Telemedicine service <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/doctor-ryadom/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Doctor Ryadom</a> announced its plans to launch a new IT platform and mobile application, as well as the transition to proprietary software created jointly with the former IT team of the Doc+ project.

 
 According to the company, the transition to a new platform will bring products using data science and machine learning technologies to the market. The app will allow users to receive remote medical advice, set appointments with clinics, and make purchases in the service's store. Interviewing and collecting the patient's anamnesis before consulting a doctor will be carried out using an AI-based chatbot.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/denis.shvetsov.56" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Denis Shvetsov</a>, CEO of <a href="https://dr-telemed.ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Doctor Ryadom</a>

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ruslan.zaydullin.1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ruslan Zaydullin</a>, co-founder of <a href="https://docplus.ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Doc+</a>

<hr />
 
 In August 2020, telemedicine service Doc+ and the medical company Doctor Ryadom announced their merger agreement. As part of the deal, Doctor Ryadom received the Doc+ platform, as well as the technology, based on which Doc + developed a chatbot and a medical record control system.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/servis-doktor-riadom-obiavil-o-zapuske-novoi-it-platformy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

CNews

New IT Platform for Telemedicine to Launch in Moscow

According to “<a href="https://www.mise.gov.it/images/stories/documenti/G20_Report_on_Practices_of_innovative_public_procurement_for_smart_cities_and_communities_2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The G20 Report for Reference on Innovative Public Procurement for Smart Cities and Communities</a>”, the Russian portal for public procurement Zakupki.mos.ru expands opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses and increases the transparency of transactions. The report was published following the meeting of the G20 digital economy ministers, which took place in early August in Trieste, Italy. The Portal provides an increased competitiveness of potential suppliers, as well as the possibility of an objective assessment of the existing market offers and analysis of information provided by the government and commercial customers about the fulfillment of obligations by suppliers, the report says.

 
 More than 224,000 suppliers from 37 regions of Russia are registered on the Supplier Portal, the catalogue contains more than 1.2 mln of SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), and more than 1000 contracts are concluded daily.

 
 "The portal is constantly updated with new services and tools that make it easier for users to work with purchases and expand the audience of the service. Today, the portal can be used not only by enterprises and organizations but also by self-employed persons and even individuals,” the head of the Department of Information Technologies Eduard Lysenko added.

 
 In 2017, an AI-based recommendation service was launched on the portal to solve the problem of resource-intensive process of manual contract tracking. The service analyzes previous contracts made by suppliers and recommends them potential procurement opportunities via personalized e-mails.

mos.ru

Russian Supplier Portal Added to G20’s List of Innovative Procurement Practices

<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/t1-navi/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">T1 Group</a>, VTB and Huawei are launching joint venture to produce localized solutions, develop products and services for the financial sector.

 
 For this, the companies have already launched a joint tech laboratory T1.LAB. The lab will be directed towards the development and testing of digital solutions for VTB Bank based on Huawei products by specialists from T1 Group. Specialist teams will be engaged in testing new joint developments for compatibility with other technologies and systems, and test their prospects for introduction to the Russian market.

 
 The laboratory is currently testing solutions in the following areas:

<ul>
 <li>software-defined infrastructure, including software-defined storage and networks;</li>
 <li>hardware compatibility with OpenStack solutions and Cloud-ready applications ;</li>
 <li>compatibility of OpenSource applications and applications with reduced sanction-related risks.</li>
</ul>

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/sergey-solovyev-67146b1b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sergey Solovyov</a>, CEO of <a href="https://www.t1-group.ru/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">T1 Group</a>

<hr />
 
 The companies note that when creating the T1.LAB laboratory, the experience of the Huawei OpenLab was taken into account. The latter was designed to organize joint work of the company's engineers, its partners, and customers to develop, configure and test new technological solutions.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/gruppa-t1-vtb-i-huawei-zapustiat-sp-po-proizvodstvu-reshenii-dlia-finansovogo-sektora/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

ComNews

T1 Group, VTB and Huawei to Launch a FinTech JV in Moscow

Russian tech company <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Mail.Ru_Group" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mail.ru Group</a> will additionally invest $60 million in the AliExpress Russia joint venture, Vedomosti reported citing to the company's press release.

 
 After approval by the board of directors, the company provided AliExpress Russia with $60.3 million in exchange for additional newly issued shares of the joint venture, the Mail.ru Group said. They plan to use the invested funds to develop the logistics of AliExpress Russia, expand the categories of goods, as well as improve the level of service.

