Moscow Startup Summit offers RUB ₽1.2 billion to tech innovators

Startups participating in the Demo Day at the Moscow Startup Summit have been offered more than RUB 1.2 billion in investments.

The Demo Day represented the culmination of the sixth batch of Sber500, an international seed accelerator for technology startups. Thirty startups had the opportunity to present their solutions to an audience comprising investors, industry experts, and representatives from major corporations. The group comprised 25 graduates from the accelerator's main track and five teams from a joint artificial intelligence (AI) track, which was run in partnership with GigaChat.

Attendees represented a diverse geography, with teams arriving from India, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Pakistan, in addition to a considerable local presence. The event was opened and hosted by Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of Sberbank's Executive Board.

Investment interest

Throughout the event, both business angels and venture capital firms announced their willingness to invest in the showcased startups. These declarations offered the option of full or partial participation in ongoing investment rounds, including syndicated deals.

The presentations resulted in the participating startups receiving investment offers that cumulatively exceed RUB 1.2 billion. Those offers came from business angels, venture funds, and supporting investor clubs, reflecting robust interest from both Russian and international investors in the technologies displayed.

Programmeme participation

This year's sixth batch of Sber500 attracted significant global interest, with more than 1,900 teams from 42 countries submitting applications for the main track of the accelerator programme. A total of 150 startups advanced through the boot camp stage, from which 25 were ultimately chosen to proceed to the final Demo Day in Moscow.

A large majority of the finalist teams are focused on AI, with approximately 85% working with artificial intelligence and around 70% specialising specifically in generative AI solutions. Deeptech startups also made a strong showing, accounting for nearly half of all projects (12 out of 25) that reached the final stage.

Technology and solutions

The range of technologies and sectors represented by the finalists was diverse. According to statistics released at the event, startup solutions were primarily focused on biomedicine (33%), industrial robotics and industrial technology (15%), corporate software (12%), and fundamental technology (12%). Additional areas included real estate development and construction technology (7%) and cybersecurity (7%).

Some of the standout solutions unveiled included a diagnostic platform that utilises lipidome blood analysis to identify mental disorders, next-generation neuromorphic processors designed to transform devices into intelligent systems, and an AI-driven tool that converts ordinary camera photos and videos into detailed 3D models. Other showcased technologies consisted of advanced 3D printing for construction, IoT sensors with deep AI analytics for monitoring industrial machinery, and a portable respiratory trainer enhanced with personalised AI functionalities.

Jury remarks and participant development

Herman Gref, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board at Sberbank, as he addressed participants and organisers, reflected on the accelerator's ambition to continually support and develop emerging talent.

"A big thank-you to all our startup founders and everyone involved in their selection and training. Much time has been invested in this endeavor. We all need to study the remarks made by jury members and hit their expectations next time. Gratitude goes to the jury members who came to hear our participants' pitches. This is a significant investment in them."

"To all of us, I wish as many startups, ideas, and courage as possible, even when it seems like there's nothing new to discover, and we're stuck in a dead end. As Alexander Bell put it, a dead end is the ability to spot two newly-opened doors. The key is not to linger there for too long. I wish inspiration to all of us."

Innovations in assessment

This year's Demo Day included a focus on the personalities of the startup founders themselves, enabled by the deployment of A-VOICE's voice psychoprofiling technology. Audio recordings of the pitches were analysed to identify key strengths, unique traits, and personal characteristics. Organisers believe that this approach can support investors in making more informed decisions when forming partnerships with entrepreneurial teams.