Generation S: fight for investors’ attention starts

In October, 7 in Moscow on the basis of the API Moscow field starts the acceleration program “Generation S”. 70 teams-semifinalists of the “Business of Innovation Technologies” (BIT) contest from 1.500 filed applications received a unique opportunity to pass the two-week business-training in the center of Moscow with support of the best mentors and experts. Finalists will get opportunity to present their projects to more than 150 investors within the limits of the Forum “Open Innovations”, and also fight for money prize in amount of 5M RUB from RVC.

A winner and awardees will also get special prizes from the contest’s partners – companies PwC, “Kaspersky Laboratory”, Microsoft, Apple, RIS Ventures, Startup Access, Higher School of economics, and others. The contest-accelerator “Generation S” organizers are RVC and Innovation Development Center with support of the Department of science, industrial policy and entrepreneurism of the Moscow Government. The partner of the contest is Digital October.

All teams-participants of the Generation S have already passed online-course of technological entrepreneurism. Continuing educational program is formed such a way that gives young technology entrepreneurs knowledge, required for effective development of a Startup and leading a project to a stage of investments receiving. Particularly, experts will tell about venture deals’ aspects, disclose secrets of a team establishment, demonstrate marketing and PR role a Startup promotion, get acquainted with sales peculiarities of the corporation’s project. A separate day will be devoted to acquisition of skills for search and communication with investors. Besides, starting entrepreneurs will be informed about main mistakes, which refer to their colleagues by market in the process of the project development. Graduates of BIT will share their stories of success.

“The aim of the “Generation S” is to enter perspective companies at a new level of development, giving them opportunities, which for the youngest Startups are difficult to access, and namely access to the best experts, mentors and investors. Participants of the contest have passed selection at several levels, and, actually, all semifinalists have already received a significant prize: intense education, opportunity to work directly with highly professional experts, and get recommendations for their projects. We hope very much that all the teams will manage to convert received recourses and opportunities for their business development”, - considers Gulnara Bikkulova, director of the development department and innovation markets stimulating of RVC.

Finalists’ awarding will be held within the limits of the Forum “Open Innovations”. Besides the prize fund in amount of 5M RUB, finalists will get special prizes from partners of the contest. PwC will offer an opportunity to resent a project-winner at the closed event for European investors “Local to GlobalExpo”. Participation in educational programs “Deep dive” and “Startup Access” will become prizes for finalists of the contest from “RIS Ventures” and “Startup Access”. The company “LifePad” will give winners lifepads. The corporation “Microsoft” will provide the best project with “Windows Azure” resources.

“Partnership history between Microsoft and BIT continues during many years. With satisfaction we note that the contest grows and develops. Evidence for this is appearance of a separate acceleration program “Generation S” this year. It is pleasant for us to see results of our cooperation: among participants of the contest are: Startup teams of programs, supported by Microsoft, which get assistance and recognition within the limits of the contest. This work seems to be interesting and important, and we will continue it”, - considers Sergey Yeremin, Chief of development direction for technological entrepreneurism, managing director of the Seed Investment Fund Microsoft in Russia.

This year among semifinalists there are representatives from about 30 cities of Russia and CIS countries. Most of them – 41% - offered for the BIT-contest their IT- and Internet projects. 18% of representatives presented their ideas in the sphere of new materials, 15% offered developments in the sphere of high-tech equipment, 11% - in the sphere of biotechnologies.

“Strategic aim of the Moscow Government is the amount increase of innovation companies and their investment attractiveness. Nowadays not only in Moscow, but all over the country numerous infrastructural objects are opening: technopolises, business-incubators, industrial parks. These fields offer perfect conditions for business managing and development. And we are interested in appearing at these field more Russian companies, which would compete with a unique acceleration program – this is an effective toll for this task realization”, - noted deputy of director general of the Moscow Innovation Development Center Yekaterina Bulycheva.