Russian Startup Tour, passing the symbolic mark of 10 cities, entered Nizhniy Novgorod, gathering in the "Nizhegorodskaya Fair" center hundreds of young entrepreneurs and those who only wishes to become one. The event coincided with the conduction of the city's sixth international IT forum.
Valery Shantsev, governor of the Nizhegorod Region, opened the plenary session of Russian Startup Tour with the words "Nizhegorodskiy stage of the tour coincided with the VI IT forum that is conducted in our city. I am happy of the active participation of young innovators of which there are more than 200 today in this hall, this is our main wealth, or wealth of any nation: young, talented, and capable". The governor also reminded that in the region there was created a large innovation cluster "Sarov", and actively working fund for warranties, venture and sowing investments.
Here we have an opportunity for development of innovation activity, and we are the best in the RF. This is why we must make it so that on the All-Russian Innovation Forum in Skolkovo there will be in attendance the majority of our representatives,said Valery Shantsev, governor of Nizhniy Novgorod region.
Pekka Viljakainen, speaking in his already known to many emotional, expressive style, began the plenary with the words, that Nizhniy Novgorod in the eyes of Western entrepreneurs is a symbol of innovative Russia. Here exists a centuries-old soul of entrepreneurship. Nizhniy is conducted on the place of the famous Nizhegorodskiy Fair, that has been a center of entrepreneurship in pre-revolutionary Russia. Today the fair has become the main business center of this large industrial city on the Volga.
"My first business in Russia began specifically in Nizhniy Novgorod", nostalgically remembered Pekka Viljakainen, while speaking to the youth of Nizhniy Novgorod. Solemnly announcing that a symbolic point was passed: the tour has traveled across ten cities in Russia, and he noted that the experts of state development institutes were very happily surprised of the quality of the innovative companies. However, it is obvious that there are some questions and problems on which the startup community must seriously work on.
"We saw excellent companies, but they all have one single problem: not enough networking with other startups, even with those in their own city. In some cities toured the community of innovators numbers in only a few hundred, and even so, they do not know each other",-complained Pekka Viljakainen. "In the region you need bright personalities around whom there can be formed unity, everyone needs a local Richard Branson, to unite!" he called from the stage of the famous Coat of Arms Merchant Hall.
Anton Voropaev, Maxsim Kiselev, and Dmitry Shegolev told of the possibilities which the Fund, Technopark "Skolkovo" are ready to offer the most talented and energetic technological entrepreneurs of Nizhniy Novgorod. Their announcement was followed by presentations of other members of the tour team, formed out of representatives of the Russian development institutes. Amongst the speakers were Anton Bobrinev (Fund of Innovation Assistance) Denis Gusev (ASI) and other speakers from development institutes.
Lower photo: Denis Gusev from ASI also took on the role of time manager during presentations and pitches
Guests from the capital were shown young companies that create systems of monitoring the work of auto components, analyze electrical chains, and create autonomous wireless stations to generate electricity and perform communication networks.
Amongst IT projects: marketing platforms, software for efficient production, platforms for content management and creation of personalized media. Amongst socially oriented projects there must be highlighted the educational projects, analyzers of alcohol production on the subject of methyl alcohol, and other projects. In total with pitches there were over 20 companies. The winners, 10 Nizhniy Novgorod startups, were awarded invitations to the Start-Up Village in Skolkovo, the book by Pekka Viljakainen on why not be afraid to be a businessman, acknowledgement prizes and certificates.