 
 Mail.ru Group will participate in the round together with a number of other shareholders. Now the company owns 15% of the economic interest and 17.6% of the voting share in the asset. After the completion of the round, which is planned for the 4th quarter of 2021, no significant changes in the shares of the company are expected, according to Mail.ru Group.

 
 In July 2021, Mail.ru Group <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-posts-17-4-growth-in-second-quarter-2021-revenue/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">released </a>its financial results for the second quarter of 2021, according to which the company’s aggregate segment revenue increased by 17.4% year-on-year to $406 million (29.9 billion rubles).

Vedomosti

Mail.ru Group to Invest $60 Million in AliExpress Russia

Moscow-based AI startup <a href="https://zebrains.ru/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ZeBrains </a>has raised $1 million in an investment round led by Ruslan Fazlyev, the founder of SaaS developer Ecwid, and Sergey Bulaev, the founder of media platform Lifehacker.

 
 The project’s valuation was estimated at $8 million. ZeBrains intends to use the raised funds to increase the staff of specialists, as well as research and development in the field of artificial intelligence.

 
 “I am very optimistic about this deal and am glad that I am joining the business and joining the board of directors of the company”, Ruslan Fazlyev told TAdviser.

 
 According to him, the market has a huge demand for and, at the same time, a significant shortage of talent in the field of AI and mobile apps development. ZeBrains is a company that, in such conditions, builds up talent and makes it available to the market, he added.

 
 

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aznakai" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ruslan Fazlyev</a> (Ecwid) and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sergey.bulaev" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sergey Bulaev</a> (Lifehacker)

<hr />
 
 ZeBrains is part of the <a href="https://itech-group.ru/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ITECH.group</a> headed by entrepreneur <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alexander.shcherbina" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Alexander Shcherbina</a>, who owns a 54.9% stake in it, while the company's CEO <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/ramil-zayneev-86a55289" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ramil Zayneev</a> has 25.1% and American investment companies GL Brothers and Votnet have 5% each. The overall staff includes 180 people as of August 2021.

TAdviser

AI Startup ZeBrains Raises $1Million

Russian tech giant<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Mail.Ru_Group" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Mail.ru Group</a> plans to create Skillbox Limited holding based on two popular educational services, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/skillbox/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Skillbox</a> and <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/geekbrains/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">GeekBrains</a>, led by Skillbox founders and venture investor <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alexander.galitsky" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Alexander Galitsky</a>, founder fund of Almaz Capital Partners. Mail.ru Group will remain the controlling shareholder with a 50.06% stake.

 
 The company plans to join financial resources, team, and management. The founders of Skillbox will continue to develop and manage the business, while the holding will be headed by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/krutovdv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dmitry Krutov</a>, co-founder and CEO of the service. Among the plans after the merger is the expansion of the product line.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mail-ru-group-obedinit-skillbox-i-geekbrains-v-obrazovatelnyi-kholding/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

VC.ru

Mail.ru Group to Merge Skillbox and GeekBrains into One Educational Holding

An IT company<a href="https://iss.digital/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Intelligent Social Systems</a> (ISS), which created <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/mosgorpass/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mosgorpass</a>, Moscow city transport app, has won a bid to develop payment service based on biometric data with facial recognition.

 
 The amount of investment for implementation is estimated at around $4.4 million (329 million rubles). The product release is expected to fully launch within an eight-month period, by April 2022.

 
 A passenger will be able to upload their photo to Mosgorpass for face capture and then link the biometric data to their bank account in order to pay their passage, purchase description says.

 
 As Moscow Traffic Control Center (MTCC) clarified, the biometric data will be stored in a protected circuit with no access to it, while banks will store payment data.

 
 Earlier in August, the Department of Transport <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-metro-introduces-face-pay/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced </a>launching a pilot version of facial recognition payment system.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-prilozhenie-moskovskii-transport-dobaviat-funktsiiu-biometricheskogo-raspoznavaniia-litsa-dlia-oplaty-proezda/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Kommersant

Moscow Transport App to Add Payment with Facial Recognition

Moscow startup <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=VisionLabs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">VisionLabs</a> (part of <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Sberbank" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sber</a> ecosystem) has become the best company in face recognition at airports for passport-free service, according to The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (<a href="https://www.nist.gov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NIST</a>).

