A new aggregator <a href="https://baza.vc/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Baza VC</a> has been launched in Russia, which contains information on financing companies with founders from the CIS. According to the founder of the project, Alexei Mosolov, it is intended for entrepreneurs, investors, analysts and managers.

 
 At the moment, the aggregator contains several thousand records about investors, companies and their founders. Information includes contacts, classification by industry, stage, amount, and dates of foundation and funding rounds.

 
 The data is generated through parsing and natural language processing. Business media, ecosystem partners Crunchbase (contains data on more than 4 thousand venture capital firms), Dealroom (a database of more than 1 million organizations: from startups to companies worth more than $ 1 billion), PitchBook are used as sources.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexmosolov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lex Molosov</a>, the Founder of <a href="https://baza.vc/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Baza VC</a>

<hr />
 
 Earlier, the launch of the online platform SberUnity for the interaction of startups, venture capitalists and corporations <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-launches-sberunity-platform-for-startups-vcs-and-corporations/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">was reported</a>. With its help, investors will be able to receive an additional tool for finding startups, and large companies will be able to select relevant startups from the list or post their own requests technologies.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-rossii-zapustili-agregator-informatsii-o-finansirovanii-kompanii-s-osnovateliami-iz-sng/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

RB.ru

Aggregator of Financial Information on Startups with Founders from CIS Launched in Russia

Investments in a joint venture created by <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Yandex" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex</a>, the Lanit group of companies, a manufacturer of computer equipment Gigabyte and VTB bank, will amount to around $14 million (over 1 billion rubles).

 
 The plant will manufacture servers, storage systems, gateways and smart device components under the Openyard brand. The first devices are slated for release by the end of 2022.

 
 The commissioning work will be carried out by <a href="https://www.gigabyte.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Gigabyte</a>'s specialists, and Yandex developments and technologies will be used in the server design. The production will be located in the Ryazan region.

 
 The agreement between the companies to establish a joint venture <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-lanit-gigabyte-and-vtb-will-create-a-joint-venture-to-produce-servers-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">was announced</a> in early June. Then it was reported that Yandex and Gigabyte would provide patents, technologies and their own development of server hardware, <a href="https://lanit.ru/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lanit</a> would provide the enterprise with distribution and service centers, while VTB Bank would serve as a financial investor.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/iandeks-lanit-gigabyte-i-vtb-investiruiut-bolee-1-mlrd-rublei-v-sp/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

VC.ru

Yandex, Lanit, Gigabyte and VTB to Invest $14 Million in a Server Manufacturing Plant

SkillFactory service became part of Skillbox Holding Limited, which already includes educational platforms Skillbox and GeekBrains.

 
 Prior to the deal, Mail.ru Group had a minority stake in SkillFastory in the amount of 18.31%, as well as an option to purchase additional shares with a plan to implement it in the second half of this year. After the deal is closed, Skillbox will become the holder of a controlling stake in the service, with 61.8%.

 
 SkillFactory will develop educational projects under its own brand. At the same time, the co-founder and CEO of the service, Alexander Eroshkin, together with other co-founders, will continue to lead SkillFactory.

 
 Mail.ru Group did not disclose plans for the further development of the holding.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alexander.eroshkin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Alexander Eroshkin</a>, co-founder and CEO of SkillFactory

 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/skillfactory/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SkillFactory</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/geekbrains/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Skillbox</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/geekbrains/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">GeekBrains</a>

<hr />
 
 SkillFactory, which specializes in professional and higher education in the fields of data science, Big Data and programming, was founded in 2016. In June 2020, it was <a href="https://vc.ru/services/139626-mail-ru-group-poluchit-18-31-obrazovatelnogo-servisa-skillfactory" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reported </a>that Mail.ru Group took control of 40.4% stake in the company as security.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mailru-group-dobavila-skillfactory-v-obrazovatel-nyj-holding-k-skillbox-i-geekbrains/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

Mail.ru Group Adds SkillFactory to its Educational Holding, along with Skillbox and GeekBrains

Sberbank has created an online platform for interaction between startups, venture capitalists and corporations.

 
 With its help, investors will receive an additional tool for finding startups. Large companies will be able to select relevant startups from the list or place their own requests for certain technologies. Startups themselves will be able to independently respond to applications from funds and corporations.

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/sberunity/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SberUnity</a>

<hr />
 
 The company expects that by the end of 2022 the number of Russian and foreign participants of the platform will exceed 5 thousand. There will also be functionality for advisers, accelerators as well as development institutions.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sber-zapustil-platformu-sberunity-dlia-startapov-venchurnykh-investorov-i-korporatsii/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Sberbank

Sberbank Launches SberUnity Platform for Startups, VCs and Corporations

Moscow-based Brandquad raises 2.5 million euros from Skolkovo Ventures (1.5 million euros) and BPI France (1 million euros) to expand its international presence and open a research and development center.

 
 The raised funds were provided in the form of a convertible loan and a soft loan. <a href="https://www.forbes.ru/svoi-biznes/441485-startap-brandquad-privlek-eur2-5-mln-ot-fonda-skolkovo-i-bpi-france" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">According</a> to Forbes, 62% of the raised funds will be used to develop marketing and sales of Brandquad products in the markets of Europe, the Middle East and the USA. The rest of the funds will be used to develop the company’s products. For this purpose the company will establish a research and development center in Lille (France).

