Lincoln-based tech company helps out Ukrainian workers

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Sprious is a Lincoln-based tech company with global connections. Right now, they have 19 employees based in Ukraine, who are also Ukrainian citizens.

Since the war started, the company is doing everything in its power to get them to safety and raising money to get it all done.

The chief operations officer with the company sat down with 10/11 NOW on Tuesday. He said the group of almost 20 are core members of the company and the only thing on anybody’s mind at work is getting them to safety.

“The team is definitely hurting. We know of missile attacks that have hit one of the guys’ home neighborhoods,” said Derek Knorr, Sprious COO. “We don’t even know if his house is still standing or not.”

A bulk of that team was located in Kyiv. Since then, much of the team is safe and working again. Though some remain.

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a braver group of people honestly,” said Knorr. “There are people who are staying in Kyiv to either fight or support the soldiers while they’ve shipped their wives and children out of the country or elsewhere”

Sprious is a software company that compiles data for other companies. Those that work in Ukraine fill a variety of roles.

“Ukraine is really full of high powered tech talent. They’ve really come into being over the last five, six, seven years a major tech hub in eastern Europe,” said Knorr.

They are raising money to support a few different efforts. The company has already booked safe houses for family members and rented armored car evacuations.

“We’ve rented apartments in Poland and in western Ukraine near Lviv and we’ve been getting as many people as possible over to that area as we can,” said Knorr.

Knorr said there’s no expectation to work while experiencing tremendous hardship, but he said the Ukrainian spirit remains strong.

“Their morale is shockingly high,” said Knorr. “They believe that they are on the cusp of a great event in the world and I think everybody is pretty focused on beating Russia back at this time.”

So far they’ve raised over $32,000 through multiple fundraisers, but costs to keep that many afloat aren’t easy, so they will continue the efforts.