The Investment and Venture Fund held the first meeting of the Business Angels Club of the Republic of Tatarstan. At the event, the fund's portfolio companies presented their projects to investors, business angels, and representatives of development institutions. Investors were invited to participate in the committees of the industrial cluster and use the extensive opportunities of the Agryz region's infrastructure.

Damir Galiev, Director of IVF RT, delivered a welcoming speech: "The Business Angels Club was created with the aim of fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and investment in the technology sector. It is a space where startups, investors, funds, and development institutions will be able to solve implementation tasks faster and interact more effectively. We strive to create an ecosystem that supports innovation and accelerates the growth of new companies."

Co-organizers of the club, Vyacheslav Turpanov, founder of the startup and investor community "Razvedka," and Alexey Taranov, Head of the Technological Entrepreneurship Development Department at the Kazan IT Park, also delivered welcoming speeches.

Among the startups that presented their projects to the experts:

Sergey Sarapulov presented the EPIT solution – a five-axis 3D printer. By equipping the five-axis EPIT 3D printer with a tilt-rotary table, it is possible to create overhanging elements without auxiliary support structures. 3D printers can be used by manufacturing enterprises in the oil and gas equipment sector, the defense industry, radio electronics, railway transport, and the aerospace industry. The equipment can also be used in prototyping, small-scale production, and in the manufacture of technological tooling. The use of the EPIT 3D printer can reduce material costs by up to 50%. Over the 7 years of the project's existence, the startup team has attracted 18 million rubles in funding. The startup's investment request is 15 million rubles for a 10% stake in the company.

Vasily Manko, LLC "Project Technologies" presented a program for automating visual inspection in industry. The AURAi solution is a unique software capable of recognizing defects and graphic symbols on the body of railway cars. The solution helps streamline the process of accepting rolling stock for public use, reduce the workload on railway employees who manually check the technical condition of rolling stock, and reduce the human factor in assessing commercial and technical faults. The investment request is 120 million rubles.

Marat Sabirov, Fluctio Sim presented a simulator for training robots using machine learning in the Unity3D environment. The startup proposes replacing classical robot programming with machine learning. The investment request is 30 million rubles.

Ilnur Davletshin presented the AR SERVICE digital platform for remote experts. The solution includes an application and smart glasses. The application allows an expert to connect to the glasses with a first-person view, send text messages, drawings, and hints to the screen. Smart glasses provide audio and video communication between a specialist and a remote expert. Up to 5 experts can be connected in the application. For example, such a solution could be effective in repairing gas turbines, allowing remote connection of engineers, power engineers, technologists, and other specialists for consultation. The startup solves the problem of employees lacking the necessary competencies for maintenance. The main areas of application: equipment service maintenance, author supervision, and personnel training. The startup's investment request is 30 million rubles.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan took an interest in the projects and invited the founders to speak at meetings of industry committees. Sergey Mayorov spoke about the industrial cluster. Details of priority projects will be discussed at subsequent meetings.

Also at the meeting, the Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Agryz District of the Republic of Tatarstan spoke about the investment potential of the district: a plant with a unique technology for drying fruits and vegetables operates efficiently, and the construction of prefabricated buildings is underway. In 2025, it is planned to create a recreational zone for a family glamping site.