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/brandquad/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Brandquad</a>

<hr />
 
 The startup raised funds from investors in previous years: <a href="http://firrma.ru/data/news/8792/?sphrase_id=36592" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> $28,750 </a> (2.1 million rubles) in the pre-seed round from IIDF in 2016, another <a href="https://www.iidf.ru/media/articles/fond/frii-investiruet-15-mln-rubley-v-pervuyu-v-rossii-pim-sistemu/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$205,350</a> (15 million rubles) from IIDF in 2017, and <a href="https://www.forbes.ru/tehnologii/372897-toplivo-dlya-it-rossiyskiy-startap-brandquad-privlek-1875-mln-rubley" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$2.5 million</a> (187 million rubles) from IIDF and other investors in 2018.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/brandquad-privlek-eur2-5-mln-na-razvitie-i-sozdanie-tsentra-issledovanii-i-razrabotok/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Startup Brandquad Raises 2.5 Million Euros for its R&D Center

The investment fund My.Games Venture Capital (owned by Mail.ru Group) has invested more than $82 million (6 billion rubles) in the development of game projects in four years, according to Vladimir Nikolsky, co-founder of My.Games and COO of Mail.ru Group.

 
 45 studios have received investments, of which only seven have achieved the "desired results" and have fully joined My.Games, Nikolsky said. The largest investments of $27 million (2 billion rubles) went to the Novosibirsk team of Deus Craft, the most modest investments (about $ 150,000) were put into the Belarusian studio Swag Masha.

 
 In the first half of this year, My.Games' revenue increased to $301 million (22.1 billion rubles).

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/vladimir-nikolsky" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Vladimir Nikolsky,</a> Chief Operating Officer of Mail.ru Group

<hr />
 
 In September 2021, My.Games <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mail-ru-group-buys-controlling-stake-at-belarusian-gaming-company-mamboo-games/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">has acquired </a>a controlling stake in the Belarusian hyper-casual game developer Mamboo Games with payment of more than $2 million at the close, as well as a deferred payment, the amount of which will be determined depending on the performance of the business.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/mail-ru-group-za-chetyre-goda-vlozhila-v-razrabotku-igr-svyshe-6-mlrd-rublei/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Mail.ru Group Invests Over $82 Million in Game Development in Four Years

The Deputy Minister of Economic Development Vladislav Fedulov in an interview with Vedomosti newspaper named the preliminary criteria for including companies in the category of ecosystems. These include a "tight internal integration of related services other than the anchor business" and an "ongoing investment in digital innovation across industries."

 
 The main features of an ecosystem, according to Fedulov, are the presence of a “network effect”, as well as a "plurality of third-party economic activities, the number of services for consumers, a loyalty system, a logistic cut."

 
 He noted that the ministry will offer quantitative metrics for these signs, but without specific indicators for each of them. Regulation, according to Fedulov, should be the same for banking and non-banking ecosystems. “I admit that there will be a high-level framework law that will establish general principles of regulation, a kind of an ecosystem constitution,” the deputy minister said.

 
 Fedulov also admitted that the norms for regulating ecosystems can either be included in the fifth antimonopoly package (currently not adopted), or they will be highlighted in a separate bill.

 
 Earlier, the Ministry of Economic Development <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ministry-of-economic-development-presented-the-concept-of-ecosystem-regulation/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">presented</a> a roadmap for regulating the activities of companies developing various digital services based on one ecosystem.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/vladislav-fedulov-rasskazal-o-predvaritelnykh-kriteriiakh-dlia-vkliucheniia-kompanii-v-kategoriiu-ekosistem/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Vedomosti

Ministry of Economic Development Names the Key Criteria for the Development of Ecosystems

RBC media holding has completed a deal with RU-WEB.Investments for the sale of 100% of the domain registration service RU-Center Group (operates under the brands Ru-center, R01 Registrar and SpaceWeb).

 
 As a result of the agreement, RBC received 25% in RU-WEB.Investments, another 75% went to a consortium of investors (the leader is the investment company Proxima Capital Group). RBC also received cash from the sale of Ru-center, with the exact amount not disclosed.

 
 The CEO of RBC Nikolay Molibog noted the investment attractiveness of RU-Center Group. “We view RU-Center Group as an investment case: we not only keep the asset within RBC holding, but also get new partners and resources for its full-fledged development”.

 
 The new company is expected to build a digital ecosystem of services for small and medium-sized businesses and increase business capitalization not through domains and hosting, but through services, Molibog said.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nmolibog" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nikolay Molibog</a>, the CEO of RBC

 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/ru-center/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ru-Center</a>

<hr />
 
 RBC became the owner of the main asset of RU-Center Group in 2012, having bought out the stake for $12.6 million (920 million rubles). At the end of 2020, the revenue of the Digital Infrastructure segment, which included RU-Center, amounted to $36.3 million (2.64 billion rubles). Earlier the company <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/rbc-to-sell-its-digital-infrastructure-division/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced</a> that the sale plan was approved back in April. Around that time, the search for a potential buyer began.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/rbk-zakryl-sdelku-po-prodazhe-ru-senter/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

RBC Sells Domain Registration Service Ru-Center

<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Yandex" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex</a> intends to invest $30 million by the end of next year in the development of its cloud platform Yandex.Cloud in Germany.

