In Yekaterinburg, the first stage of the Russian Startup Tour, a unique 17-city road show and initiative of the the Skolkovo Foundation, has finished.
Support for the Russian Startup Tour is provided by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, as well as a number of other institutions in Russia.
The event was attended by:
The central event of Russian Startup Tour in Yekaterinburg was a competition for innovative projects in engineering, "Tehnostart: Ural," held from February 25 to March 1, 2013 at Uralmashzavod and Ural Federal University. Event participants were able to view exhibitions and presentations by contestants, and attend lectures and master classes - intensive individual projects with representatives of the Skolkovo Foundation and leading institutions.
At one master-class Pekka Vilyakaynen explained why being an entrepreneur is hard, but not dangerous, and Alexei Beltyukov spoke about how commercialize a startup and enter foreign markets. Participants of the Russian StartUp Tour also learned of measures to support innovators working with development institutions and venture capital firms.
At the closing of the event there was a ceremony to award the winners of the innovative project competition. More than 70 projects were evaluated in two categories: "Business Project" and "Business Idea." The competition featured not only existing projects, but also included events to create new business ideas in engineering.
First place in the "Business Project" category was awarded to a project on "Multi-layer metal materials" (Penza). The developers propose using these types of materials to replace the mono-or bimetallic materials currently used to protect power equipment from corrosion damage. The basis of the project is the use of multi-metallic materials with a protective backing layer.
First place in the "Business Idea" category was given to the "software system for industrial inspection and three-dimensional scanning" project (Ekaterinburg). The project proposes to create a program that can become a platform for engineering measurement systems. Additionally, the program could be used to build systems for automated marking (for drilling, sawing, etc.) for metal clearance structures. In addition, the Skolkovo Foundation gave special mention to "Vector vibrometer" and "Geomera» (3Dom). Finalists received cash award and prizes from the Skolkovo Foundation, the Russian Venture Company (RVC) and the VEB Innovation Foundation, including books, educational training in Moscow and Helsinki and visits to major investment forums in Moscow and in the U.S.
It's nice to see that innovation in engineering brings forth such interest among software companies, young scientists, and investors willing to invest in technology. The projects submitted in this competition have a high potential for implementation, and I think they will be in demand by the market in the near future. The Skolkovo Foundation, for its part, is ready to help them promote their development and assist in the search for investmentPekka Vilyakaynen, Advisor to the President of the Skolkovo Foundation
Skolkovo’s support for projects on the path to development is critical. The foundation helps the engineers and inventors realize the necessity of thinking about the practical side of inventing, commercialization, that is, the clients who are willing to pay money for this invention. Only inventions in demand by the market that understand the customer’s needs and offer better ways to meet them are able to attract investment. Skolkovo helps projects adapt their inventions and attract investment. Therefore, our partnership with the Foundation is logical and useful to the success of innovative projects in the field of engineeringподчеркнулSergei Arkhipov, Deputy Director General for Innovation at OMZ Group, said.
The next stage of Russian Startup Tour will be held March 18, 2013 in Naberezhnye Chelny.
The Russian Startup Tour is the first major road show for development institutions, organized and held under the auspices of the Skolkovo Foundation in 17 cities in Russia. Over the course of the road show from March 1st to April 29th, 2013, more than 1,000 innovators and start-up companies will participate.
The main purpose of Russian Startup Tour is to combine community startups, talented young people, investors, regional industrial parks and research areas, which are spread across the country. As part of an unprecedented project, organizers of the roadshow will meet with representatives of start-up companies to discuss current issues and promote the formation of start-ups in the Russian and foreign markets.
Tomsk, April 3
Naberezhnye Chelny, March 18
Novosibirsk, April 4
Ufa, March 19
Nizhny Novgorod, April 15
Tyumen, March 20
Astrakhan, April 17
Omsk, March 21
Rostov-on-Don, April 18
Samara-Togliatti, 28 March
Kaluga, April 19
Vladivostok, April 1
Belgorod, April 25
Krasnoyarsk, April 2
Kaliningrad, April 29
For each of the participating cities in the Russian Startup Tour there is a special program which includes workshops, presentations, business games, coaching seminars and consulting to help regional players to integrate into the international start-up movement. The road show will generate a regular stream of innovative projects of interest for Russian and foreign investors.
The event is supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media, as well as a number of other institutions of Russia.