Brainstack_ started its path in 2013 by opening its head office in Kyiv. Since then, the team has broadened greatly, and now it’s working hard on a range of products dedicated to parental control. The goods developed by Brainstack_ are installed on more than a million devices around the globe.
For now, Brainstack_ is considered a top-level B2C SaaS company in Ukraine. Since 2020, the Ukrainian IT company has released five successful products that have already started bringing fruitful outcomes. By releasing unconventional and even bold ideas, the company’s value currently overcomes the $100 million threshold.
February 24th changed our lives irrevocably – the war began. Shelling and explosions hit the people’s homes. A peaceful morning rapidly turned into a nightmare for the Ukrainian people.
A few months earlier, local and international media was warning about Russia accumulating its forces near the Ukrainian border. People’s reaction to the news was quite different. Some part thought it was done to intimidate people and no war would happen. While others were sure the conflict was unavoidable. But we all had one common point – an overprepared man is undoubtedly better than an underprepared one.
Since that crucial date, the Ukrainian people have begun preparing for the disastrous invasion as much as they could. First, they were doing their routine like working and meeting friends. But at the same time, people were getting ready for big changes. There are bomb shelters located all over the country so people can get there to wait out the bombing. Ukrainians started hoarding water and food, preparing the shelters, and thinking over evacuation options.
As for Brainstack_, the company had initiated the evacuation of its team members before the war knocked on our doors. The company has already dealt with the accommodation and transport of their employees. We did our best to provide a safe place for our workers and their family members, including pets.
Moving to the West of Ukraine and Settling In
The breaking news about the Russian invasion of Ukraine has spread instantly. People started panicking, so wise decisions should have been made. And Brainstack_ was ready to act accordingly. It took a few hours to arrange the place where evacuation buses should have picked up the employees as well as their relatives.
As a result, almost half of Brainstack_ employees managed to leave their homes and relocate to the shelter. We did research to find out how many people from our company joined the evacuation and how many of them stayed at home, and here are the results:
- 40% relocated to the West;
- 10% kept living in the Kyiv city;
- 50% got back to their home town or relocated to their relatives in other cities/countries.
The company concluded the evacuation initiative was a good idea that helped many people find a safe place to keep their mental and physical health.
Besides, one of our colleagues became a member of the Armed Forces and is bravely guarding Ukraine at the frontline. Also, four workers joined TDF (Territorial Defense Forces) to guard their families and homes.
Brainstack_ managed to provide two evacuation places in the West. The first one was located in Ivano-Frankivsk. It’s a brand-new office that the company organized earlier to hire more employees and expand its capabilities. The place was a few months old, and so far, it has provided housing for our employees. The company’s management organized laundry, food and water supply, and more. The company has been participating in volunteer programs to support local and national organizations.
Another group of people was evacuated to Truskavets. It’s a modest but picturesque city that is located in the West of Ukraine. There, we successfully organized temporary accommodation for our employees and their families. All the necessary facilities were handled so our employees could feel comfy and safe.
We’d like to outline how generous and hospitable the local people have been to us. So the team was thinking of how we could thank them for their kindness. And we decided to share our experience with the locals. Brainstack_ took over upgrading the official website of Truskavets. Also, we initiated managing the official Telegram channel called “Трускавець офіційно.”
Another significant outcome we’d like to mention is the successful management of humanitarian aid transferring from Europe to different corners of Ukraine. Our friends all over the globe teamed up to make sure the packages would reach Ukrainian people in need. The first delivery, which value was around 20,000 Euros, has successfully landed the destination points. It included sleeping bags, medicine, and food.
Currently, our main office located in the city of Kyiv is out of work, but most of the employees keep on working remotely. This helps to maintain our products and keep our business afloat. Our workers have an opportunity to work on flexible hours to arrange a comfy schedule.
Moreover, the Human Resources team keeps an eye on every employee to make sure everyone is safe. In case of urgent help, our team is ready to react quickly and give a helping hand to those who are in need. Accommodation, food and medicine supply, financial aid – all of those can be covered. Luckily, Brainstack_ is able to provide its employees with their salary in full. This also goes for workers who are guarding our country on the frontline.
How Ukranian Programmers Continue Working Bombed and Help Their Army
While our soldiers are protecting Ukraine on the battlefield, IT specialists have discovered their own way to fight for our independence. As a result, the digital front arose as we all know how media can affect people’s way of thinking and decision-making. It’s crucial to provide people with up-to-date information from trusted sources. Thus, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, brought attention to people from Ukraine and other countries to join the IT Army. So we could fight against Russian propaganda and show the world all the violence and crime that has been taking place in Ukraine. As a result, hundreds of thousands of volunteers (around 300,000) joined the IT Army to show our true power. Thousands of hackers, developers, software engineers, and even non-IT professionals teamed up to contribute to our victory.
Not only guarding the online infrastructure of Ukraine but paralyzing crucial digital resources stored on Russian serves. That’s what cyber soldiers are working on. The targets include the Russian largest banks, industrial companies, and media. Russian propaganda has been poisoning people’s minds for years, so it’s important to bring light to current events. The cyber warriors are using all their resources to show the Russians all the lies they were unconsciously consuming.
Braintack_ brings its value to this front as well. We decided to share our experience to find a use in the IT Army as well. We got a big infrastructure and solid experience in the creation of complex and valuable services. Thus, a distributed system maintained by a centralized control was developed by the infrastructure team. The system can dynamically execute and modify DDoS attacks. Besides, our workers are partaking in blocking various messages containing dangerous propaganda as well as reporting social media accounts that spread disinformation that can harm the Ukrainian people.
How Does Future Look Like for Brainstack_?
We find it hard to discuss future plans during the times when every day is unpredictable. Every episode is literally bringing its edits to our history and our destiny. We’re glad we have the “now” moment to be close to our loved ones. There is one point that Brainstack_ is sure about – we keep on working no matter what. We’re proud of being a prosperous IT company based in Ukraine. And the company goes on hiring and growing up new professionals.
We are happy to give people a chance to show off their skills while supporting Ukraine financially. We should be proud of our Ukranian programmers who continue working while bombed and bring the attention to other countries to get help. Besides, Informational Technology is a powerful industry nowadays that gives people a chance to keep their positions. This is vital nowadays to support families who currently have no money to earn due to the destroying Ukrainian infrastructure. Brainstack_ is so lucky our business can’t be ruined by bombs and tanks.