 
 The IT company has already begun training and setting up a representative office in this country. The funds at the initial stage will be used to purchase equipment and rent data centers. The infrastructure will be located on the basis of three German sites.

 
 In addition, Yandex.Cloud also announced the G-Cloud project, a cloud service that, according to the company, will meet the security and safety requirements for hosting state information systems on it. It is slated to launch by the end of 2022.

 
 Yandex also <a href="https://rb.ru/news/cloud-desktop-g-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced</a> the launch of Yandex Cloud Desktop service as part of Yandex.Cloud. It will allow creating up to a thousand virtual workplaces in the cloud, Yandex notes.

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/yandex-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex.Cloud</a>

<hr />
 
 Earlier it was <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-clouds-revenue-for-the-first-half-of-2021-hits-15-million/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reported</a> that the total revenue of the cloud platform in the first half of this year reached $15 million (1.1 billion rubles), which is 3.4 times more than in the same period last year.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/iandeks-investiruet-30-mln-v-razvitie-svoego-oblachnogo-servisa-v-germanii/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Yandex to Invest $30 Million in its Cloud Service in Germany

ER-Telecom Holding may acquire a controlling stake (56%) of the Moscow-based Provider of internet and telecommunications services Akado, according to Izvestia newspaper.

 
 Provided the deal is closed, 19% share will go to the structures of the state corporation Rostec, a quarter of the package (25%) will remain with the entrepreneur Maxim Mayorets, who now owns 51% of Akado, while the private business group Renova (now owns 49% Akado) may withdraw from the company.

 
 Following the deal, ER-Telecom might receive 300,000 new customers as well as the existing orders from the operator. A notification has already been sent to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), Russia’s regulatory body, but it has not yet been received. Renova, ER-Telecom and Rostec did not comment on the possible deal.

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/er-telekom/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Er-Telecom</a>

<hr />
 
 According to <a href="https://ict.moscow/research/rossiiskii-rynok-shpd-v2c-itogi-2-kvartala-2021-goda/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">TMT Consulting</a>, by the end of the second quarter of 2021, Akado ranked fourth in terms of the number of home Internet customers in Moscow (almost 300 thousand ). ER-Telecom is in third place with almost 3.9 million customers, while the first two are shared by Rostelecom (12.3 million) and MTS (4 million).

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/er-telekom-mozhet-kupit-provaidera-akado/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Izvestia

ER-Telecom May Buy 56% of the Akado

The Chefmarket food delivery service with recipes has attracted “several million euros” from the German service <a href="https://www.hellofresh.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">HelloFresh</a>, which operates on a similar model, in exchange for a 10% stake, according to HelloFresh’s representative.

 
 The funds raised by Chefmarket will be used, among other things, to expand production and launch new products. Previously, investors of the service included Addventure, Mitsui & Co and Elbrus Capital.

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/chefmarket/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chefmarket</a>

<hr />
 
 The revenue of ChefMarket in 2020 exceeded $13.7 million (1 billion rubles), while the sales profit reached $1.3 million (99.6 million rubles) and company’s net profit amounted to $2,466 (179 thousand rubles).

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/servis-dostavki-shefmarkete-privlek-investitsii-ot-hellofresh/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Orifinal (in Russian)</a>

Delivery Service Chefmarket Raises Investments from HelloFresh

A Service for taxi drivers Muver, which collects orders from taxi aggregators and delivery services in one application, raised $1.2 million for development in the US market.

 
 The lead investor was the Russian venture capital fund Xploration Capital, the investment fund Baring Vostok, the Rapid Ladder Capital fund, the investment company A.Partners and the syndicate of investors of the Angelsdeck club also participated in the deal. The value of Muver was estimated at $8 million. Investors will receive 15% of its shares.

 
 According to the company, Muver's revenue reached $100,000 in 2020, while the number of paying users exceeded 1,500.

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/muver/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Muver</a>

 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stanislav.levykin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Stanislav Levykin</a>, CEO of Gig Partners

<hr />
 
 Muver app was launched in 2018 by a Moscow company Smart City Technology. Two years later, Muver left the domestic market and began developing in the United States. The legal entity Gig Partners is engaged in the further development of the service.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/agregator-dlya-taksistov-muver-privlek-1-2-mln-na-razvitie/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Forbes

Aggregator for Taxi Drivers Muver Raises $1.2 Million for Development

A venture studio Sinteza was created in Moscow, which will develop startups with the prospect of entering the global market. The company will invest in early-stage projects in the areas of PropTech, EdTech, HR-Tech, Fintech, e-commerce, and retail.

