International

Notion Capital and Runa Capital team up to back French IT development tool provider

November 30, 2019

As reported last week, Runa Capital, an international VC firm with Russian roots, has teamed up with UK-based Notion capital to inject $7 million into Forest Admin. This French startup, founded in 2017, has designed an “off-the-shelf admin panel based on a highly-extensible API” in simpler words, an admin interface that helps manage customer data …

Notion Capital and Runa Capital team up to back French IT development tool provider Read More

Russia mandates pre-installed Russian-made apps on all smartphones, tablets and computers

March 17, 2021

Russia will soon force tech companies to pre-install Russian-made government-approved applications and software onto new smartphones, tablets, PCs and other devices. The measures — dubbed the “law against Apple” due to the U.S. iPhone maker’s refusal to sell products loaded with third-party apps — sailed through the Russian parliament and was rubber-stamped by President Vladimir Putin Monday. …

Russia mandates pre-installed Russian-made apps on all smartphones, tablets and computers Read More

Political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya: “Yandex is safe for now, but Kremlin compromise is fragile”

January 20, 2020

Last week President Vladimir Putin signed the formal decree making the necessary changes to Russian law for the Yandex to change ownership and governance rules. These changes, their background and implications were analyzed by Mrs. Tatyana Stanovaya, the founder of the political analysis project R.Politik and a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Moscow Center. Earlier this month, Russian …

Political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya: “Yandex is safe for now, but Kremlin compromise is fragile” Read More

New hints in leaked recordings: Russian spy agencies intertwined with bitcoin exchanges

November 29, 2019

In 2018, US Special Counsel Robert Mueller revealed precise evidence in alleging how Russia’s military intelligence agency used bitcoin transactions to mask meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.  Earlier this month, new glimpses into the shadowy world of cryptocurrencies emerged in a BBC Russian Service report that provided more indications of how exactly Russian spy agencies …

New hints in leaked recordings: Russian spy agencies intertwined with bitcoin exchanges Read More

Under Russian pressure, Apple changes Crimea map

November 27, 2019

More than five year after Russia took control of the peninsula, the sovereignty dispute between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea is still sensitive for online service providers. As reported by BBC and Reuters, Apple has complied with Russian demands to show the peninsula as part of Russia in its Maps and Weather apps for Russian users. When using Apple …

Under Russian pressure, Apple changes Crimea map Read More

Russia’s top mobile operator sells Ukrainian business

November 27, 2019

Russia’s biggest mobile phone operator MTS said on Monday it had agreed to sell its Ukrainian business to Azerbaijan’s Bakcell for $734 million. The company also said its board had approved a special dividend of 13.25 rubles ($0.21) per ordinary share, or 26.5 billion rubles ($420 million) in total.  “Given the small share of our …

Russia’s top mobile operator sells Ukrainian business Read More

New legislation considers bloggers with income abroad as ‘foreign agents’

November 22, 2019

Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, has adopted the final reading of amendments to the law on mass media, applying the status of “foreign agent” to mass media outlets. If approved by the upper house of parliament and signed by the President, the law will designate any legal entities or individuals as foreign agents if they …

New legislation considers bloggers with income abroad as ‘foreign agents’ Read More

Yandex proposes sweeping governance and ownership restructure; draft bill on foreign ownership put on hold

December 9, 2019

Yandex, the NASDAQ-listed Russian Internet leader, is planning a major overhaul of its governance structure, answering a long-standing government pressure over its governance and ownership. Under the plans announced yesterday, Yandex will create a new “Public Interest Foundation” which will control Yandex’s so-called golden share,  providing veto power over significant ownership transactions.  Since 2009, this golden …

Yandex proposes sweeping governance and ownership restructure; draft bill on foreign ownership put on hold Read More

AliExpress attracted 5 million Russian online shoppers on ‘Global Shopping Day’

November 14, 2019

AliExpress Russia has announced record results for its Global Shopping Day, also known as Singles’ Day, on Nov. 11 and 12.  The sales event attracted 5 million Russian consumers, RBC reported, citing company statements. These online shopping aficionados made more than 30 million purchases amounting to some 17.2 billion rubles ($270 million at the current …

AliExpress attracted 5 million Russian online shoppers on ‘Global Shopping Day’ Read More

October 2019 in Eastern Europe: JV proliferation in Russia; A unicorn from Ukraine; gaming and esports news from Belarus

November 14, 2019

Crunchbase and East-West Digital News are teaming up to cover key tech and venture trends from Russia and neighboring countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since January 2019, EWDN chief editor Adrien Henni has offered a monthly column to highlight the most notable industry facts and trends as well as promising tech innovations from these countries. The October review highlights the …

October 2019 in Eastern Europe: JV proliferation in Russia; A unicorn from Ukraine; gaming and esports news from Belarus Read More

Andrey Andreev sells Badoo, Bumble to Blackstone at $3 billion valuation

January 21, 2020

Andrey Andreev, the Russian-born online dating tycoon, has sold his business MagicLab to Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms. The deal valued the company “at approximately $3 billion,” the firm stated, without providing any more details. MagicLab touts itself as the company that “invented how people meet in the modern, mobile age,” “connecting and transformed …

Andrey Andreev sells Badoo, Bumble to Blackstone at $3 billion valuation Read More

“Anti-Apple” draft bill: Russia could mandate pre-installed Russian-made apps on all devices

November 7, 2019

On November 5, Russia’s State Duma approved the first reading of a new bill that would obligate non-Russian producers of smartphones, computers, and smart TVs to pre-install Russian-made apps on their devices. If it ultimately becomes law, the bill will likely take effect on July 1, 2020. Under such legislation, the executive branch of the …

“Anti-Apple” draft bill: Russia could mandate pre-installed Russian-made apps on all devices Read More

Scroll to Top

This site is under maintenance. Sorry for the inconvenience.

This site is under maintenance. Sorry for the inconvenience.