THE RUSSIAN
STARTUP RATING
COMING IN FEBRUARY, 2017
We have published the Russian Startup Rating since 2012 in order to focus attention on the country's 50 most promising young tech companies. The rating is based on our own criteria, as well as the opinion of experts. There are no scores, scales or place rankings simply because in our inherently unpredictable world it's impossible to have a specific formula to determine the success of technology. Each has a chance to become a global success. Nevertheless, we firmly believe that these top 50 companies are Russia's most exciting startups. If you believe you should be one of them, please, apply HERE. Our next rating is coming out in December 2016.
Victoria Zavyalova
Last year when we published our Russian Startup Rating the future didn’t seem bright. The lack of domestic venture capital, a tumultuous economy, and low domestic demand for innovative high-tech products convinced many Russian entrepreneurs and startups to go abroad. Those tendencies continue to gather momentum and it seems Russian entrepreneurs are more than ever focused on the international market.
The unpredictable and rapidly changing environment complicates life for those of us who make the Russian Startup Rating. Should we consider the Russian tech companies that prefer to be described as “American,” “Chinese,” or “European?” After much deliberation we decided to include those startups whose founders and developers are of Russian origin, even if the company itself was launched abroad.
METHODOLOGY
NEWS
Marvin Liao joins the Russian Startup Rating's expert panel
07/09/2016
Marvin Liao is a partner at 500 Startups, a global seed venture capital firm and startup accelerator based in Silicon Valley. He invests in digital media, marketplace, fintech, digital health, the Internet of Things, and mobile startups across the globe. Marvin is a mentor for several startup accelerator programs in Europe, Asia, Israel and the U.S.
Randy Levinas confirmed as an expert for the Russian Startup Rating
02/10/2016
Randy Levinas, Executive Vice President of the U.S.–Russia Business Council, has joined the Russian Startup Rating's expert panel. In the past she has served on advisory panels for startups, and acted as a judge for startup competitions at the American Councils for International Education and CRDF Global, an independent organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration.
Marvin Liao joins the Russian Startup Rating's expert panel
07/09/2016
Marvin Liao is a partner at 500 Startups, a global seed venture capital firm and startup accelerator based in Silicon Valley. He invests in digital media, marketplace, fintech, digital health, the Internet of Things, and mobile startups across the globe. Marvin is a mentor for several startup accelerator programs in Europe, Asia, Israel and the U.S.
Gary Fowler confirmed as expert advisor
26/08/2016
Gary Fowler is an entrepreneur, business coach, mentor, TEDX presenter. He has much experience in Russia, with a number of startups under his belt, as well as a successful IPO. Gary is a co-founder of Findo, an artificial intelligence startup that helps people find information buried in documents, files, email attachments, and more.
Daniel Satinsky will evaluate Russian startups applying to the rating
20/07/2016
Over the course of his career Daniel Satinsky has worked on a number of technology-related Russian business projects, provided market entry services for both Russian and U.S. companies, and has participated in the commercial evaluation of hundreds of early stage technologies. Daniel is a co-author of the recently published, Open Innovation Essentials for Small and Medium Enterprises (2016).