 
 It is also assumed that the studio will help startups with product development, close the missing functions in the field of marketing, recruiting, and finance.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ilya.krivorot" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ilya Krivorot</a>, the Managing Partner of Sinteza

<hr />
 
 The founders of the venture studio include entrepreneurs Ilya Krivorot, Dmitry Podluzhny, ex-owner of Svyaznoy Maxim Nogotkov amoung others.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/sozdannaya-venchurnaya-studiya-sinteza-zajmetsya-razvitiem-i-masshtabirovaniem-startapov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

New Venture Studio for Startups Development and Scaling Created in Moscow

VTB, one of the leading Russian banks, is in the process of purchasing the PAYMO processing company, with the deal amounting to $13.7 million (1 billion rubles).

 
 According to experts, the deal will be beneficial for VTB, since PAYMO offers a convenient platform for accepting payments. It will also allow VTB to update the processing center and attract new customers from the field of online sales in various fields.

 
 VTB itself did not comment on the deal, but noted that they pay increased attention to the development of digital products and services. According to SPARK, the full owner of the company is Luxembourg-based PAYMO Investments SA. It cooperates with over 100 utility providers, conducting up to 30 thousand transactions daily.

 
 Last year, VTB <a href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4888707" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">acquired </a>software from the processing company OpenWay, to which a significant part of the bank's operations was eventually transferred. In addition, VTB owns holdings in the processing company MultiCarta.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/vtb-planiruet-priobresti-processingovuyu-kompaniyu-paymo/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

Kommersant

VTB to Acquire Processing Company PAYMO

The Skolkovo Foundation has launched a hub for EdTech companies. It will help startups, investors and experts develop business ideas and projects in the field of education, as well as bring finished products to the market.

 
 Teams will have access to HR and PR support, services of lawyers, mentors, methodologists. The hub will also simplify communication between EdTech startups and the fund's partners, which include Skoltech, NTI, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the MSU technology park.

 
 The hub will be based in Skolkovo’s Hypercube, holding specialized events, accelerator progtamms and workshops.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-skolkovo-sozdali-khab-dlia-razvitiia-tekhnologii-v-sfere-obrazovaniia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

CNews

Skolkovo Creates an EdTech Hub

Moscow-based customer data service (CDM) provider KonnektU has raised $1.6 million (120 million rubles) from MTS for the development of its online platform and data analysis tools as well as expanding sales channels and strengthening the team.

 
 In the future, the company plans to create new products and services with MTS for "analyzing consumer behavior in online and offline channels”, KonnectU stated.

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/konnektu/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">KonnektU</a>

<hr />
 
 KonnektU allows businesses to collect customer profiles from multiple channels, helping them to set up personalized ads campaigns. As for 2021, the company's databases contain more than 60 million customer IDs.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/servis-upravleniia-klientskimi-dannymi-konnektu-privlek-120-mln-rub-na-razvitie/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

CDM service KonnektU Raises $1.6 Million 

The global crowdsourced delivery service Dostavista with Russian roots has raised $35 million, changing its international brand to Borzo.

 
 The Funding round C was led by Flashpoint, AddVenture, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), as well as VNV Global (Sweden) and the Mubadala (UAE), with terms of the deal undisclosed. Using the raised funds, the company plans to strengthen its international position under the new brand and develop new products.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-alexandrovski-ab37551/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mike Alexandrovsk</a>i and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmitry-n-zubkov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dmitry Zubkov</a>, the founders of <a href="https://borzodelivery.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dostavista (Borzo)</a>

 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/dostavista/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dostavista</a>

<hr />
 
 Borzo (formerly Dostavista) was founded in Moscow in 2012 by entrepreneurs Mike Alexandrovski and Dmitry Zubkov. According to the company’s <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dostavista" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">profile</a> on Crunchbase, it currently operates in 10 countries under the brand Borzo with headquarter in Amsterdam. Its Russian service retained the brand name Dostavista.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/platforma-borzo-razvivaiushchaia-servis-dostavista-privlekla-35-mln/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Delivery Service Dostavista Raises $35 Million, Rebrands to Borzo

Data Magazine has released a list of 46 best Russian Big Data companies. According to the magazine, these startups and large tech companies “are taking a variety of approaches to innovating the Big Data industry, but are all exceptional companies well worth a follow”.

 
 The compilers ranked <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=Yandex" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Yandex </a>first as a multinational tech company. The top five companies also included:

<ul>
 <li>CarPrice, the leading Russian online used car broker and auctioneer, being the first to develop a C2B2B business model;</li>
 <li>AI startup Webiomed, which provides an AI-powered predictive healthcare analytics solution;</li>
 <li>medtech startup MedFrame, which processes medical data to create machine learning algorithms;</li>
 <li>Metacommerce, a SaaS platform that collects and analyzes omnichannel data about prices, assortments, product availability and marketing actions.</li>
</ul>

<hr />
 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/carprice/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">CarPrice</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/medframe/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MedFrame</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/metacommerce/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Metacommerce </a>

<hr />
 
 The rating of top 46 Russian companies in the field of big data was compiled by the British edition of Data Magazine on the basis of data collected in Crunchbase and SemRush. It selects large companies, small companies and startups based on such criteria as innovation, growth, management and social impact.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/projects/ai/news/1789/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

DataMagazine

Data Magazine Names Top 46 Russian Big Data Companies

The international investment company GETVISION will create a venture fund Fintech Family Fundwill a valuation of $13.5 million (1 billion rubles) for startups at pre-seed and seed stages.

