In the near 3-4 years Russia will become the largest venture investment market

Central events of the Second Russian Business Angel Week – the 12th Annual Winter University of the European Business Angel Network and the 4th Annual Congress of National Business Angels Association (NBAA), which took place in October 2-3, 2013 in Moscow, have gathered more than 150 private investors from Russia and Europe. Foreign and Russian experts have discussed perspectives of early stages venture market, and search of optimal solutions for main tasks of international investment society.

In its speech at the press-conference, which took place within the limits of European Business Angel Network Winter University and NBAA Congress, the President of European Business Angel Network Paulo Andrez noted, that nowadays in Russia is a significant growth of angel investments, and in the near 3-4 year the country will become the largest market of early stages venture investments in Europe.

In 2012 on the back of global activity decrease on the market of high risk investments, Russian venture market grew up almost twice. “Russian venture market during recent years experiences high growth, provided with interest from later stages investors’ side. For great and stable market development it is very important to have complete balance of investment tools of various stages. Absence of enough projects’ amount, provided by business angels at early stages, leads to deficit of qualitative projects at later stages. There should be a bit higher amount of business angels in Russia, in order the whole system would be balanced. Such events, as today, are a great entry point on market for potential investors, and a place for experience exchange for those, who already works on market”, - said Gulnara Bikkulova, director of innovation markets department of RVC.

However, herewith investment sector of companies at early development stages in Russia is still very narrow. Two working days of the Congress and Winter University have been devoted to widening of early stages venture investments market, attraction of new players into a society and competence strengthening of existing participants, within the limits of which there have been conducted more than 20 educational tracks and panel discussions.

In October, 2 participants of the event received an opportunity to pass complete educational program EARLY STAGE INVESTMENT BOOTCAMP from experts of European Business Angel Network. Master classes for venture investors have been devoted to questions of projects’ analysis, deals’ structuring and own investment portfolio efficiency evaluation. The main subjects of educational block for entrepreneurs became: correct preparation of a project’s presentation, business modeling, peculiarities of venture funds attraction in Startups.

According to results of the conducted trainings, 68 investors, entrepreneurs and Chiefs of business-angels networks received advanced trainings certificates.

Also this day there has been conducted the Solemn Awarding of the 3rd Annual Award of National Business Angels Association for contribution to early stages venture investments market. Winners have been defined in six main and three special nominations:

• “Business angel of the year” – Igor Ryabenky, managing partner of Altair Capital Management;
• “Early stage Fund of the year” – International innovation nanotechnology center “Dubna”;
• “Organization of business-angels of the year” – Saint-Petersburg organization of business angels (SOBA);
• “The best entrant of NBAA” - Waarde Capital;
• “Syndication deal” – “STEK-Trust”, LLC from Association of business angels “Starting investments”;
• “Infrastructural organization of the year” – nenocenters network of “ROSNANO”, OJSC.
• “For contribution to development of regional early stages venture investment market” – Investment-venture Fund of the Tatarstan Republic;
• “For contribution to development of Moscow early stages venture investment market” – Moscow Seed Fund;
• “For the best lightening of Russian market of early stages investments in mass media” – Yelena Timokhina, “Delovaya sreda”.

In the second day of Winter University of European Business Angel Network and NBAA Congress took part the key Russian and foreign experts of the branch, representatives of State Development Universities. The working program of the second day has been opened by a series of panel discussions about successful investors’ escape from companies, building of stable connections between society and business-accelerators, selection of optimal relation between business-angel investment and shareholders’ crowdfunding.

In the end of the second day there has been conducted the contest “VentuRing”, where participated teams of private investors, representatives of business-angels societies, early stages venture funds, infrastructure organizations (nenocenters, business-incubators, technoparks), development institutions, service providers and entrepreneurs.

Partners of the 12th Annual Winter University of European Business Angel Network and the 4th Annual Congress of National Business Angels Association became: RVC, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Department of science, industrial policy and entrepreneurship of Moscow, Moscow Innovation Development Center, ROSNANO, Skolkovo Fund, Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, All-Russia public organization for small and medium entrepreneurship “ROSOPORA”, All-Russia public organization “Delovaya Rossiya”, Russian Association of venture investment, Association of Innovative regions of Russia.