Digital services & Apps

After failing to enforce ban, Russia unblocks Telegram

June 18, 2020

Roskomnadzor, the Russian Internet and telecom authority, announced today that it is lifting restrictions on access to Telegram. The regulator cited “Telegram’s readiness to combat terrorism and extremism” and referred to an agreement with the federal prosecutors. Earlier this month, as reported by Meduza, Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov urged the authorities to unblock Telegram and let its …

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Sberbank to acquire leading mapping service 2GIS at $205 million valuation

June 16, 2020

Sberbank, the Russian state-controlled financial and technology giant, is extending its empire to mapping services with the acquisition of a 72% stake in 2GIS. The deal, just announced, valued the company at 14.3 billion rubles ($205 million at the current exchange rate). Its approval by the antimonopoly authorities is expected in the third quarter of this …

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Yandex fired a taxi driver for refusing an African passenger. Then a campaign defending the driver appeared on Twitter.

November 12, 2020

On June 9, the online ride-sharing service “Yandex.Taxi” fired a driver from Bryansk, who refused to pick up a Black student from Congo. The incident sparked criticism of the Internet company on social media, with the hashtag #яндекскуколд (in English, “Yandex is a cuckold”) becoming a top trending topic on Twitter in Russia. Many users …

Yandex fired a taxi driver for refusing an African passenger. Then a campaign defending the driver appeared on Twitter. Read More

Mail.ru Group and Sberbank complete acquisition of food delivery service Samokat

November 12, 2020

Thursday last week Mail.ru Group and Sberbank announced that O2O, their ride-sharing and food delivery joint venture,  completed the acquisition of Russian food delivery startup Samokat. Following approval from corporate bodies and antimonopoly authority FAS, O2O now owns 75.6% of the service. The remaining shares (24.4%) are in the hands of Samokat’s founders and managers. The transaction …

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Mail.ru Group and Sberbank assert themselves on food delivery market

November 12, 2020

Mail.ru Group and Sberbank have invested in food delivery service Localkitchen.ru (“Kukhnya na rayone”) through their joint venture O2O. Citing Russia’s company register, business Vedomosti reported yesterday that O2O committed a loan of up to 290 million rubles (nearly $3.9 million at the current exchange rate) convertible into a 30% share. The news came just …

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Yandex launches covid home testing and online school

November 12, 2020

Like other Russian majors, Yandex is demonstrating its commitment to combat Covid-19 through a series of initiatives. The latest one is Yandex.School, a free online education platform which the search giant created “in record time” using its existing educational programs. Launched on March 31, Yandex.School helps teachers, students and parents “retain a sense of normalcy …

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EBRD provides rescue financing to Travelata and other Russian portfolio companies

April 10, 2020

The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided finances to a Russian company for the first time in more than five years under its emergency coronavirus support fund. The EBRD stopped making active investments in the country in 2014, following Western sanctions stemming from the events in Ukraine and Crimea. The group has also wound …

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Mail.Ru and Sberbank to acquire food delivery service Samokat

April 7, 2020

Last week, just days after Elementaree.ru secured a $5 million round of funding, Mail.ru Group and Sberbank announced plans to acquire another Russian food delivery startup called Samokat. The tech group and the financial giant – which are both listed on Western exchanges – are committed to acquire 75.6% of the service, according to corporate statements cited …

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Amid market boom, food delivery startup Elementaree raises $5 million from top Russian and French investors

November 12, 2020

The Russian food delivery startup Elementaree.ru has secured $5 million from the French vegetable giant Bonduelle and Russia’s sovereign wealth fund RDIF, confirming earlier announcements. An undisclosed individual investor also took part in the deal, the Russian media reported. The details of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2013 by Olga Zinovieva and Silard …

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Moscow city’s new app for COVID-19 patients allows police to monitor home quarantine compliance

November 12, 2020

On April 2, the Moscow Mayor’s Office will launching a mobile app called “Social Monitoring” designed for coronavirus patients with mild symptoms recovering at home. According to the city, there are currently about 550 confirmed COVID-19 patients who are recuperating at home, instead of in a hospital. “This [app] isn’t intended for everyone’s use. I repeat: this is …

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Dating.com Group launches $50 million corporate VC fund

March 23, 2020

International dating giant Dating.com Group has launched a $50 million corporate venture fund, the group’s co-founder Dmitry Volkov announced last week at an industry event in New York City.  The new vehicle will invest “up to $5 million” in online dating companies from the seed to Series B stages. The Dating.com fund has already made an …

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Russian tech majors switch to home working amid mounting coronavirus fears

April 6, 2020

While the Russian authorities’ preventive measures for coronavirus have not been as strict to date as those enforced in China, Western Europe and the USA, a number of Russian businesses have already taken action. Thus, the end of last week saw several major tech companies invite their office employees to work from home. Yandex, the local …

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