 
 The fund will focus on projects in the field of e-commerce, fintech, B2B software, startups with a SaaS business model, as well as companies developing AI and machine learning technologies. Priority will be given to MVP projects operating in fast-growing markets with validated demand. The volume of investments in one company is planned to be from $200,500 to $1.3 million (15-100 million rubles).

 
 According to the founder of GETVISION, Daria Vasilyeva, the company plans to open another fund with a focus on Series A/B in early 2024. Its investment volume will be $100 million (7.3 billion rubles).

 
 The founders of the Fintech Family Fund also include the founder of the Talkbank fintech platform Mikhail Popov and the co-founder of the AdTech platform Perfluence Maria Skurova.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://ru.linkedin.com/in/dvasylieva" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Dasha Vasyliyeva</a>, the founder of <a href="https://get-vision.io/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">GETVISION</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/popovmb" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Mikhail Popov</a>, the founder of <a href="https://talkbank.io/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Talkbank</a>

 
 Product card

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/talkbank/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Talkbank</a>

<hr />
 
 GETVISION is an international private investment boutique with core focus on PE&VC deals. The company was founded in Moscow in 2018, with offices in Moscow and London.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/investkompaniia-getvision-zapustit-venchurnyi-fond-obemom-1-mlrd-rub-dlya-startapov-rannih-stadij/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original ( in Russian) </a>

Plusworld.ru

Investor GETVISION to Create a New Venture Fund 

DestraLegal, a Moscow-based startup that develops an online service for solving legal problems, raised $1 million in the second round led by investor Max Gutbrod as well as managers of Russian companies Bonum Capital and EXBiCO Group. DestraLegal plans to use these funds to increase brand awareness and expand the range of cases covered.

 
 The service offers users a selection of legal protection options to solve the problem, providing the necessary documents. If it is possible, the service sends the documents for the client and helps in negotiations with the defendant.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/daniel.feldman.773" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Daniel Feldman</a>, the founder of <a href="https://destralegal.ru/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">DestraLegal</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/max.gutbrod.7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Max Gutbrod</a>, angel investor

 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/destra/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Destra</a>

<hr />
 
 The DestraLegal startup was launched in 2019. In 2020, it raised $300,000 in the first round from four investors, with one of them being Max Gutbrod, a private investor and a former partner of Baker McKenzie.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/legaltech-startap-destralegal-poluchil-1-mln-na-razvitie/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Moscow-based LegalTech Startup DestraLegal Raises $1 Million 

Budu, a Moscow-based HR tech startup, has launched a new service Hunty, which allows users to recommend their familiar specialists for open vacancies in large companies.

 
 In return for cooperation, the service offers a reward in case the specialist has passed a 90-day probation period. Otherwise, the startup returns the full amount to the employer or finds a new candidate.

 
 The founder of the service, Anton Fateev, positions Hunty as a replacement for recruiting agencies. The main difference between the service and recruiting agencies, in his opinion, is “warmer” recommendations.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anton.fateev.5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Anton Fateev</a>, the founder of Hunty

 
 

 
 

 
 Product cards

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/budu/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Budu</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/hunty/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hunty</a>

<hr />
 
 Budu was launched in January 2020 and is now valued at $4 million. Earlier, the company <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/hr-startap-budu-napravit-1-mln-na-razvitie/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced </a>that it would raise $1 million from Setters communications agency by the end of 2021 for marketing purposes.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/moskovskii-hr-tech-startap-budu-zapustil-servis-rekomendatsii-spetsialistov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

HR Tech Budu Launches a Service of Expert Recommendations

Rostec, a Russian state-owned tech giant, has established Spektr, a new company, on the basis of which it plans to create a national vendor of telecommunication solutions for 4G, 5G, and next generations communication standards.

 
 For this, a cooperation of Russian manufacturers of equipment for communication networks will deployed around the new company.

 
 Pavel Smirnov, the former head of the Scientific Research Institute Masshtab, will become the general director of Spektr. The board of directors of the company will be headed by the director for special assignments of Rostec Vasily Brovko.

 
 According to Russian telecom operator MegaFon, the new company will have to not only create competitive equipment for 5G by 2023, but also prepare the infrastructure to provide 4G federal highways and sparsely populated areas. MTS stated that they are open to mutually beneficial cooperation with all equipment manufacturers. Beeline and Tele2 declined to comment.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mstb.smirnov" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pavel Smirnov</a>, the CEO of Spektr

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ru.sreda" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Vasily Brovko</a>, Director for Special Assignments of <a href="https://rostec.ru/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rostec</a>

<hr />
 
 In November 2020, the Russian government <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/5g-networks-in-russia-will-be-built-using-only-domestic-equipment/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">announced</a> that fifth-generation networks using only domestic telecom equipment. Operators <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/telecoms-in-russia-get-10-year-lte-license-renewal-with-new-requirements/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">will have to use it</a> starting from 2023 to roll out 4G.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/rostekh-uchredil-budushchego-natsionalnogo-vendora-oborudovaniia-dlia-setei-sviazi-4g-5g-i-6g-1/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Rostec Creates a New Enterprise for 4G, 5G and 6G Solutions 

Skyeng, one of the leading Russian edtech companies, is buying Kodium, an online programming school for children. The deal is scheduled to close in the near future, its terms were not disclosed yet.

