrainian tech company in SF raising money for war effort ambulances

Grammarly, a well-known tech company in San Francisco, is asking for cash donations to help buy much-needed ambulances for Ukraine’s war effort this winter. 

Since the Russian invasion began in February, the Ukrainian government estimates that nearly 500 ambulances have been damaged or captured. 

The fundraiser holds extra significance to Grammarly because the company was founded by three Ukrainian entrepreneurs in 2009.

With recent attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure cutting off power to large parts of the country in the middle of winter, the importance of functioning ambulances has grown exponentially.

Since the onset of the war, Grammarly said it has already donated $5 million to organizations and funds supporting Ukraine. In a statement, the company said it has already purchased the first ambulance in the campaign.

“We’re raising money for ambulances to function as ‘hospitals on wheels’ needed to save lives on the spot,” said Grammarly co-founders Max Lytvyn, Alex Shevchenko and Dmytro Lider in a statement.

The fundraiser is being conducted in partnership with UNITED24, a platform started by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to collect charitable donations in support of the war effort. 

A spokesperson said that funds will be managed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and that ambulances will be purchased from different suppliers worldwide. They estimate that each one will cost about $65,000. 

Now headquartered on Market Street, Grammarly provides communication assistance services leveraging artificial intelligence. Users may recognize its spell-check software that also detects plagiarism. 

Anyone interested in donating to the campaign can visit the fundraising webpage here. 

Editor's Note: Check out The Standard’s previous coverage of Ukrainians in SF here and here.