 
 This year, NIST’s <a href="https://pages.nist.gov/frvt/html/frvt_paperless_travel.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ongoing Face Recognition Vendor Test</a> (FRVT) tested algorithms under the scenario paperless traveling. The testing comprised both boarding passengers on an airplane and passing passport control using biometrics.

 
 VisionLabs' solution was named the best in three tests and showed high recognition accuracy. For example, in the first case, it was 99.98% with a probability of a false positive of 1 in 3333, which was the best result among all vendors.

 
 Research has also proven that VisionLabs' algorithms work effectively on photographs of different demographic groups, which is especially important when using solutions at international airports.

 
 Earlier, VisionLabs was <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/visionlabs-technology-retains-its-leadership-in-nist-international-research/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ranked</a> FRVT’s 2020 best vendor in facial recognition algorithms.

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/f866a39c-5ab3-5500-8ad2-351dbd44d36f.png">
</div>
 
 The National Institute of Standards and Technology 
 

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/85171095-7b5a-52fa-88c6-e9b88a1d9ee1.png">
</div>
 
 The National Institute of Standards and Technology

D-Russia

NIST Ranks VisionLabs the Best Facial Recognition Vendor for Airports

Moscow-based universities MTUCI and MISIS launched a pilot quantum network connecting the two institutions. The network configuration was created for an open connection to third-party organizations and can be used to develop up-to-date cybersecurity applications based on the use of quantum keys.

 
 The distribution of quantum keys between trusted nodes is carried out by the Quantum Key Distribution Equipment (QKD) developed by <a href="https://goqrate.com/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">QRate Quantum Communications</a>. Keys are generated at a speed of up to 30 Kbps, which is enough for the simultaneous connection of more than 10 high-speed encryptors.

 
 According to <a href="https://misis.ru/science/community/scientists/international/3582/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yuri Kurochkin</a>, the director of the MISIS Competence Center’s NTI “Quantum Communications”, the project is open to participation for both software developers and organizations wishing to connect experimental sections of their infrastructure for the implementation of quantum-protected solutions.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-moskve-zapushchena-testovaia-kvantovaia-set-s-otkrytym-dostupom/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

MTUCI

A Pilot Quantum Network with Open Access Launched in Moscow

The Ministry of Digital Development presented <a href="https://regulation.gov.ru/projects#npa=119023" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">draft legislation</a>, which includes an official description of collecting and handling biometric data cases to implement, RBC reports.

 
 According to the relevant bill, biometric data will be collected by the corresponding companies from taxi drivers as well as car-sharing customers. Among other cases of implementation, the document names civil society meetings and access to financial market organizations using access control and management system.

 
 Subject to approval, the bill will apply on January 1, 2022. In July, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-to-digitize-its-transport-system-before-2030-the-ministry-of-transport-says/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced</a> its plans to create digital profiles of passengers, using biometric identification for travel and payment on all types of transport.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/projects/ai/news/1745/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Russian Regulator Proposes Collecting Biometric Data from Taxi Drivers and Car-Sharing Users

The weekly observer of Moscow's tech stories

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/052cdeff-c2a9-553a-bd6b-7a66d50ab589.png">
</div>
 
 Source:&nbsp;Wikipedia
 

 
 

<ul>
 <li>Morgan Stanley <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/morgan-stanley-values-yandexs-driverless-company-at-7-billion-1/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Values</a> Yandex's Driverless Company at $7 Billion</li>
 <li>Cognitive Pilot <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/cognitive-pilot-brings-agricultural-drones-to-the-us-market/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Brings</a> Agricultural Drones to the US Market </li>
 <li>ExoAtlet <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/cognitive-pilot-brings-agricultural-drones-to-the-us-market/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Gets</a> FDA Approval To Sell Medical Exoskeletons in the US </li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>Moscow Metro <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-metro-introduces-face-pay/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Introduces</a> Face Pay</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>New Service for OTT Platforms <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/new-service-for-ott-platform-launched-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Launched</a> in Moscow</li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Russia to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-to-increase-the-export-of-cloud-gaming-55-times-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Increase</a> the Export of Cloud Gaming 55 times by 2030
 Russian Officials <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-officials-defined-ai-projects-for-government-support-program/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Defined</a> AI Projects for Government Support Program
 Telecoms in Russia <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/telecoms-in-russia-get-10-year-lte-license-renewal-with-new-requirements/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get</a> 10-year LTE License Renewal with New Requirements
 </div>
 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 INVESTMENT DEALS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>Startup Evidently AI <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-startup-evidently-ai-raises-125-000-from-the-us-venture-fund-y-combinator/" target="_blank">Raises</a> $125,000 from the US Venture Fund Y Combinator </li>
 <li>Edtech Novakid <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/edtech-startup-novakid-raises-35-ml-to-enter-asian-markets/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises</a> $35 ml to Enter Asian Markets</li>
 <li>MTS <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mts-plans-to-purchase-foodtech-bartello/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plans</a> to Purchase FoodTech Bartello </li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/iot-spending-in-russia-in-2020/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">IDC</a>: IoT spending in Russia in 2020 →</li>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/express-delivery-market/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">DATA INSIGHT</a>: Russian express delivery market →</li>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/russian-market-of-5g-smartphones/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SVYAZNOY</a>: 5G smartphones market in Russia →</li>
</ul>