 
 Following the closing of the deal, the school's training courses will be adapted to the Skysmart interactive educational platform for children and adolescents (part of Skyeng ecosystem). This unit will be headed by Maxim Vasiliev, CEO of Kodium.

 
 The practices of key international players show a global trend towards industry consolidation and Russia is not an exception, Alexander Laryanovsky, the Managing Partner of Skysmart, said. Kodium is able to create the best product on a global scale, being one of the fastest growing online programming schools on Russia as well, he adds.

<hr />
 
 Connect with

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/maaaxv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Maxim Vasiliev</a>, the CEO of Kodium

 
 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/laryanovskiy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Aleksander Laryanovsky</a>, the Managing Partner of <a href="https://skyengschool.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Skyeng</a>

 
 Product cards 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/kodium/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Kodium</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/skyeng/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Skyeng</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/skysmart/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Skysmart</a>

<hr />
 
 Online school Kodium was founded by entrepreneur Maxim Vasiliev in 2019. The school teaches programming to children from 6 to 15 years old. The company cooperates with 180 teachers from different countries. Skyeng is ranked number 13 in Forbes' <a href="https://www.forbes.ru/biznes-photogallery/393345-20-samyh-dorogih-kompaniy-runeta-reyting-forbes" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">top 20 most valued Russian internet companies</a> in 2020, with its valuation estimated at $130 million.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/skyeng-pokupaet-onlain-shkolu-programmirovaniia-kodium/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

rusven

Skyeng to Buy Kodium Online Programming School

A new dark kitchen delivery service Gde Eda has been launched by Moscow-based taxi company Evrotransservis. The company is owned by Bogdan Konoshenko, the head of the taxi transport committee of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 
 The service does not yet intend to compete with major players in the market and has abandoned partnerships with the Delivery Club and Yandex.Eats food services, Konoshenko said. The startup is limited to covering a territory with a population of around 130 thousand people. Despite that fact, Konoshenko does not rule out the possibility of expanding the business in the future. 

<hr />
 
 Product cards 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/gde-eda/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Gde Eda</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/delivery-club/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Delivery Club</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/yandex-eats/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250);">Yandex.Eats</a>, and <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/kukhnia-na-raione/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Local Kitchen</a>

<hr />
 
 According to the company’s concept, the service is similar the Local Kitchen foodtech service, which was launched in 2017. However, Local Kitchen does not see the presence of competitors in the segment, the company representatives said.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-moskve-zapustili-novyi-servis-dostavki-gotovoi-edy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian) </a>

A New FoodTech Service Launched in Moscow

Articles

Tech in Moscow

exclusive

analytics

Columns

Digest about AI in Russia

interview

ICT.Moscow  — Market in Brief

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)

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)

Review of CityTech services landscape worldwide and particularly in Moscow

CityTech: a fresh approach to digital services for residents of big cities

The idea of ​​creating the “National video surveillance platform” information system <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/v-rossii-obsuzhdaetsia-sozdanie-edinoi-sistemy-videonabliudeniia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">is being discussed</a> in Russia. The system will unite city video surveillance systems throughout the country and become a unified framework for analyzing incoming video data. The model in which cameras will be equipped with computing modules and independently recognize and record incidents, and only after that send the video stream to data centers, will be taken as the basis for the system.

<h2>
 Pros and cons
</h2>

 
 The technique, where surveillance cameras with built-in “on-board” video analytics modules are responsible for primary video processing before sending it to the server, is called “edge analytics” - product director of Ivideon, a cloud surveillance systems developer, Zaur Abutalimov explains. In general, experts mentioned both advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 If we speak about the advantages,
first of all, the use of such a system reduces the load on servers. Secondly,
in the long term, this approach can help reduce the operational costs of both
the data center and communication channels. Thirdly, the video surveillance and
video analytics systems are being accelerated, they become faster. This is
achieved due to the fact that the video stream comes to the camera directly
from the matrix, it is not compressed or additionally processed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Zaur Abutalimov" src="https://ict.moscow/static/30a26b46-6786-5ddf-b7a7-ca06d82092d5.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Zaur Abutalimov
 
 Product director of Ivideon
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 Other market participants have given similar arguments.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 If we consider video cameras networks at the regional level, the introduction of AI cameras will have a cumulative effect on the speed of response processing and will help to save money on the volume of storage on the central node.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Igor Afonin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/51464563-1398-51d6-891c-dec320af5d30.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Igor Afonin
 
 Director of Multimedia Center and Situation Centers, “T1 Integration”
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 Despite the higher cost of such cameras, the cost of equipment in the data center will decrease, and in the long term and in case of scaling, the project can be cost-effective.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 The proposed solution will significantly increase the number of cameras and reduce the cost of the entire system.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Nikita Mokhnatkin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/e238e1c6-eb0b-54d6-9fa7-2e03f2f17afa.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Nikita Mokhnatkin
 
