Anton Voropaev, a senior analyst at the project office of the Skolkovo Foundation who plays a key role on Pekka Viljakainen’s team as an organizer of the Russian StartUp Tour in the regions, shared his impressions and opinions about the startups he saw and who had the opportunity to talk to experts in Rostov-on-Don
Voropaev: “In Rostov-on-Don, the event was held in a small conference room at the VertolExpo business and exhibition center, which has a capacity of about 200 people. However, interest in the event was so high that a lot more young people, entrepreneurs, students and others attended than we had planned. Many had to watch the plenary and other sessions of the StartUp Tour standing. They watched and listened even from the corridor, since so many startups wanted to talk to us. And even by the end of the event the hall was still full, no one making a move to go, with many wishing to continue the dialogue on the sidelines.”
In the image: The plenary session is opened by deputy governor of the Rostov region Igor Guskov:
Voropaev noted that there are a lot of interesting and mature projects in Rostov-on-Don, which in many cases have presented ready products. Voropaev took notice of several startups. Among them were the projects by Dmitry Lopatin; the product of one of them are flexible thin-film solar cells on quantum dots. Lopatin brought some with him, demonstrating how its batteries hold a charge. Lopatin’s solar cells are contained on a thin plate, and even after bending and throwing the plate it does not lose its properties.
This talented entrepreneur from Rostov-on-Don also demonstrated yet another technology from his team, a project using wireless power transmission via radio frequencies to charge phones, car vacuum cleaners and other appliances running on batteries:
Anton also was impressed by a project called Fingo, a mobile application that allows you to "try out" virtual furniture in a real interior, select the best model and send a request to purchase them at your nearest store or shopping center. Such a "virtual fitting room for furniture" for your home is one of the examples of using new technologies in residential applications. This project can already be seen on the App Store, which of course is more than clear evidence of the readiness of projects presented in this city. "Such mature startups are a rare phenomenon," Voropaev said.