Published in January, 2016. Startup name Description
2for1
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2for1 is a Russian-Ukrainian startup tailored for the U.S. market. The service aggregates the best sale deals of the 15 most-visited online stores in the U.S. and Europe.3D Bioprinting Solutions
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In March 2015, 3D Bioprinting Solutions made a thyroid gland for a mouse — or to be exact, the gland's organ construct. Next, this scientific laboratory plans to start printing a human thyroid gland.AeroState
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AeroState provides detailed, accurate and verifiable air quality forecasts around the world using a simple web API, and with unique data analysis and modeling technology.AstroDigital
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This platform for accessing satellite data provides a quick and easy search, as well as integration of satellite photographs into web and mobile applications.Anchor.Travel
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This startup operates in the sharing economy for the global yacht rental market. AntioncoRAN-M AntioncoRAN-M is a medicine to cure head and neck cancer. According to pre- clinical results, the drug increases the effectiveness of radiotherapy by 53 percent.Ayviks
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Ayviks is a so-called “female Viagra.” A molecule discovered by Russian scientists is used to target women with sexual dysfunction. The startup is at the early stage of development, but experiments on animals have been successful.Cardberry
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Cardberry is an electronic card to replace the stacks of loyalty cards. It pairs with an app via Bluetooth. The startup got 800 pre-orders in 2016, and now is preparing for a crowd funding campaign.CardsMobile
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In 2015, the Russian contactless payment solution provider, CardsMobile, and the British startup, Tedipay, announced a partnership to create an open wearables platform for secure contactless payments.Carprice
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This secondary marketplace for used cars was founded in 2013, and raised $2 million in its first seed round. It performs free and fast car valuation, and guarantees the purchase of any car within 30 minutes.CreoPop
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In 2015, a Siberian startup raised $1.4 million to produce the first batch of 3D pens, known as CreoPop. It’s filled with a radically new photopolymer ink that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.CrocoTime
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CrocoTime is an employee-monitoring program. Already popular in Russia, CrocoTime is designed for big companies and can monitor up to 10,000 users simultaneously.Dauria Aerospace
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In 2015 the Chinese investment fund, Cybernaut, signed an agreement with Dauria Aerospace, a private space satellites producer, to invest $70 million in a project to monitor life in some of the largest cities in the world.EcoCat
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EcoCat's technology was developed by the Institute of Catalysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and it helps to reduce the cost of heating industrial premises by four-fold.Ecwid
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Ecwid is a web-hosted e-commerce solution, geared more towards those who already have a website but simply want to add an online store. In 2015, the number of Ecwid's accounts increased by 60 percent.Elbi
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Elbi is an app created by Russian supermodel, Natalia Vodianova, which makes possible micro donations of £1 or $1 to charitable organizations all over the world. In addition, users can get involved with artistic projects to raise awareness for various causes.FireChat
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In 2015, the number of FireChat users exceeded 5 million. Until recently, the messaging app made it possible to communicate in group chats open to everyone, but the new version allows users to exchange private messages.Fibrum
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Fibrum is the Russian version of a virtual reality headset, and its apps are among the best on Google Play.iBox
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The startup is already the number one player in the mobile POS market in Russia with over 20,000 customers, and now it's aiming for Asia. iBox provides a solution that helps customers accept bank cards everywhere using a smartphone and simple cards reader.iBuildApp
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iBuildApp is a platform that allows businesses to create and publish iPhone and Android apps in a matter of minutes. It has 1.3 million corporate users, including the U.S. State Department.Intersoft Eurasia
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This startup developed a unique solid-state detector for people to monitor radiological levels, and manage the risks of radiation exposure.Intui.Travel
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Intui.Travel helps travelers to book a hotel and find an airport transfer. The startup has a unique algorithm that allows one to create a route to any location. Intui's users come from over 50 countries.Ivideon
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Ivideon is a new-generation, cloud-based video surveillance service, designed to work with existing cameras including those on personal computers and laptops. The system already has around one million subscribers in Russia, the U.S., and Europe.Kribrum
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Kribrum is developing a system for social media monitoring – a tool to analyze the various ways companies are mentioned on social media. In 2015, the startup raised over $600,000.Kuznech
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Kuznech's success story began in 2012 when Facebook bought the face detection technology provider, Face.com. The latter then recalled its license from the Russian social network, Odnoklassniki, a popular local competitor to Facebook. Kuznech moved quickly to occupy that niche.Lesnoy Dozor
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Lesnoy Dozor is an early warning system for forest fires. The startup covers 33 regions of Russia, and has a project in Bulgaria.LinguaLeo
