The main theme of the Russian Venture Forum 2024 will be the development of technological entrepreneurship, and for the first time the focus will be on the involvement of young people in knowledge-intensive businesses. “After that, the taste will develop and we will launch new promotional programs for young people,” said Rifkat Minikhanov, chairman of the organizing committee, in explaining the concept for the upcoming event. The latest amendments to the program were made at the final meeting of the organizing committee. One of its members, Deputy Minister of the Russian Ministry of Higher Education and Science Daria Kiryanova, proposed strengthening the business program in the governor’s bloc, but due to the difficult situation, it was decided to limit the visit to a “voluntary” one.
“Legislators of Technological Entrepreneurship in Higher Education”
The final meeting of the organizing committee of the 18th Russian Venture Forum was held on April 18 by President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Rivkat Minikhanov and Russian Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Science Daria Kiryanova. This is his 18th forum in Kazan, but this time it is sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Since the organizers rely on youth participation in technology entrepreneurship, the agenda will be coordinated in detail with relevant educational organizations. “Daria Borisovna is a legislator of our country who promotes technological entrepreneurship in the fields of science and higher education,” Rifkat Minnikhanov said, introducing the Moscow guest to the audience connected by video conference.
Director of the Investment Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan Damir Galiev said that preparations for the forum are almost complete. According to him, more than 4,000 participants were expected, with about 200 speakers and many foreign participants. For the first time, two large delegations of technology investors from China will visit Kazan. It was then decided that the conference would be dedicated to the theme “Technological Entrepreneurship: Space of Higher Capabilities”. Damir Galiev said that TASS deputy director Andrei Sokolov will moderate the meeting.
Valery Falukov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia, and Anatoly Braverman, CEO of the Russian Venture Capital Company and First Deputy Director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, will speak at the plenary session. is. The venture company will be represented by Alexey Parabchev, partner of KAMA FLOW investment company, managing partner of Voskhort Venture Fund and CEO of Moscow Innovation Cluster Fund. This session will provide an overview of Venture Financing Infrastructure, a technology entrepreneurship platform that will give investors an overview of financing for growing startups and provide specific examples. “Teams will hear what they can count on and how much venture funds are investing,” Damir Galiev added.
Grants will be distributed directly in the forum
As always, the Forum will be held on “two sides”: expo and conference. This large-scale expo will showcase the developments and start-ups of around 500 companies from different regions of the Russian Federation. Half of them are located in the Volga Federal District. But a special pitch zone will showcase the most interesting ones – 50 projects applying for funding under the Investment and Venture Fund Acceleration Program, Galiev said. He said the program received a record number of applications this year.
RVF 2024 is not only about the show but also about business angel funding. On day zero, April 24, a competitive selection of startups will be held at Innopolis SEZ. However, the main intrigue concerns the selection of 20 promising projects whose teams will receive an invitation to participate in the BRICS University Summit. The competitive selection will take place on his second day of RVF 2024. This was reported to journalists by Igor Gladkiv, representative of the Association for Venture Investments (RAVI), after a meeting of the RVF 2024 Organizing Committee. He said an expert group of RVF participants will select the most promising startup projects to be proposed at the BRICS University Summit to attract technology investors.
“One of the selection stages will take place in our forum. Teams who want to attend the BRICS Summit and meet with investors specializing in technology deals can participate,” he said, adding that “20 projects will be selected. The number of applications is expected to number in the dozens.” He added that teams from Russian universities are not the only ones taking part in the selection process. “However, the main criteria for choosing the winner is primarily the team’s ability to achieve maximum results in a fast-growing market. Winners of the RVF’s competitive selection will have to play against foreign teams. According to the organizers, such a choice will make Tatarstan the most accessible platform for direct communication between venture investors and startup teams.
The parliamentary portion of the forum is expected to be intense. There are 43 events scheduled here, divided into three blocks. The university’s technology entrepreneurship platform, including funding early-stage development, occupies a key position. The second block is devoted to venture investments. These are the conditions for individual investors in the early stages of structuring fund transactions and business angels. Speakers include approximately 230 heads and top managers from companies and federal authorities, 80 directors and partners from management companies, venture funds and private investors, and more than 37 top managers from companies responsible for innovative development.
Why not invite the governors to the forum living room?
During the public hearing of the program of the event, Russian Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Science Daria Kiryanova made a few remarks. She proposed strengthening business programs with Governor Brock. “Venture capital investments are the prerogative of the Ministry of Economic Development, and I recommend that they be attracted not only from the Office of the President of the Russian Federation on a region-by-region basis, but also from the Ministry of Economic Development. It would bring governors together to discuss how regional policies and investments impact their regions and what mechanisms could be improved. You can create a living room,” she said.
She thinks it makes sense to call on the governor to redirect funds released from the region to venture projects. “The president’s message said that two-thirds of the region’s debt would be canceled. And there are limits to where the money that was meant to pay off the debt could be placed. It is necessary to discuss this topic with the governors on the side.”However, in difficult times, many governors are busy with current issues in the region and cannot always find time to come to Kazan. yeah. As a result, we decided to limit ourselves to “optional” visits. If anyone is able to visit, they are always welcome. However, invitations were sent out to everyone two months ago, Rivkat Minikhanov said.
Louisa Ignatcheva
Tatarstan