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 KEY ACTORS IN IT
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

 
 Ekaterina Bereziy, CEO of ExoAtlet | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katka.bereziy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Danila Nikolaev, Co-founder of Bortello | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/danila.nikolaev.5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Olga Uskova, CEO of Cognitive Pilot | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000826626015" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

 
 Ekaterina Mironova, CEO of NUT.Tech | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinamironova/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Maxim Azarov, CEO of NovaKid | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazarov/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 MORE
</h2>

 
 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_NGgch0ymOajqNHadPVGsmjUvD1W5B6Z" target="_blank">Videos</a> from the fifth annual international summit ‘Machines Can See’ held by VisionLabs on July 8, 2021 that focused on human-centric technologies based on analysis of person's attributes without collecting and analyzing personal data. Leading experts in computer vision and machine learning discuss technology trends and share experience: Dima Damen, Efstratios Gavves, Bernard S. Ghanem, Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman, and Kris Kitani.

 <div>
 <a class="image_link" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_NGgch0ymOajqNHadPVGsmjUvD1W5B6Z">
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/53f9beb6-8554-5e26-b9aa-40b77fab0e1e.png">
 </a>
 </div>

 
 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_NGgch0ymOajqNHadPVGsmjUvD1W5B6Z" style="" target="_blank">Watch videos →</a>

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

The weekly observer of Moscow's tech stories

ICT.Moscow

Tech in Moscow #26 (2 August - 6 August 2021)

As part of the deal, <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Y Combinator</a> received 7% of the company for $ 125,000, VC.ru reports citing the startup co-founder Elena Samuylova.

 
 The <a href="https://evidentlyai.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Evidently AI</a> is a developer of open-source tools for assessing and tracking the quality of machine learning models based on open data. As the project is at an early stage of development at the moment, the team plans to create a full-fledged monitoring platform.

 
 The tool will be free for individual users and small teams, the company plans to make money on the cloud version of the platform for teams that do not want to launch it on their own. Evidently AI is also considering creating a product based on the open core model, in which some of the solutions for large companies will be paid for.

<hr />
 
 Connect with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/elena.samuylova" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Elena Samuylova </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/emeli.dral" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Emeli Dral</a>, founders of Evidently AI.

 
 <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/evidently-ai" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Evidently AI on Product Hunt</a>

<hr />
 
 <a href="https://vc.ru/services/277652-byvshie-sotrudnicy-yandeksa-zapustili-servis-dlya-analitiki-modeley-mashinnogo-obucheniya-i-proshli-v-y-combinator" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Russian Startup Evidently AI Raises $125,000 from the US Venture Fund Y Combinator

According to Morgan Stanley analyses, Yandex Self-Driving Group is one of the ten largest global companies in the field of driverless vehicles, with its valuation estimated at $7 billion, Forbes reports. However, experts say that the self-driving car companies of global competitors, Alphabet, Tesla, and General Motors, are valued several times more. To maintain leadership, the company needs to invest more in R&D and expansion of its vehicle fleet, which now consists of 170 cars, the report says.

 
 The company is expected to look for an external investor next year. According to Morgan Stanley, the key risks in their assessment are regulation, as well as the unpredictable amount of time for the technology development. An additional risk will be posed if one of Yandex's unmanned vehicles is involved in a serious accident.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/morgan-stanley-otsenil-kompaniiu-po-razrabotke-bespilotnykh-avtomobilei-iandeksa-v-7-mlrd/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Forbes

Morgan Stanley Values Yandex's Driverless Company at $7 Billion

According to Morgan Stanley analyses, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/bespilotnik-yandexa/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex Self-Driving Group</a> is one of the ten largest global companies in the field of driverless vehicles, with its valuation estimated at $7 billion, Forbes reports.