 Head of the information systems security sector, Innopolis University
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 Moreover, since the decision to transmit the video signal to the control center will be made by the camera itself, the recognition algorithms must ensure the highest accuracy in detecting illegal actions, Mokhnatkin points out. However, today, according to ISS, it is still too early to talk about it.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 So far, the computing resources of the cameras are not sufficient for the operation of complex video analytics algorithms or complex solutions, where identification of an incident is based on the result of processing data from several video analytics detectors. Thus, the use of video analytics is limited to simple detectors, for example, “abandoned objects”, “object counting”, “line crossing”, “face detection”, etc. Server analytics allows to implement much more flexible and complex solutions.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div>
 
 ISS
 
 Press service
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 Nevertheless, the company representatives add that the quality of processing by built-in video analytics algorithms “on board” the camera can still be higher, and it can be feasible to use the system if narrow data transmission channels are available, or during short-term projects, for example, at public events (festivals, concerts, etc. etc.).

 
 Market participants mentioned information security risks, the inability to conduct retrospective video analysis, the use of video from one camera to detect different types of incidents, and the necessity to use the products of certain vendors among the main disadvantages of using cameras with computing modules.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 Another challenge in using such devices is the need to modernize and update the databases in each of them. For example, in a conventional video surveillance system, it is enough to replace one camera with another with similar or superior characteristics and, if necessary, separately improve the server capacity - the data will be processed in the data center regardless of which source sent it. But this is not the case with a smart camera.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Pavel Lobanovsky" src="https://ict.moscow/static/1ad8b081-04c6-5f5c-b440-3d320142dd98.png">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Pavel Lobanovsky
 
 Expert of the engineering systems unit of the IT outsourcing department, KORUS Consulting Group
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 

 
 The proposed model has both positive and negative features, so it can be assumed that hybrid solutions will be preferable.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 Speaking about the national video surveillance platform, it is necessary to take into account the fact that a huge number of video surveillance networks using cameras with different functionalities have already been deployed in the regions. What approach can prevail in this case is not very clear yet. I believe that a hybrid option will most likely be chosen - in this case new networks will use AI cameras when the need arises, and old networks will be integrated via cheaper communication channels with the central core of the platform.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Igor Afonin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/40f306d4-2f61-5c8b-8c38-c505a3e12d3b.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Igor Afonin
 
 Director of Multimedia Center and Situation Centers, “T1 Integration”
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 

 
 Alexander Sivolobov from Skoltech believes that there is no alternative to smart IP cameras. But in this context the question is what functionality will be entrusted to the cameras, and what functions will be performed by centralized data centers.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 It is most likely that the main question will be what kind of architecture the solution will have. Probably, it will be a divided unit, where there will be a separate camera from a well-known manufacturer, and next to it there will be a small server with a system for recognizing faces, cars, etc.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Alexander Sivolobov" src="https://ict.moscow/static/92fd8dd5-2331-5233-9484-87638224f7dc.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Alexander Sivolobov
 
 Deputy Head of the Skoltech-based NTI Center of Excellence in Wireless Technologies and the Internet of Things
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
<h2>
 Security issues
</h2>

 
 Information security risks - possible data leaks and unauthorized access by intruders - are the most widely discussed issue of the potential use of cameras with computing modules.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 It is true that additional information security risks are emerging. Smart cameras will be of much greater interest to cybercriminals: the cameras will probably contain confidential data, ranging from the accounts using which they will be connected to the data center to provide remote control or to download updated databases, which will be used for search, to the data itself and the software.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Sergey Nenakhov" src="https://ict.moscow/static/4f8e9447-8188-5306-8dd6-ddf11358a2a7.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Sergey Nenakhov
 
 Head of information security audit department, Infosecurity (a Softline Company)
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 

 
 Special attention is paid to the potential risks of compromising biometric data.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 The use of biometric data is becoming more popular, however, in my opinion, protective measures for the collection, storage and processing of such data are not enough. Today, the only good thing that protects us from large-scale incidents is the fact that biometric data is used just as an additional security factor.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Sergey Zolotukhin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/50bd80d1-9c76-5b88-8ab3-e18376adc59e.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Sergey Zolotukhin
 
 Information security specialist, Group-IB
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 Sergey Nenakhov from Softline believes that due to the relative physical accessibility of individual devices it will be necessary to pay special attention to protecting channels of communication with the data center, and protecting data on the device, for example, using encryption. Andrey Arsentiev from InfoWatch Group says that cybercriminals will be interested in the data in central storages. According to the expert, it will be necessary “to implement measures to protect data from copying and transmission by internal violators”.

