Apps
Top Ukrainian Startups, Apps 2022
![Top Ukrainian Startups, Apps 2022](https://adigitalboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ukraine-flag-digital-boom.jpg)
This week, Russia declared war on its neighbor Ukraine after many political and military skirmishes, affecting the lives of tens of millions of civilians in Ukraine, as well as thousands of companies, including a group of start-ups developing apps that millions around the world rely on.
Over the past years, many startup companies in Ukraine have achieved global success, not only European-wise, through many services, applications, and products. Here is a list of the top Ukrainian startups/ apps:
1. Grammarly
Founded in Ukraine by Max Litvin, Alex Shevchenko, and Dmytro Leader in 2009, the start-up provides a language correction service and tool. It’s one of the most popular tools journalists, and content writers rely on to ensure better language-error-free writing.
You can use Grammarly on the web, Windows app, or integrate with document editing applications such as Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Any writer can rely on Grammarly before posting on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and others.
Grammarly is one of the most famous Ukrainian startups that provide a service that has achieved great success worldwide.
The company employs more than 500 employees, and it also has offices in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, New York, Vancouver, Canada, and San Francisco.
The startup’s value reached more than 1 $1 billion in 2019, and at the end of 2021, it secured $200 million in new funding at a valuation of $13 billion.
Grammarly expressed on its official Twitter account the solidarity with the Ukrainian people who are now facing Russian occupation, saying: “To the staff, family and people of Ukraine, stay strong, we hold on and stand with you proudly.”
2. Reface app
The Reface application, which relies on AI techniques, allows users to replace faces within images, GIFs, and videos.
Founded in 2018 by Den Dmitrenko, Dima Shvets, Ivan Altsybieiev, Kyrylo Syhyda, Oles Petriv, Roman Mogylnyi, Yaroslav Boiko, Reface is a leader in applying AI/ML technologies for personalized content creation.
The application has achieved great popularity during the past two years during the pandemic outbreak. The number of downloads of Reface app exceeded many of the most popular apps like Tik Tok.
The application is available for free download on Android users through Google Play and iPhone users through Apple App Store.
For example, the user only has to take a picture of the face or set the face in any image and then replace it with an actor’s face! The app has the ability to create comic cartoons, as well as the ability to replace the voice or move an image so that it pronounces a text.
Reface achieved more than 150 million installs, including 100 million within one year. It also topped the list of the most popular applications on the App Store. Moreover, Google chose it among the best applications on Google Play Store in 2020.
The developing company of Reface asked the users of the application for support as it said that the world needs to know what is happening in central Europe. That was after a tweet through its official account on Twitter saying that its team woke up Thursday morning, February 24, 2022, on a series of explosions after Russia launched a large-scale invasion attacking several cities across Ukraine.
3. CleanMyMac X App for Mac
The startup was developed by the Ukrainian company MacPaw, headquartered in Kyiv – Ukraine. It’s one of the most popular Mac users, which allows users to get rid of malware with a button click.
The same company also developed another set of applications for Mac and iPhones, including Clear VPN and Wallpaper Wizard 2, and Gemini Photos to eliminate duplicate photos.
The Ukrainian company said that it has a contingency plan to ensure no disruptions to MacPaw’s operations, development, or customer service.
4. Effa Corp.
Founded in 2018 and registered in Delaware in the USA, the startup develops green products. Effa produces disposable eco-friendly products for everyday use.
Effa has created its first products: Effa Toothbrush and Effa Razor, both are 100% recyclable and renewable. As well as paper soap and paper q-tips.
The construction of both Toothbrush and Razor allows detaching the recyclable parts after being used and recycling them separately.
5. Preply App
Founded in 2012 by Ukrainian entrepreneurs Kirill Bigai, Dmytro Voloshyn, and Serge Lukyanov, Preply is a language-learning app and e-learning platform that allows users to communicate with specialized tutors of different languages.
In September 2021, the app received $50.6 million of investments in a total of 8 funding rounds.
6. Esper Bionics
Founded in 2019 by Anna Believantseva Dmytro Gazda, Esper Bionics provides AI-based orthopedic prosthetics and neurology products. The company’s products include a bionic self-learning hand prosthesis and a wearable brain-computer interface.
The startup also offers a cloud-based software solution that individualizes the control of wearables. It has applications in mechatronics, wearable electronics, and natural implants.
7. Readdle
Founded in 2007, Readdle is a tech startup with over 200 employees. The Ukraine team members are based out of Odesa and Kyiv and have been developing world-class productivity apps used by millions globally for over ten years.
Readdle is the developer of PDF Expert, Spark email, Documents, Scanner Pro, Calendars, Fluix productivity apps.
Spark is an email application for iOS, macOS, and Android devices by Readdle.
On April 2, 2019, Readdle released Spark for Android, the company’s first mobile application for the Android platform.
