Applications from 474 startups were received from Russia and other countries. This is 50% more than in 2023.

The finalists of the acceleration program of the Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Eurasian Innovation Center will receive support in promoting and scaling their projects from leading experts in the venture market and corporate partners, as well as investments of up to 50 million rubles for business development.

More than 60% of the startups that applied to the accelerator have a finished product and have already made their first sales. The share of startups scaling their business in the Russian and foreign markets is 21%. 10% of startups are at the business idea formation stage.

Most of the projects (60%) are developing products in the IT sector (EdTech, PropTech, FinTech, LegalTech, etc.). The second place (19%) is occupied by startups developing solutions in the industrial technology sector – these are companies producing physical products: equipment, new materials, medicines, etc. 9% of applications came from AgroTech and BioTech startups. In fourth place (6%) are startups presenting products in the field of future medicine, with the remaining 5% being IoT projects.

This year, 44% of applications came from companies based in the Volga Federal District. 25% came from startups from the Central Federal District. 11% of applications came from the Northwestern Federal District, and the Siberian Federal District was represented by 6% of projects. Applications also came from the Southern, Ural, Far Eastern, and North Caucasian Federal Districts. In addition, 3% of applications were submitted by startups from foreign countries, including Belarus, India, Brazil, and Kazakhstan.

As a result of the expert review, 50 projects will be selected for participation in the exhibition of the Russian Venture Forum. Experts will determine 15 finalists based on the results of the pitch session that will take place at RVF 2024.

The winners will undergo an intensive eight-week program: together with experts and mentors, the startups will work out a roadmap for scaling in the Russian market, assess the potential for entering the markets of other countries, and most importantly, prepare for attracting the next round of investment. In addition, the acceleration program is focused on the work of startups with large businesses to implement solutions in the corporate production processes.

The Russian Venture Forum is the main event of the Russian venture industry. The event has been held in Kazan since 2005. Over the entire history of the forum, more than 2,400 companies and 700 startups have participated in the business program and exhibition. The main theme of the forum this year is "Technological Entrepreneurship: A Space of Higher Competencies."