Adrien Henni

Russian startup Surfingbird accused of patent violation by US giant Stumbleupon

April 2, 2013 December 29, 2016

Surfingbird.ru, the first mover on Russia’s nascent web content discovery market, could become a victim of its own success, having attracted the hostile attention of global leader Stumbleupon.com. So far things have gone relatively well for Surfingbird. Launched in June 2011, the startup secured a $2.5 million series A round just a few months later, …

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From Cyprus to New York: Qiwi starts its journey to IPO

March 29, 2013 March 29, 2013

Russian payment operator Qiwi filed a registration statement with the U.S. regulator, the SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) on Wednesday, to raise up to $100 million from an initial public offering. J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse will act as joint book-running managers in the operation, which could take place before next summer. The number of American …

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RVC USA teams up with US VCs to support Russian and US startups

March 28, 2013 March 28, 2013

RVC USA, the Boston-based representative office of the Russian state-owned fund of funds RVC, is considering raising a new venture fund to back US startups with connections to Russia and help Russian startups enter the US market. While the Russian government might bring in $20 million of that amount – which remains to be confirmed – …

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After central bank approval, PayPal continues its “journey” to Russia

March 19, 2013 March 19, 2013

After a week of rumors, PayPal confirmed last Friday that the Central Bank of Russia has approved its application to register as a full-fledged payment operator in Russia. Although PayPal considers Russia to offer “one of the biggest growth opportunities” for its development, it has taken no less than three years for the international payment …

After central bank approval, PayPal continues its “journey” to Russia Read More

New Russian high tech fund to invest up to $20 million in startups across the globe

March 18, 2013 March 18, 2013

In a new illustration of the vibrant activity of the Moscow venture scene, Maxim Shekhovtsov and Alexander Zhurba – founders of TexDrive, one of the city’s largest startup accelerators – announced last week the creation of a fund dedicated primarily to IT projects in Russia and around the world. Christened Genezis Capital, the fund actually …

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Ventech, Kite Ventures and Ru-Net fuel Moscow startup for “Russia’s first e-commerce love brand”

March 5, 2013 March 5, 2013

Last month Moscow-based fashion retailer Trends Brands announced it had raised $4 million in a Series B round. The amount includes $3 million from French venture fund Ventech and $1 million from Ru-Net and Kite Ventures, two Russian funds operating internationally, a source close to the deal told East-West Digital News. Ru-Net and Kite Ventures had …

Ventech, Kite Ventures and Ru-Net fuel Moscow startup for “Russia’s first e-commerce love brand” Read More

Global innovation rankings: Is Russia 14th, 51st or 85th?

March 1, 2013 March 1, 2013

A few weeks ago, Bloomberg issued a “Global Innovation Index” which ranked Russia as the world’s 14th most innovative nation – just between Norway (13th) and Belgium (15th) and well ahead of China (29th) and even Israel (32nd). Here is how Russia ranked in Bloomberg’s determining factors: R&D intensity: 29th Productivity: 41st High-tech density: 2nd Researcher concentration: 24th Manufacturing …

Global innovation rankings: Is Russia 14th, 51st or 85th? Read More

Brilliant mobile payment startup raises $8 million but faces many unknowns

March 1, 2013 March 1, 2013

uBank, a mobile payment startup launched in late 2011, announced earlier this week an $8 million capital injection – its first round of funding – from Runa Capital, a Moscow-based venture fund that operates internationally. uBank’s valuation has not been disclosed, but its CMO Evgeniy Kozlov told East-West Digital News that the founders have kept a …

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Cross border sales operator BayRu named US ‘Exporter of the Year’

February 22, 2013 February 22, 2013

Illustrating the booming growth of online cross border sales, BayRu (Bay.ru), an Ilinois-based operator selling goods from the USA to Russian consumers, has been named a 2013 Exporter of the Year award winner by ThinkGlobal Inc., publisher of Commercial News USA, the official export promotion magazine of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Criteria on which …

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Russian and Italian postal services to bring Italian fashion to Russian online shoppers

February 4, 2013 February 4, 2013

The Russian Post and its Italian counterpart Poste Italiane are considering launching an online offer of apparel and footwear from small and mid-sized Italian producers, the business daily Kommersant reported, based on an exchange with the Russian Post. “A detailed business plan, drafted [in conjunction] with our Italian colleagues, along with a study of the …

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Russian Railways get into mobile commerce

January 25, 2013 March 2, 2017

RZD, the Russian state-owned railways monopoly, has just launched a free mobile app offering train schedules and allowing travelers to purchase electronic tickets. A click-to-call function allows users to reach the company’s call center easily. In contrast with the appalling usability of the company’s website, RZD’s mobile app, which we tested, is quite convenient. A few …

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Online matchmaking industry consolidates: Teamo acquires Monamour

January 14, 2013 January 14, 2013

Matchmaking site Teamo.ru has taken full ownership of its main competitor, Monamour.ru, gaining undisputed leadership of this market segment in Russia. The transaction, which took place in December, was confirmed to East-West Digital News by Teamo Managing Director Vladimir Schmidt. Schmidt said it was a cash transaction, but declined to disclose further financial information.

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