Launched in 2008 by Oskar Hartmann, a German entrepreneur born in the former Soviet Union, KupiVIP quickly became Russia’s leading flash sales site in the field of fashion. When the cross-border e-commerce market emerged in Russia, the company lobbied against what Hartmann called – with some justification – “duty-free e-commerce.” But KupiVIP also launched its …
Popular music streaming service Spotify has canceled plans to open offices and launch their service in Russia, just one year after registering a subsidiary in Russia. Spotify reportedly last year hired Alexander Kubaneishvili, a former Google executive, to head their Russian business and were already in negotiations with local mobile operators.
Illustrating the appeal of e-learning projects in the eyes of Russian investors, online micro-course platform Coursmos has received $600,000 in seed investment in a deal led by Altera Capital Group with participation from Imperious Group. Coursmos has now raised a total of $1.2 million in investment since it was launched in March 2014. Coursmos offers 11,000 micro-courses across 20 areas, …
A Russian startup funded by two of Russia’s largest nanotech centers, Dubna just outside Moscow and Sygma.Novosibirsk from Siberia, has developed what appears to be a brand new charging device for a variety of portable gadgets, Rusnanonet.ru reported. The innovation draws upon the principles of hydrogen energy. The HandyPower charger is said to enable the …
Russian startup can charge your cell phone with water Read More »
Preply, a platform to find foreign language tutors for home or Skype lessons, has just entered the Polish market with a localized version of its website. Launched in 2012 by Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukianov and Dmytro Voloshyn, the startup initially developed across the Ukrainian, Russian, Belarussian and Kazakhstani markets.
Startups dealing with computer graphics and so-called gamification will now be able to apply for Skolkovo grants and residency under new plans for 2015 published by the IT cluster. Graphics and gamification form one of three new technology foresights added to the cluster’s strategic development vision this year. The other two, robotics and mobile technology, …
Graphics and gamification enter Skolkovo IT cluster crosshairs for 2015 Read More »
A Russian web site that served as a support group for LGBT teenagers has been blacklisted by the authorities and will likely be blocked within the country, news reports said Monday. The site’s name Deti-404 (Children-404), after the online HTTP error message for “page not found,” may prove portentous if Russia’s Internet watchdog Roskomnadzor considers the site to be in violation of a federal law that regulates online …
Russia blacklists LGBT teen online support group Read More »
Groupon, which began operating in Russia in 2010, has asserted itself since then as a leader in the Russian coupon sales market. The site has also developed a cross-border business, selling virtually anything from smartphones to tableware and cappuccinators to Russian consumers. Erik Bosgoed, head of logistics at Groupon International GMBH Switserland, explained to East-West …
In late 2014 Okko (formerly Play), a leading player on the Russian VOD market, launched the country’s first Ultra HD 4K video service. The solution, developed in partnership with LG Electronics, was designed to meet the requirements of Hollywood studios for content protection, giving Okko the opportunity to work with original content filmed in 4K …
Okko launches first UHD movies on Russian VOD market Read More »
SDI Research, a Moscow-based “semantic data integrator,” will receive a $335,000 grant from Skolkovo for the development of a next-gen semantic master data management (MDM) system to store and sync data. A reported by the Skolkovo Foundation, the effort will require an estimated $670,000 overall. The developer is expected to raise the remaining 50% from other …
Next-gen data management system to emerge in Russia Read More »