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With over 13 million registered users studying English today with its service, LinguaLeo is creating a global platform for language learning. Currently, the startup helps Russian, Portuguese and Turkish speakers to learn English online.Luka
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This app gives meal recommendations for over 2,000 restaurants in the San Francisco area. Luka looks a lot like an SMS conversation, and learns whether you are a vegetarian or a cheese addict.Mailburn
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The startup provides an email solution that allows one to do more business tasks, and create "newsletters so beautiful you will cry." Almost 80% of users are based outside of Russia, and most come from the U.S.MarketMixer
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MarketMixer is an online service for drop-shipping with individual data processing for e-commerce. The platform is designed to work around the world, especially in Europe, the U.S., and Asia.Nanosemantic
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As a developer of natural language human-computer dialogue interfaces, Nanosemantic's technology powers both the customer service chatbots you see on websites, and realistic humanoid robots. Their key product is a natural language dialogue system.N-tech.lab
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N-Tech.Lab became the leader in the global challenge in face recognition algorithms that was organized by the University of Washington. It beat more than 100 other systems, including one created by Google.Optogard
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Thanks to Optogard's patented laser-plasma technology pipeline surfaces became hard as armor. This cutting-edge laser toughens any surface, and can be used in any industry.PayQR
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PayQR is the free banking mobile phone application that allows paying for purchases with bank cards through QR-codes scanning. The full launch to international markets is planned in May 2016.Planner 5 D
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The product enables everyone to plan their homes and interiors; to create the project before having to buy construction and home furnishings. Planner 5D user interface is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese.Prixel
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Using 3D scanning, the startup allows creating an accurate replica of a famous painting at an affordable price. Prixel already has clients in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Canada, South Korea, and other countries.Panda Money
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This startup developed its piggy bank app like a game. In 2015, Panda received investment from the QIWI venture fund to integrate an app with QIWI Wallet.Promobot
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Promobot is a robot for retail that helps existing customers and attracts new ones. At the end of 2015, the startup signed a contract with a Chinese firm to equip an office building in Shanghai.Qlean
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A home-cleaning service, Qlean has attracted more than $327,000 in investment, and plans to expand to Asia.Relap
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Relap is a business-to-business service that aims to increase visit times for websites by recommending sites through embedded widgets. The startup claims to increase website click-through rates by at least 30 to 50 percent.Samokat Sharing System
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In 2016, a network of kick scooter rental stations opens in Moscow, Berlin, Brussels, and Paris. The service will be available through an app, and rental points will be linked into a single network through a cloud platform.Spotty
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The first Russian-made GPS dog tracker helps to spot a pet's location and monitor obesity. It identifies a pet's location using GPS coordinates and a 3G modem, monitors its physical activity with the help of an accelerometer, and transfers real-time data to the owner's smartphone.TestGen
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TestGen developed a new method that reveals a baby's gender using the mother's blood in the tenth week of pregnancy. It has already been introduced in 20 Russian regions, and the test has garnered interest in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Iraq.Telegram
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In 2015, the number of Telegram messaging app users reached over 60 million people. Telegram was created in 2013 for the international market and with an English interface.Tesla Amazing
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In 2015, Tesla Amazing launched Magnetic, an innovative sticky note that clings to any dry surface without messy adhesives using a patented static film. After Tesla Amazing raised almost $250,000 thanks to crowd funding, one of the largest office supply retailers in the U.S. offered the startup an exclusive distribution deal.Texel
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Texel is a developer of software, and a so-called "portal" or 3D scanner for producing realistic full-size 3D models.Tuda? Tuda!
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This crowd shipping platform helps to ship and purchase goods via travelers, and it's increasingly popular in Russia.VisionLabs
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VisionLabs is a developer of software and solutions for visual recognition. The startup has created unique technology that is officially included in the TOP-3 best face recognition systems in the world.Voximplant
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Voximplant is a communications cloud platform built and designed for developers that lets them easily embed real-time audio and video into apps and services.YaKlass
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YaKlass uses technology to generate different combinations of questions so that every student must complete a different task, and thus, renders cheating almost impossible. The service claims to currently offer over 2 million unique variations.The next rating is coming out in December, 2016.
Our rating features the best young Russian tech companies on the international arena. If you want to establish your organisation as a knowledge leader and promote your expertise to the great audience of startup founders, entrepreneurs, developers, venture capitalists, investors, and technology fans across the globe, please e-mail: v.zavyalova@rbth.com
For any additional information please contact: v.zavyalova@rbth.com>
2014
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