 
 However, experts say that the self-driving car companies of global competitors, Alphabet, Tesla, and General Motors, are valued several times more. To maintain leadership, the company needs to invest more in R&D and expansion of its vehicle fleet, which now consists of 170 cars, the report says.

 
 The company is expected to look for an external investor next year. According to Morgan Stanley, the key risks in their assessment are regulation, as well as the unpredictable amount of time for the technology development. An additional risk will be posed if one of Yandex's unmanned vehicles is involved in a serious accident.


 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/morgan-stanley-otsenil-kompaniiu-po-razrabotke-bespilotnykh-avtomobilei-iandeksa-v-7-mlrd/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/d81a335e-87ce-5226-aea9-14448bed6ace.png">
</div>
 
 Photo credit: Cognitive Pilot&nbsp;
 

 
 The developer of unmanned control systems <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Cognitive_Pilot" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Cognitive Pilot</a> registered a subsidiary of Cognitive Pilot Corp. in the US state of Texas. The company will introduce the <a href="https://ict.moscow/card/cognitive-agro-pilot/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Cognitive Agro Pilot</a> to the US market.

 
 According to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000826626015" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Olga Uskova</a>, CEO of Cognitive Pilot, the autopilot will initially be sold in Kansas, Oklahoma, Ohio, and Texas, where such systems are not licensed, as well as in Delaware, for which the necessary license has already been obtained. Later, the company plans to enter the market for 11 more US agricultural states.

 
 Overall, by the end of 2022, the company intends to export about 2 thousand sets of Cognitive Agro Pilot, of which 700 will be sold to the USA and Canada, and 700 more to South America. Cognitive Pilot intends to sell equipment through eBay while special centers specializing in additional equipment for agricultural machinery will be engaged in its installation. 

 
 Cognitive Pilot is a joint venture of <a href="https://www.cognitive.ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Cognitive Technologies</a> and <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Sberbank" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sberbank </a>in the field of unmanned control systems. Earlier this year, the company <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/cognitive-pilot-plans-private-placements-this-year/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced </a>its plans of private placement in 2021 as well as IPO in the future. 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/projects/ai/news/1731/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Cognitive Pilot Brings Agricultural Drones to the US Market

On August 2, <a href="https://www.grfc.ru/grfc/eng/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">the General Radio Frequency Centre (GRFC)</a>, a Russian regulatory body, prolonged the current permits to use the frequencies of 700 MHz, 800 MHz, and 2.5-2.7 GHz for LTE networks for another 10 years term, RBC reports.

 
 According to Newspaper’s sources, the decision contains a number of requirements for telecoms companies:

<ul>
 <li>starting from 2023, they will have to use only equipment included in the register of Russian electronic products and software from the register of domestic software in the construction of LTE networks;</li>
 <li>by September 8, 2024, they must provide LTE coverage in 100% of localities with a population of more than 1,000 people;</li>
 <li>by September 8, 2031, they must cover 99.9% of federal roads with LTE networks.</li>
</ul>

 
 Telecoms operators also told RBC about the repercussions of such measures. For instance, operator MegaFon clarified that the company already "prioritizes the provision of LTE not only in large cities but their environs as well". However, in order to fulfill such conditions, the company will have to invest in digitalization of the most remote regions and sections of federal highways, where building 4G infrastructure is costly. According to the operator's forecasts, the amount of investments to cover these areas with LTE is estimated at $1.3 billion (100 billion rubles).

 
 MTS expressed its willingness to purchase the "competitive Russian equipment with the required characteristics, quality, and prices" in accordance with the requirements from GRFC.

 
 Tele 2 Russia of T2 RTK Holding (a subsidiary of Rostelecom, which operates under the Tele2 brand) will have to evaluate future investments after an additional assessment. Earlier, the company <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/tele2-wants-officials-to-ease-requirements-for-lte-license-renewal/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">expressed </a>its position on the matter, according to which new requirements for LTE equipment should only apply to new construction, without rebuilding all existing networks.

