Sberbank is the largest credit institution in Russia and the CIS, playing a vital role in the national economy. Founded in 1841 and headquartered in Moscow, the bank offers a wide range of corporate and retail banking products, including consumer loans, mortgages, deposit accounts, and various types of cards. It also provides personal banking services, payment solutions, and investments in securities, as well as asset management and insurance products. Sberbank caters to small businesses with business accounts, lending solutions, and merchant services, while also serving corporate clients with investment products, capital markets services, and trade finance. Additionally, it supports financial institutions through interbank lending and treasury services. The bank operates 11 regional banks and over 14,000 branches across Russia, with international operations in 18 countries, solidifying its position as a key player in the banking sector and accounting for a significant portion of the country's banking assets and deposits.
Baring Vostok Capital Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm established in 1994 and headquartered in Moscow, Russia, with additional offices in Limassol, Cyprus, and Guernsey, Channel Islands. The firm focuses on investing across a range of sectors, including natural resources, telecommunications, media, utilities, construction materials, specialty manufacturing, real estate, and technology. Baring Vostok engages in various investment strategies, such as early venture funding, acquisitions, buyouts, and growth capital, targeting medium-sized enterprises in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The firm is known for its significant involvement in the energy, software, and consumer services sectors, and typically prefers investments ranging from 30 million to 200 million, focusing on companies with enterprise values between 100 million and 200 million.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is a government-backed investment vehicle established to stimulate foreign direct investment in Russia's emerging economy. With a capital base of $10 billion, RDIF focuses on making equity investments primarily within the Russian market. The fund targets various sectors, including agriculture, construction, logistics, aerospace, power, and pharmaceuticals, aiming to foster growth and development across these industries. By attracting foreign investments, RDIF seeks to enhance the overall economic landscape of Russia while providing opportunities for international investors.
Rusnano is a principal investment firm based in Moscow, Russia, founded in 2007, with a focus on developing the nanotechnology industry and investing in high-tech projects. The firm specializes in both direct investments and fund of funds, targeting sectors such as scientific research, new materials, biotechnology, energy, and advanced manufacturing. Rusnano prioritizes projects that promise to establish new production facilities or enhance existing ones, seeking investments in companies forecasted to generate significant revenue within five years. Additionally, Rusnano operates subsidiaries, including RUSNANO USA, which invests in North America, and aims to co-invest in projects with substantial economic or social potential. The organization emphasizes innovation and aims to support the commercialization of developments in nanotechnology and related fields.
VEB Ventures fund was established by Vnesheconombank at the end of 2011 to invest in high technology projects of the Skolkovo Foundation. Key strategic goals of the Fund include support of the Russian government´s innovation programs, creation of innovation infrastructure in Russia, facilitation of advanced technologies transfer to Russia, and promotion of Russian innovations on the global market.
Skolkovo Foundation, established in 2010 and located in Moscow, Russia, is a government organization that promotes the development of startups and venture capital in key sectors such as energy, information technology, biomedicine, nuclear technology, and space. It manages the Skolkovo Innovation Center, Technopark, Skolkovo Institute of Technology (Skoltech), and the Skolkovo city initiative. The foundation's IT cluster focuses on advancements in information technologies, while the biomed cluster nurtures innovations in biomedical technologies. The energy efficiency cluster aims to reduce energy consumption in various sectors, and the space technologies cluster develops projects related to space exploration and satellite navigation. Additionally, the nuclear technology cluster supports the creation of new products and materials for the power market. Skolkovo collaborates with major international companies, including Boeing, Cisco, and IBM, to foster research and development partnerships.
AddVenture is an international venture capital fund based in Nicosia, Cyprus, that focuses on specific sectors, including software, media, and technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT). The fund typically invests between $1 million and $10 million in promising companies within these industries. Through its targeted investment strategy, AddVenture aims to support innovative startups and foster growth in the sectors it specializes in.
Flashpoint is an international asset management firm specializing in investments in software companies, particularly in the business-to-business (B2B) sector. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, the firm manages approximately $500 million in assets across six venture funds, including four venture capital funds, a venture debt fund, and a secondary fund. It focuses primarily on early-stage technology start-ups in Eastern Europe, Israel, and select markets in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Finland. Flashpoint has invested in over 50 companies, including notable names such as Guesty, Chili Piper, and Office RnD, and has successfully completed eleven exits, including stakes in Shazam and Chess.com. The firm is backed by more than 120 family offices and high-net-worth individuals, and it operates offices in major cities such as Tel-Aviv, Budapest, Warsaw, Riga, and Nicosia.
Starta Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York, focusing on early-stage investments in pre-seed to round A startups. Established in 2011, it primarily targets sectors such as B2B, Education and HR, Gaming and E-sports, LegalTech, FoodTech, and FinTech. The firm typically invests up to $200,000 in individual projects, with the potential to increase this amount to $500,000 through syndication, while seeking minority stakes of up to 10 percent in its portfolio companies. In addition to its venture capital activities, Starta operates Starta Accelerator, which began in 2015 and specializes in supporting technology startups with European R&D roots. This accelerator program, headquartered in New York City, offers a 14-week curriculum and mentorship, focusing on helping Eastern European founders adapt to the U.S. business environment. Starta Accelerator invests $130,000 in participating startups, combining program services with cash, and aims to integrate these startups into the local ecosystem. Together, Starta Ventures and Starta Accelerator have built a diverse portfolio of over 150 companies from various global backgrounds.
Altair LLC is a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in early and growth stage startup companies across various sectors. The firm seeks out businesses with disruptive ideas and significant return potential, aiming to support promising teams and key players in the startup ecosystem. Altair's portfolio includes notable companies that have emerged from top incubators, highlighting its commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Through its strategic investments, Altair LLC plays a vital role in nurturing the next generation of industry leaders.