Spanish bank BBVA has acquired Simple, giving Russian fintech fund Life.SREDA its first exit. BBVA paid $117 million for the American innovative banking app, giving Life.SREDA a 180% return on the investment it made in June 2013. Simple, which was founded in summer 2012, helps clients to control their spending and to meet saving targets. …
Last month RTB-Media, a startup that develops a real-time bidding SaaS offer, secured an undisclosed amount from ImpulseVC, a venture fund and accelerator launched last year. The startup, launched just six months ago, was initially backed by Alexander Minakov (Miralab.ru) and Daniil Kravtsov (Rizzoma.com, Tekliner.com) who invested 4.5 million rubles (approximately $140,000) in the project.
Almaz Capital Partners, a major Russian venture fund, has participated in a $6.5 million round to fund If You Can, a California-based startup that uses gameplay to teach children social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. The Series A round was led by Greylock Partners with the participation of other investors. The startup had previously raised $2.8 …
The RVC Infrafund has teamed up with a group of yet-undisclosed private investors to jointly finance the setup of the Digital Port Tech Entrepreneurship Center in the city of Perm in the West Urals. The 2000-sq. meter facility is expected to offer young local innovative teams and startups both office space and a range of …
Government fund RVC supports tech entrepreneurship in West Urals Read More
Magisto, an Israeli cloud-based mobile video platform, announced on Friday a $2 million investment from Mail.Ru Group, the LSE-listed Russian Internet giant. The investment is designed to fuel further growth and customer acquisition. In addition, Magisto has integrated its offering into Odnoklassniki.ru, a subsidiary of Mail.Ru Group and the second largest social network in Russia …
Israeli mobile video platform secures $2 million from Mail.ru Group Read More
Launched in 2011, Apps4all has attracted a sizable portion of the mobile app developer community in Russia and neighboring countries. The startup helps large IT companies and device manufacturers interact with developers and provides a variety of media, event, training, research, and advertising activities. Just weeks ago the young company, which is backed by a Russian candy magnate, entered …
Russian mobile app community startup Apps4all enters UK market Read More
While startup incubators and accelerators have been springing up like mushrooms in Russia over the past few years, this one deserves particular attention. It is the first such structure in the country completely dedicated to hardware projects – from consumer robotics to 3D-printing to smart electronics for “smart home” systems and wearables. The accelerator, christened …
Russia’s first hardware startup accelerator launches in Kazan Read More
YaKlass has secured $450,000 in a second round of financing in less than one year, the startup’s founder Valery Nikitin told Firrma.ru, an online publication covering the Russian startup and venture scene. Two major venture funds, Almaz Capital and Vesna Investment, along with Russian businessman Pavel Kovsharov, brought in the funds, which will be spent on …
E-learning startup YaKlass secures second round from Almaz Capital and Vesna Investment Read More
German startup Kreditech, a German startup aiming to become “the Amazon for consumer-finance”, has entered the Russian market. It offers micro loans to consumers and also provides a credit rating service for enterprise customers. The startup’s founders Sebastian Diemer, Alexander Graubner-Müller and Felix Haas believe that their algorithm, which processes over 8,000 data points in …
German consumer-finance startup Kreditech arrives in Russia Read More
Flint Capital, a $30 million high-tech investment fund based in Moscow, and IIDF (FRII in Russian), a $200 million seed and early-stage fund launched last year, have invested an undisclosed amount in SMTDP Tech LTD. Based in St-Petersburg, this startup has developed a technology to verify the authenticity of photographs. Dubbed the “Picture Manipulation Inspector” (PMI), the solution …
Flint Capital and IIDF invest in Picture Manipulation Inspector Read More
The French search engine for car-sharing BlaBlaCar has taken over the Ukrainian site Podorozhniki, in order to enter the Russian and Ukrainian market. The cost of the deal has not been disclosed, as was the case with the expansion in Italy and Spain, but the Podorozhniki site is no longer available and all of its …
French car-sharing service BlaBlaCar expands to Ukraine and Russia Read More
Yestarday Boombotix, a San Francisco-based startup developing audio hardware and software, announced a $4 million strategic investment from existing and new investors. Among them is Grishin Robotics, a venture fund launched in 2012 by Mail.ru Group’s CEO Dmitry Grishin. The US startup claims to be “developing the highest-quality audio hardware and software products.” The investment will enable it …
Grishin Robotics invests in Californian startup to “create a fresh approach to music.” Read More