 
 At the time of this writing, the official document from the <a href="https://digital.gov.ru/ru/documents/?department=43-7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">GRFC</a> has not been released yet.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/gkrch-prodlila-litsenzii-na-lte-s-dopolnitelnymi-usloviiami/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Telecoms in Russia Get 10-year LTE License Renewal with New Requirements

<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/novakid/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">NovaKid</a>, an English language learning platform and a Moscow-based Skolkovo Incubator resident, has raised $35 million in a round led by Owl Ventures, Goodwater Capital, LETA Capital among others.

 
 The startup plans to use investments to enter new markets in Asia as well as strengthen its positions in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The company also intends to invest in the development of educational content, improve gamification technologies, and expand cooperation with linguistic laboratories in Europe and the United States.

 
 The Novakid platform was founded in the United States in 2017 by Moscow entrepreneurs <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazarov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Maxim Azarov</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitrymalin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dmitry Malin</a>, as well as methodologist Amy Krolevetskaya. In 2020, the startup's revenue, according to the company's own data, was estimated at $9 million.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/platforma-novakid-privlekla-35-mln-dlia-vyhoda-na-rynki-azii/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Edtech Startup Novakid Raises $35m to Enter Asian Markets

The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) plans to create a unified map of financial access points based on <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/yandeks-karty/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex.Maps</a>, a digital mapping service by Russian tech giant <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Yandex" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex</a>, Vedomosti reports.

 
 The map will facilitate monitoring of citizens and businesses that may be at risk of digital inequality, considering that Internet access is not yet available in all inhabited areas in Russia and many customers can't afford to use remote service in favor of physical access points.

 
 According to CBR’s report on the development of the financial sector through 2024, it intends to use the information provided by financial institutions and integrate it into Yandax.Map, which the regulator considers “one of the leading Russian mapping services”.

 
 In March, the CBR made an agreement with Yandex for procurement of a mapping service, but the procurement was canceled due to the fact that Yandex was the only participant in the competition. The project is expected to cost $848,000 (62 million rubles). 

 
 After implementation, users will be able to see the location of ATMs and bank offices based on official information from the Central Bank. Among other categories of financial services, the map will include microfinance organizations, credit consumer cooperatives, pawnshops, insurance entities, and professional brokers. The map will also indicate post offices where users can conduct banking transactions, ATMs, cashless payment terminals, as well as cash-out points.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/bank-rossii-zapustit-kartu-tochek-dostupa-k-finansovym-uslugam-na-baze-iandeks-kart/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Yandex and CBR to Launch a Mapping Service for Financial Access Points in Russia 

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/a04cc248-4fc2-5722-8077-1fdac167e0ca.jpeg">
</div>
 
 Photo credit: Moscow Metro&nbsp;
 

 
 At the first stage of its test launch, the Face Pay system will be available for 1000 passengers at the stations of the Filevskaya line of the <a href="https://www.mosmetro.ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Moscow Metro</a>. Turnstiles supporting this fare payment method are marked with a special sticker on the floor.

 
 The use of biometrics will become an additional, but not mandatory option when passing the metro. The technology will be gradually introduced on other lines and will become available at all stations by the end of this year.

<hr />
 
 Product card

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/face-pay/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Face Pay</a>

<hr />
 
 According to the head of the Moscow Department of Transport Maxim Liksutov, metro employees are already using this service and have made more than 1 million passes at the station with its help.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-moskovskom-metro-zapushchena-sistema-oplaty-proezda-po-biometrii-litsa/" target="_blank">Original (in Russian) </a>

MosMetro

Moscow Metro Introduces Face Pay

The Ministry of Economic Development <a href="https://ict.moscow/static/6b4024ba-ea87-5dbe-971d-45f80c9f063f.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">approved </a>the criteria for Russian projects to be considered as belonging to the field of AI and to get government support as part of the <a href="https://www.economy.gov.ru/material/departments/d01/razvitie_iskusstvennogo_intellekta/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">National strategy for the development of artificial development through 2030</a>. According to the document, a project belongs to the field of artificial intelligence if it:

<ul>
 <li>provides for the creation, development, and (or) implementation of AI as a technology that makes it possible to imitate the cognitive functions of a person and obtain results comparable to his intellectual activity;</li>
 <li>involves the creation, development, and (or) implementation of at least one AI technology (computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition, and synthesis, intelligent decision support, etc.);</li>
 <li>focuses on the creation, development, and (or) implementation of specialized software, hardware, electronic component base, tools for developers, data sets.</li>
</ul>

 
 The document also provides a list of technological tasks that an AI project should solve to get government support. Overall, there are around 60 listed in the document, including such stacks as computer vision (17), natural language processing (12), speech recognition and synthesis, IODSS (16), emerging methods in AI (2).

