True to its Ukrainian roots, Grammarly announced it would offer financial support to pro-Ukraine groups and called on its over 30 million daily active users to lend their voice to those opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
In a post on LinkedIn, the company behind the real-time English language assistant and productivity app said it will donate $5 million over the coming weeks to organizations and funds supporting the people of Ukraine.
“Grammarly was founded in Ukraine, our cofounders are from Ukraine, and we have many team members who call Ukraine home,” it posted on the professional social media site.
Its donation amounts to five times the figure that major lenders like JPMorgan Chase, [hotlink]Wells Fargo,[/hotlink] and Deutsche Bank are contributing in humanitarian aid, and matches consulting firm Accenture’s donation to the country.
In a bid to force Putin to cease hostilities, companies around the globe including Accenture have been cutting ties with Russia. Their departures have coincided with some of the most punitive sanctions ever imposed on a country.
8 years of Russian profits
Grammarly is donating the net revenues generated in Russia during the eight years since Putin invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, according to a statement made to Quartz and other publications.
The company could not be reached for comment.
In the LinkedIn post, Grammarly also called on its user base to contribute to the effort: “Whether by peacefully protesting, speaking to your representatives, or donating money, we ask you to help however you can.”
Launched in 2009 by Max Lytvyn, Alex Shevchenko, and Dmytro Lider, Grammarly crossed the 1 million daily active user mark six years later after introducing a free version of its grammar assistant. As of 2020, its user base had grown to 30 million.
Last November, Forbes Ukraine estimated the wealth of Lytvyn and Shevchenko, both Canadian citizens, at $4 billion each after the company’s latest funding round valued it at $13 billion following investments by Baillie Gifford and BlackRock.
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