Readdle assures its customers that its product services remain unaffected by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
8. Snovio
Founded in 2017 by Oleksii Kratko, Snovio offers email lookup solutions to marketers and businesses. Allows marketers to generate a list of email addresses from domain names, find the email address on LinkedIn, verify email addresses, and view detailed company profiles.
Snovio offers a Chrome Extension to make it easy for the users to find leads for building email campaigns.
9. Ajax Systems
Founded in 2011 by Aleksandr Konotopskyi, Ajax Systems is a tech startup that manufactures smart security systems and sensors for homes. It offers wireless window and door opening sensors and movement sensors.
The startup is entering the Argentina market. The company plans to enhance its influence in the region and build a local team.
The founder of Ajax Systems, Aleksandr Konotopskyi, is recognized as the entrepreneur of the year 2021 by Forbes Ukraine.
Many Ukrainian entrepreneurs have contributed to launching and settling significant startups offering critical applications and services that are now indispensable, such as Jan Keum, co-founder of WhatsApp, and Max Livchin, who co-founded PayPal.
Apps
5 Best URL Shortener Services in 2024 [Free & Paid]
![The 5 Best URL Shorteners 2020](https://adigitalboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/url-shortener-1.jpg)
A URL Shortener is a technique in which a URL may be made shorter and still redirect to the original long page.
Most URL Shorteners are free and easy to use but come with limitations.
Google shut down its Google URL Shortener in 2018 with continued support until March 30, 2019. However, all existing links will continue to redirect to the intended destination.
Top URL Shortener Services on the Internet
1. Bitly.com
Bitly offers a free and enterprise version of its URL shortening service. No signup necessary, but creating an account allows you to manage links quickly and change the short link characters if you wish.
According to this Quora answer, the enterprise version of Bitly costs around $995/month.
Pro Tip: add + after the short link to access analytics of any bitly link. bitly.com/link+
2. TinyURL
A simple shortener that requires no sign-up and allows users to customize the keyword. The service is free to use, but there is no analytics.
3. Short.io
The best shorten link provider so far, it has so many useful features such as google analytics integration, bulk import, broken links detection, built-in analytics with so many details, link cloaking, and more.
Cost: affordable compared to similar solutions.
4. Rebrandly
Rebrandly is one of the popular URL shortener services in the market. It’s the most complete and reliable link management platform. Their solution provides the easiest way to create, measure, and manage short URLs with a custom domain name.
You can buy your domain name using Rebrandly, tag your URLs using UTM tagging, allow social media pixels to optimize for conversions, and more.
It’s expensive compared to other solutions.
5. eg.gd
eg.gd is a new URL shortener service that offers the same as rebrandly but for free. It was launched last year when bit.ly service was blocked in Egypt.
Apps
Saudi Fintech ‘Lendo’ Raises $28M in Series B Funding
![Lendo Secures $28M in Series B Funding Led by Sanabil Investments, Eyes IPO](https://adigitalboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Untitled-3-1.webp)
Lendo, a Saudi Arabia-based shariah-compliant debt crowdfunding marketplace, has raised SAR 105 million ($28 million) in Series B funding led by Sanabil Investments, a wholly-owned company by the Public Investment Fund (“PIF”). The round saw participation from Shorooq Partners, AB Ventures and other investors.
Lendo is a Shariah-compliant, debt crowdfunding marketplace that helps pre-finance outstanding invoices for businesses in Saudi Arabia. The platform is a community of creditworthy borrowers and sophisticated investors looking for alternative investments. The platform is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). Lendo will use the funds to support its fast-growing customer base in Saudi Arabia which has grown 3X year-on-year, introduce more innovative financing products, and accelerate market expansion plans.
“With this funding round, we are going to expand into new markets, support new and current customers, and launch new Shariah-compliant products, all the while continuing to innovate the marketplace for digital lending. We are going to make financial services more accessible, affordable, and inclusive for everyone. I am excited to see what the future holds for our company,” said Osama Alraee, CEO, and co-founder of Lendo, who also disclosed its plans for an IPO within the next few years.
Alraee has also expressed his gratitude to SAMA (Saudi Central Bank), Fintech Saudi, MCIT, Misk, and Monshaat for their unwavering support, emphasizing the pivotal role they have played in advancing financial inclusivity and fostering innovation in partnership with Lendo to reshape the financial landscape. Their dedicated efforts in advancing financial inclusivity and fostering innovation have been invaluable to us. We greatly appreciate their partnership in our mission to transform the financial landscape
Commenting on the announcement, Sanabil Investments said: “Lendo is a leading fintech company that is transforming the financial services industry in their specialist area of Shariah-compliant digital lending for SMEs. The Lendo team, especially the founders, Osama and Mohamed, have achieved a significant amount in a relatively short period, and we are eager to join their journey of increasing access to flexible financial solutions in Saudi Arabia and the region at large.”