 
 The National strategy for the development of artificial development through 2030 was signed by President Putin on October 10, 2019. Get insight on international AI regulation in ICT.Moscow's insight "<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/2020-ai-regulation/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Results of 2020: time for detailed regulation of artificial intelligence</a>".

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/minekonomrazvitiia-utverdilo-kriterii-prinadlezhnosti-k-proektam-v-sfere-ii/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Russian Officials Defined AI Projects for Government Support Program

A company for launching and consulting OTT platforms appeared in Moscow

 
 Former top managers of Gazprom-Media Vladimir Chopov and <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/katherinamironova" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yekaterina Mironova</a> launched <a href="https://nut.tech/en" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nut.Tech</a> media service company. It is positioned as a partner for high-load Internet services and offers the main set of services to OTT platforms: launching them on a turnkey basis, consulting, IT development, purchasing content, and creating strategy, Komersant reports.

 
 Earlier, in an interview with the IT Business Broker podcast, Mironova noted that Nut.Tech plans to provide services in accordance with the software-as-a-service model, while half of the requests from customers are related to video services.

 
 The Nut.Tech development team consists of former developers of the Uma.Tech company, Kommersant specifies citing Gazprom-Media top managers.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-moskve-poiavilas-kompaniia-po-zapusku-i-konsultirovaniiu-ott-platform/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

New Service for OTT Platforms Launched in Moscow 

The weekly observer of Moscow's tech stories

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

<div>
 <img alt="" data-openpopup="0"
 src="https://ict.moscow/static/1200x/969a67bd-73ba-547a-ba4c-0d22a669bf4e.png">
</div>
 
 Source:&nbsp;Christopher Schirner / Flickr
 

 
 

<ul>
 <li>Russia is the First Country <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-is-the-first-country-to-submit-un-cybersecurity-convention/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Submit</a> UN Cybersecurity Convention</li>
 <li>Gaming Courses <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/gaming-courses-to-be-introduced-to-russian-state-universities-programs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Be Introduced</a> to Russian State Universities’ Programs</li>
 <li>Rostec <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/rostec-to-create-a-fund-for-investments-in-edtech-and-hr-tech/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Create</a> a Fund for Investments in EdTech and HR-Tech (Cards of <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Rostec" target="_blank">Rostec</a>)</li>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/plans-to-spend-650-ml-on-e-commerce/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plans</a> to Spend $650 ml on E-Commerce (Cards of <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Yandex" target="_blank">Yandex</a>)</li>
 <li>Kaspersky Lab <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/kaspersky-lab-presents-a-system-for-real-time-recognition-from-drones/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Presents</a> a System for Real-Time Recognition from Drones (Cards of <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Kaspersky_Lab" target="_blank">Kaspersky Lab</a>)</li>
 <li>Blockchain-Based Time Capsule <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/blockchain-based-time-capsule-to-be-developed-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">to Be Developed</a> in Moscow</li>
</ul>

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Digital Assets Operators <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/digital-assets-operators-create-association-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Create</a> Association in Russia
 Subsidies for Driverless <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/subsidies-for-driveless-testing-in-russia-prolong-for-2022/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Testing</a> in Russia Prolong for 2022
 Russia’s Major Banks <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russias-major-banks-plan-to-join-unified-biometric-system/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">To Join</a> Unified Biometric System
 </div>
 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" style="" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 INVESTMENT DEALS&nbsp;AND FINANCIAL REPORTS
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>MTS <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mts-acquires-controlling-stake-in-factorin/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Acquires</a> Controlling Stake in Factorin (Card of <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/factorin/" target="_blank">Factorin</a>)</li>
 <li>Edtech Uchi.ru <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/edtech-uchi-ru-buys-a-share-in-tutoronline/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buys</a> a Share in TutorOnline (Card of <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/tutoronline/" target="_blank">TutorOnline</a>)</li>
 <li>Teachbase Edtech <a href="http://ict.moscow/en/news/teachbase-raised-investment-for-scaling/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">raised</a> Investment </li>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-reports-strong-second-quarter-results-plans-to-spend-650-ml-on-e-commerce/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Upgraded</a> its Revenue Forecast for 2021 to $4.6 billion</li>
 <li>Mail.ru <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-posts-17-4-growth-in-second-quarter-2021-revenue/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Posts</a> 17.4% Growth in Second Quarter 2021 Revenue</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/internet-infrastructure-of-russia-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HIGHER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS</a>: Internet infrastructure of Russia during the pandemic →</li>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/smart-home-device-market-in-the-first-half-of-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">M.VIDEO-ELDORADO</a>: Smart home device market in the first half of 2021 →</li>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/the-dynamics-of-emergence-of-new-software-companies-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">RUSSOFT</a>: The dynamics of emergence of new software companies in Russia →</li>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/results-of-the-analysis-of-the-security-of-russian-companies/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ROSTELECOM-SOLAR</a>: Results of the analysis of the security of Russian companies →</li>
</ul>