 
 Nikita Mokhnatkin from Innopolis University has a different point of view. He believes that the proposed model is more secure.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 The decentralized architecture will ensure information security of personal data. It is easier to protect one server than hundreds of cameras. At the same time, if the intruders manage to hack a classic data center, they will get access to all information at once, and in the case of separate surveillance cameras only a small part of information will be available to violators.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Nikita Mokhnatkin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/973ea9c7-6995-59d0-8976-c02b25f3c78d.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Nikita Mokhnatkin
 
 Head of the information systems security sector, Innopolis University
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 

<h2>
 Experience of the first ones
</h2>

 
 Global surveillance systems are being implemented all over the world, they are widely used in Asian countries. But the use of cameras with built-in computing modules will be an innovation.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 I am not aware of any significant experience in using such systems. The implementation of advanced technologies for detecting illegal actions is “at the cutting edge” of technologies, these are the latest scientific achievements, and it will not be possible to “adopt someone’s experience”. These are innovations, and in this case Russia is in the first echelon.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Nikita Mokhnatkin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/56937e4d-06dc-5716-961a-3ab4f9f5e945.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Nikita Mokhnatkin
 
 Head of the information systems security sector, Innopolis University
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 

 
 Both ISS and T1 Integration representatives mention this point.

<div class="incut-block ">
 
 I have not seen materials on the implementation of large video surveillance systems using AI cameras with a detailed description of the functionality in the open sources.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div class="quote-owner__logo">
 <img alt="Igor Afonin" src="https://ict.moscow/static/3c081c93-e7b7-5c69-85bc-00aebbf4bbc6.jpeg">
 </div >
 <div>
 
 Igor Afonin
 
 Director of Multimedia Center and Situation Centers, “T1 Integration”
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
<div class="incut-block ">
 
 It seems like we have not seen similar projects, which have been maintained for a long time after launch.
 
 <div class="quote-owner">
 <div>
 
 ISS
 
 Press service
 </div>
 </div>
</div>
 
 However, Zaur Abutalimov from Ivideon notes that the use of cameras with built-in video analytics modules in local projects is “a worldwide practice for Safe City projects, which has already replaced the outdated continuous streaming method, which is less secure due to possible failures resulting from increased load on the network and servers”. The expert mentions the example of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-you-ready-for-facial-recognition-at-the-airport-11565775008" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">using</a> facial recognition at the check-in counters in US airports, and the example of <a href="https://www.tadviser.ru/index.php/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82:%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%80_%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%BC_%D0%B2_%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BB_%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%8E_%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%83_%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%86_%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F_%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">using</a> technology for identification in Singapore.

 
 In other words, edge analytics technology is currently used only in local projects in some countries and is at the initial stage of development. The implementation of such a video surveillance project at the national level may set a great precedent on the world stage.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/reaktsiia-otrasli-v-rossii-obsuzhdaiut-sozdanie-edinoi-sistemy-videonabliudeniia/" target="_blank">Original (in Russian)</a>

Experts — about the advantages and disadvantages of the “National video surveillance platform”

The creation of a unified video surveillance system is being discussed in Russia

Smart assistants in Russia: market overview, trends and prospects

ICT.Moscow jointly with the Moscow Government launches the <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Smart City Moscow</a> section. It includes information on 68 Moscow projects in the field of "smart cities",  which is published in English for the first time. Project include <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/case/5g-demo-center/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">5G Demo Center,</a> <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/case/experimental-legal-regime-in-the-field-of-ai/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">an experimental legal regime in the field of AI</a>, <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/case/analysis-of-radiology-images-using-ai" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">analysis of radiological images using AI</a> and others. 

 
 All projects are divided into the following "smart city" categories: human and social capital, digital government, urban environment, urban economy, end-to-end technologies, digital technologies and communications. Each project includes description, key results, and an indication of relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals.

 
 The following materials are also included in the section:&nbsp;

<ul>
 <li>a selection of more than 600 open data sets on urban infrastructure facilities</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>more than 30 sets of data collected by the Department of Prospective Projects of the IT Department of Moscow Government according to ISO37120 and U4SSC international standards</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 <li>news, research, monitoring, reports and other "smart city" analytics</li>
</ul>

 
 This section will be useful for foreign companies, governments and analysts to study the Moscow practices and look for new ideas for their projects. The section will be regularly updated in the future.&nbsp;

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/na-ict-moscow-dostupen-pervyi-angloiazychnyi-katalog-moskovskikh-reshenii-smart-city/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

ICT.Moscow launches the first English-language catalog of Moscow smart city solutions

An international version of the blockchain tech base<a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/blockchain/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> has become available</a> at ICT.Moscow. The new section presents 52 Russian practices of technology application in various fields. Practices of the Federal Tax Service of Russia, Sberbank, Norilsk Nickel, the Moscow Government, Rostelecom, Kaspersky Lab, Russian Railways, S7 Airlines, M.Video, Megafon and others are included in the section. 

 
 For ease of study, all practices are divided into several categories: FinTech, Public sector, Industry and Energy, Logistics and Transport, Retail, MedTech, E-document flow, EdTech, HR-Tech, Real estate and other. Most of the cases are presented in the areas of FinTech - 16 and Public sector - 13. 

 
 Cards with descriptions of blockchain solutions developed by Moscow developers, and market analytics are also available in the new section.

 
 Project will be useful for analysts and smart city experts, as well as developers of blockchain projects to find new scenarios and partnerships. In the future, the blockchain tech base will be regularly updated with new cases. 

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/na-ict-moscow-zapushchena-mezhdunarodnaia-versiia-bazy-znanii-o-blokcheine/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

Tech base contains 52 Russian cases of technology application