How do the local startup scenes look like in Estonia, Poland, Russia, Ukraine — but also in lesser known countries, from Bosnia-Herzegovina, to Moldova, to Georgia? How much do VCs invest these countries? Are corporations involved in these emerging ecosystems? Which are the most well-funded startups, and which younger ones should be followed? Why do so many …
In 2014, Estonia launched a unique program to help non-EU entrepreneurs gain access to global markets. Based on the most recent data, Russians and Ukrainians are among the major users of it. Alexey Voronkov, currently the country manager for Ukraine, shared some statistics about the program as of January 30, 2018: The current total number …
Russian and Ukrainian entrepreneurs among top users of Estonian e-Residency program Read More
A figure of the innovation scene in Russia, where he has lived for more than 20 years, US investor Kendrick White shares his vision of the innovation potential of Russian universities and the challenges related to its translation into market-oriented products. Although Russia has a great scientific tradition, it has a long history of failing …
How Russian universities can become more innovative and entrepreneurial Read More
While the Russian government and the central bank are preparing to regulate cryptocurrencies and ICOs — with a draft bill expected to be ready by mid-2018 — notable divergences on the matter can still be observed among the concerned authorities. Thus Russian officials are wrestling with central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina to allow the trading of cryptocurrencies …
Russian authorities still at odds over cryptocurrencies Read More
Skolkovo, the international tech hub under completion on the outskirts of Moscow, took its cooperation with France to a new level last week, with the visit of ambassador Sylvie Bermann to the innovation city and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with two French business organisations. The visit took place on Wednesday last week, one …
French ambassador visits Skolkovo amid week of Russian-French cooperation Read More
December 22, 2017 could go down as a turning point in the history of the Belarusian economy. That day, the country’s president Alexander Lukashenko signed a law “On the Development of a Digital Economy” which introduces thorough changes in the legislation, aiming to liberalize the high tech sector in the country. A variety of activities …
A successful tech entrepreneur since the late 1990s, Dmitry Marinichev was apppointed Internet Ombudsman by President Putin in 2014. He is also a member of the Expert Committee of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and a member of the General Council of the Delovaya Rossia business association. In this exchange with EWDN Chief Editor Adrien …
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has established a new vehicle to invest in technology, ‘RDIF Technologies,’ the sovereign fund’s CEO Kirill Dmitriev told President Putin on Tuesday. “We have chosen leading partners from China, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They will invest together with us in technology projects based on [the presidential] digital …
Three major Russian institutions — the Far East Development Fund, national fund of funds RVC and nanotech giant Rusnano —have ambitious investment plans for their new Far East venture fund that will support technology development in this far-flung Russian region. Dubbed “Far East High Tech Development and Implementation Fund,” the new investment vehicle aims to …
New state-backed venture fund aims to invest $175 million in Russia’s Far East Read More
An unusual positive appraisal of ICOs came Tuesday from Russia’s central bank, with the institution’s First Deputy Chairman Sergei Shvetsov expressing hopes that “ICOs will take a rightful place on Russia’s financial market.” “Our country has a tremendous potential of innovations, our students, young people and entrepreneurs have the edge over any country in the …
In a new proposal to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the federal government’s Project Activities Department is suggesting reforms to Russia’s law enforcement system that would introduce artificial intelligence, according to documents obtained by the newspaper Kommersant and cited by online publication Meduza.io. The new technology would be used at three stages: first, to identify obsolete and ineffective legal norms; …
Russia considers introducing artificial intelligence in law enforcement system Read More
Leaked files have just highlighted the connections of Yuri Milner, a top Russian-born international tech investor, with a Russian state-controlled financial institution. While seeing in these connections “a long Kremlin arm,” the international journalist consortium which analyzed these files omitted to point out many other cases of Russian money fuelling powerful tech companies in the US and elsewhere. However, …