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FROM MOSCOW
</h2>

 
 a showcase of some EduTech solutions

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/uchi-ru/" target="_blank">Uchi.ru</a></li>
</ul>

 
 The education online platform used by the students of first grade through eleventh grade for studying school subjects in an entertaining manner.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/tutoronline/" target="_blank">TutorOnline</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Online school that makes it possible to study mathematics and Russian, physics and chemistry, as well as foreign languages, programming, probability theory and other sciences

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/getcourse/" target="_blank">GetCourse</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Online learning platform

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=education" target="_blank">More solutions →</a>

<hr />
 
 

<h2>
 KEY ACTORS IN IT
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

 
 Ilya Parshin, CEO of Uchi.ru | <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/ilya-parshin-034129a8" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Andrey Maklin, Founder of Factorin | <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/amaklin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Svetlana Demyashkevich, Chief Financial Officer at Yandex | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/svetlana-demyashkevich-57508b1" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>

 
 Vasily Maguryan, Chief Executive Officer at MY.GAMES | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vmaguryan" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a>

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

Tech in Moscow #25 (26 - 30 July 2021)

According to the roadmap "New Communication Internet Technologies", the Russian government plans to increase the export of domestic cloud gaming services by 55 times by 2030: from $2.9 million (212 million rubles) in 2020 to $160 million (11.7 billion rubles) in 2030, Kommersant reports.

 
 Sales in the domestic market, according to the publication, will grow at the same rate: from $10.9 million (0.8 billion rubles) in 2020 to $607 million (44.3 billion rubles) in 2030. It is expected that the Russian audience of cloud gaming platforms should by this time increase from 180 thousand to 10 million people.

 
 The proposed targets will be achieved by supporting companies with grants via the <a href="https://fasie.ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Innovation Promotion Fund</a>.

 
 The document also clarifies that several trends were taken into account when calculating the targets: the growth of gaming by 5.9% per year, a pandemic and a massive transition to teleworking, as well as the deployment of 5G networks, which will minimize delays in the information transmission.

 
 Roadmap "<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/gaming-courses-to-be-introduced-to-russian-state-universities-programs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">New Communication Internet Technologies</a>" also implies the launch of educational programs in e-sports, courses in data analysis, the development of computer games, and the use of technology in the creation of films and other content at universities.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/pravitelstvo-planiruet-uvelichit-eksport-oblachnogo-geiminga-v-55-raz-k-2030-godu/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Russia to Increase the Export of Cloud Gaming 55 times by 2030

According to Forbes, Moscow-based telecoms company <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=MTS" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MTS</a> is negotiating the purchase of the <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/bartello/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bartello</a> service for instant ordering of drinks and food in bars and restaurants.

 
 As the co-founder of the company <a href="https://www.facebook.com/danila.nikolaev.5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Danila Nikolayev</a> explained to Forbes, Bartello is already integrated as a separate service into the <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/mts-live/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MTS Live</a> app, but the company does not conduct “explicit negotiations on the sale”, because “there is no such goal”.

 
 According to the CEO of TelecomDaily <a href="https://www.facebook.com/denis.kuskov.9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Denis Kuskov</a>, the deal may become an extension of Bartello's partnership with MTS Live, with the capabilities of both apps to be combined. Thus, in addition to payment features, Bartello may, for instance, have events managing, tickets purchase, and other services.

 
 Bartello was founded in 2018. In 2019, the startup raised $82,700 (6 million rubles) from <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Qiwi" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Qiwi</a> and gained access to the Qiwi payment infrastructure, merchant acquiring, payment service, and bank billing.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mts-vedet-peregovory-o-pokupke-servisa-bartello/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Market in Brief