“The growing demand for alternative, agile, and accessible lending solutions presents a significant opportunity. At Lendo, we are well-positioned to lead the charge in promoting financial inclusion not only in Saudi Arabia but also beyond. By fueling SME growth, we aim to contribute to the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic goals and to create a ripple effect of opportunity throughout the MENA region,” said Mohamed Jawabri, COO, and co-Founder of Lendo.
Lendo previously raised a SAR 27 million Series A funding round ($7.2 million) in 2021 led by Derayah Ventures with participation from Seedra Ventures and other investors, bringing the fintech’s total funding to SAR 132 million ($35.2 million).
Since the inception of Dec 2019, Saudi fintech Lendo has processed more than 2,500 financing transactions on its platform, providing over SAR 1 billion ($300 million) in financing to SMEs and generating SAR 140 million ($37 million) returns for investors.
The Small and Medium Enterprise financing landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) presents a substantial market opportunity as limited financial access continues to restrict the growth of the region’s businesses, with commercial banks hesitant to issue loans to SMEs at scale, resulting in a high percentage of declined financing requests annually. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the SME financing gap is estimated at SAR 19.5 trillion ($5.2 trillion) every year in developing countries.
Lendo’s debt crowdfunding platform aims to bridge the financing gap for SMEs, which aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030 to significantly expand SME lending from 4% in 2018 to 20% by 2030.
The total value of debt crowdfunding in Saudi Arabia surged from 1.4 million SAR in 2019 to SAR 771 million in 2022, marking a remarkable 430% growth, according to SAMA’s annual fintech report 2022.
Apps
Have you ever downloaded these malicious 400 apps?
![Have you ever downloaded these malicious 400 apps?](https://adigitalboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Featured-Image2.jpg)
Meta has identified over 400 malicious Android and iOS apps designed to steal Facebook login information and compromise people’s accounts.
These apps are disguised as photo editors, games, VPN services, business apps, and other utilities to trick people into downloading them. Some examples include:
- Photo editors, including those that claim to allow you to “turn yourself into a cartoon”
- VPNs claiming to boost browsing speed or grant access to blocked content or websites
- Phone utilities such as flashlight apps that claim to brighten your phone’s flashlight
- Mobile games falsely promise high-quality 3D graphics
- Health and lifestyle apps such as horoscopes and fitness trackers
- Business or ad management apps claim to provide hidden or unauthorized features not found in official apps by tech platforms.
How do these apps work?
Malicious developers create malware apps disguised as apps with fun or useful functionality — like cartoon image editors or music players — and publish them on mobile app stores.
To cover up negative reviews by people who have spotted the defunct or malicious nature of the apps, developers may publish fake reviews to trick others into downloading the malware.
![Have you ever downloaded these malicious 400 apps?](https://adigitalboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/malicious-app.jpg)
Malicious apps- Image Credit: Meta
When a person installs the malicious app, it may ask them to “Login With Facebook” before they can use its promised features. If they enter their credentials, the malware steals their username and password.
If the login information is stolen, attackers could gain full access to a person’s account and do things like message their friends or access private information.
How to protect Facebook accounts from malicious mobile apps?
Malware apps often have telltale signs that differentiate them from legitimate apps. Here are a few things to consider before logging into a mobile app with your Facebook account:
- Requiring social media credentials to use the app: Is the app unusable if you don’t provide your Facebook information? For example, be suspicious of a photo-editing app that needs your Facebook login and password before allowing you to use it.
- The app’s reputation: Is the app reputable? Look at its download count, ratings, and reviews, including negative ones.
- Promised features: Does the app provide the functionality it says it will, before or after logging in?
What to do if your Facebook account is compromised?
Suppose you believe you’ve downloaded a malicious app and have logged in with your social media or other online credentials. In that case, we recommend that you delete the app from your device immediately and follow the following instructions to secure your accounts:
- Reset and create new strong passwords. Never reuse your password across multiple websites.
- Enable two-factor authentication, preferably an Authenticator app, to add an extra security layer to your account.
- Turn on log-in alerts so you’ll be notified if someone is trying to access your account. Review your previous sessions to ensure you recognize which devices have access to your account.
![Have you ever downloaded these malicious 400 apps?](https://adigitalboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Malware-Apps1.jpg)
Malicious apps- Image Credit: Meta
- It’s also recommended to report malicious applications that compromise Meta accounts through the Data Abuse Bounty program.
What are the 400 malicious apps?
Meta provided a list of more than 400 malicious apps in a blog post so users can check to see if they have downloaded any of them. Some apps include Beauty Camera, Kangaroo VPN, Magic Horoscope, and QR Barcode Scanner.
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