This week and next, East-West Digital News reviews the most important developments on the Russian high-tech scene in 2015. The series starts with an analysis of the key deals and trends that marked the venture market. 1. Russian funds continued to invest in international startups The invest-abroad trend among funds with Russian backers or managers, which began several …
A space beyond governmental control, the Internet has long been a thorn in the Kremlin’s side. The search for a solution began in 2012. Various tricks have been tried, from the introduction of internet filters and the updating of a national system of online surveillance known as SORM to the direct intimidation of Internet giants both domestic and international. By 2014 the Kremlin had came up with something akin to a strategy. Accustomed …
RuNet 2016: Pressure shifts from companies to citizens Read More
According to a new law that comes into force on Jan. 1, Russian official bodies will no longer be allowed to use foreign software but will have to use Russian programs, and the new regulations will possibly be later extended to cover state companies. Russia Beyond The Headlines analyses this government initiative and the opportunities it …
Russia looks to replace international software with domestic programs Read More
Russia’s biggest holiday is the New Year, followed a week later by Orthodox Christmas. The shopping season essentially begins in November and continues through to the New Year. Increasingly, Russians have been turning to the Internet for their holiday shopping, and that is a trend that his blog post will delve into. This blog explores the …
German Klimenko has officially agreed to become Vladimir Putin’s advisor on the Internet. Within a few days of accepting this responsibility, Klimenko managed to grant several interviews to the Russian media, including a pair of particularly noteworthy conversations with the independent outlets Dozhd and Vedomosti. Meduza, an independent-minded online publication, examines these interviews and summarizes …
Meet Vladimir Putin’s new Internet advisor German Klimenko Read More
Global investment in fintech ventures tripled to $12,21 billion in 2014, confirming the sector to be a hot ticket for everyone thinking about becoming a “unicorn” enterprise, making a breakthrough in technologies or changing consumer experience. A new startup field boomed 5-7 years ago in the USA is gradually building its momentum in Russia. A confusing …
In July 2015, a local court in Chyorny Yar issued a countrywide ban on a Wikipedia article about charas hashish, leading to a small crisis in August, where the world’s largest encyclopedia nearly became inaccessible to more than 140 million Russians. In a special report for Novaya Gazeta, photographer Evgeny Feldman went to Chyorny Yar to capture life in …
Chyorny Yar, the village that nearly banned Wikipedia for 140 million Russians Read More
Two weeks ago while in Moscow, I was surprised to be hit with so many black Friday ads. Russians obviously don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but they have started celebrating Black Friday the past few years. Following the US shopping trend, both international and domestic retailers offer special promotions and sales to encourage the kick off of …
Everything you need to know about Russian Black Friday Read More
This year Russia is home to over one-third of mobile phone users in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), according to eMarketer, with more than 105 million people in Russia owning at least one mobile phone and use it at least once per month. Thalamus, a leading crowdsourced database of ad vendor data, has just released its research on …
Group-IB, a Moscow-based cybercrime investigation company operating globally, has just published its 2015 report on cybercrime trends in Russian and beyond. Analyzing the situation in Russia and the former Soviet Union, Group-IB’s analysts expect the following trends to play out in the next six months: Mobile users are increasingly exposed to cybercrime Following the growing penetration of mobile …
Kendrick White, director of Marchmont Capital Partners, an investment advisory firm, has worked in Russia for 22 years. In 2013, the US businessman was appointed vice rector for innovation policy at the Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (UNN), a position for which he was suddenly dismissed in June 2015. White now helps Russian inventors find common ground with …
A marketplace for remote medical video consultations, Medviser aims to provide patients with access to quality medical expertise worldwide. The Russian-Israeli startup is backed by Millhouse LLC, the investment company of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Medviser’s founder and CEO Lev Orlovsky explains the human and market needs his company is addressing, shares his view on …
