Oleg Kouzbit

Oleg Kouzbit is Managing Editor at Marchmont News, a bilingual resource dedicated to innovation across Russian regions. He regularly contributes articles to East-West Digital News.

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Skolkovo secures $4 billion state funding until 2020

November 19, 2014

The Skolkovo Foundation, which manages Russia’s largest state-sponsored innovation hub under construction outside Moscow, will receive another 135.6 billion ruble (about $4.1 billion) shot in the arm from government coffers between now and 2020. The decision, which might signal the technopark’s return to political favor, was made last week at a Russian government meeting presided by Prime …

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Russia’s first social network VKontakte seeks to hire Snowden

November 19, 2014

VKontakte.ru (VK.com), Russia’s number one social network, has officially offered employment to Edward Snowden, the fugitive American government contractor wanted by the United States for leaking details of the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. Just hours after Russia granted Snowden one-year asylum last Thursday and let him leave the transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, …

Russia’s first social network VKontakte seeks to hire Snowden Read More

VimpelCom ready to pull out of sub-Saharan Africa and redouble presence in Pakistan

November 19, 2014

VimpelCom, a NYSE-listed telecom group with operations in Russia, Italy, and some other markets, is selling two of its sub-Saharan assets and considering purchasing a Pakistani mobile operator, Reuters reported earlier this week, citing knowledgeable banking sources. VimpelCom is believed to have sold its units in Burundi and the Central African Republic for $100 million …

VimpelCom ready to pull out of sub-Saharan Africa and redouble presence in Pakistan Read More

BIT Contest announces Global Track nomination winners

November 19, 2014

The BIT Contest, Russia’s largest tech competition for innovation startup projects, announced the winners of its Global Track program on Monday. This year marks the 10th edition of this competition, which originally drew inspiration from the U.S.’ MIT $100K and Mass Challenge. The Global Track, co-sponsored by Intel and RVC, the state-owned fund of funds dedicated …

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Yandex launches new beta version of its Islands interactive search feature

November 19, 2014

Last week, Russian search giant Yandex released the tri-lingual beta version of its Islands, search snippets aimed at improving search results and helping users find solutions to specific problems by delivering results in the form of interactive blocks. According to Yandex, the new feature offers a “shortcut to users’ ultimate search goals,” making it possible …

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Rambler upheld constitutional right to privacy by defying state body’s request, says Moscow court

November 19, 2014

A Moscow court ruled earlier this week that Russia’s Federal Service for Financial Markets (FSFM) broke the law when it fined Rambler Internet Holding, a sizable Russian-language news portal and webmail service, for protecting its users’ constitutional right to privacy in email correspondence. The FSFM had ordered Rambler to disclose email information during the financial …

Rambler upheld constitutional right to privacy by defying state body’s request, says Moscow court Read More

Google under scrutiny by Russian authorities for tax evasion and illegitimate data transfers

November 19, 2014

A prominent Russian legislator has censured Google for shifting its Russian tax burden to local contractors – just weeks after Google and other US Internet companies were accused of avoiding taxes in countries like France, Italy, and the UK. Ruslan Gattarov, a senator heading the committee for information policy of the Council of the Federation …

Google under scrutiny by Russian authorities for tax evasion and illegitimate data transfers Read More

MegaFon announces over $200 million investment for 2014 Sochi Olympics

November 19, 2014

MegaFon, a leading Russian mobile operator, has announced a $130 million commitment to building and upgrading the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics’ telecommunications infrastructure. In an exchange last week with the Russian news agency 1Prime, Tigran Pogosyan, MegaFon’s deputy CEO for strategic ventures and director of the firm’s Sochi-2014 project, said that in addition to the …

MegaFon announces over $200 million investment for 2014 Sochi Olympics Read More

In St. Petersburg, no Russians among Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013 winners

November 19, 2014

About 300 tech-savvy students from 71 countries gathered in St. Petersburg on July 10 and July 11 to contend for global recognition and a total of $1 million in prize money, Microsoft reported. These student finalists pitched innovative projects to a high-profile jury in three main categories. In the Games category, Austria’s Zeppelin Studio came …

In St. Petersburg, no Russians among Microsoft Imagine Cup 2013 winners Read More

St. Petersburg startup secures $1.2 million in US-Russian funding to push e-ticketing

November 19, 2014

Earlier this month, Radario.ru, a St. Petersburg-based e-ticketing service for music and entertainment events, closed a $1.2 million investment deal with undisclosed investors in its second round of funding, bringing its total investment since inception to $1.4 million. Daria Semenova, a spokesperson for Radario, explained to East-West Digital News that the startup’s post-investment valuation is …

St. Petersburg startup secures $1.2 million in US-Russian funding to push e-ticketing Read More

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