During the last decade, the Russian startup sector, with its major base in Moscow, has grown significantly. Russia has long been recognized for its cutting-edge technology and wealth of tech talent. The development of the Russian startup community is largely attributed to these talents grasping opportunities and transitioning to starting their own businesses. One out of every ten Russians aged 18 to 64 reported a desire to start a company.
New business registrations achieved a record high of 8.5 registrations per thousand existing businesses. This is supported by the expansion of entrepreneurship and startup support programs, with ample government support and eager corporations looking to collaborate with and finance early-stage enterprises.
In this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of all incubator and accelerator programs in Russia, along with a short overview to help you find a suitable program. The incubators and accelerators in this list have been subdivided into applicability for startups in their 'ideation', 'launch', or 'growth' stages.
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FULL LIST OF STARTUP INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS IN RUSSIA
Ideation Stage Startup Incubators in Russia
Full list of ideation-stage startup incubators in Russia:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Multiple Sectors
HSE Inc conducts various incubator, accelerator, and pilot programs for startups at various stages. They assist entrepreneurs in testing their ideas, bringing their products to the market, finding mentors and experts, and attracting investments or grants. Their incubation program is open to HSE students and staff who are developing their early-stage projects, and they have a range of accelerators including AI, Future Food, and Export Accelerators.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Academpark is a science and technology park that houses over 300 resident enterprises in its 120,000 sqm space, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, technological services, and commercial infrastructure. They offer a business incubation program for startup teams who are at their early stages. With the guidance of mentors and experts, they assist innovators in testing their ideas, launching their firms, finding initial clients, and attracting funding.
Launch Stage Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Russia
Full list of launch stage startup incubators and accelerators in Russia:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: 5G
If you are a startup with a marketable product or technology, MTS StartUp Hub provides you with the opportunity to test your products and conduct a commercial pilot with MTS, Russia's leading mobile network provider. As part of the program, you may receive up to one million rubles to launch your pilots. Additionally, you will receive access to MTS ecosystem opportunities, such as the possibility of creating a collaborative project with MTS. MTS will provide a suite of tools to assist you in attracting new consumers, including access to their broad sales channels and network of over 86 million MTS customers.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Information Technologies, Biotechnology, Innovative Manufacturing
B8 is a business acceleration program that offers mentorship, and infrastructural, educational, and financial support for early-stage startups. As part of the initiative, participants can receive up to 2 million rubles for the development of their project and team. Additionally, they provide founders access and facilitate networking with their community of startups, entrepreneurs, experts, partners, and clients. At their coworking space in Yakutsk IT Park, you will have the opportunity to learn from market leaders and acquire valuable insights from successful entrepreneurs.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: IT
Sber500 is an initiative by Sber, a Russian banking, and financial services corporation, that delivers a one-of-a-kind program based on the synergy of entrepreneurial culture and the expertise of global venture capital market participants. Combining the experience of 500+ mentors in Russia and an international team of professionals and entrepreneurs, the accelerator provides the best acceleration approach and worldwide knowledge. As part of the program, you will work with notable business practitioners and seasoned mentors, as well as access the expertise and resources needed to develop your startup. You'll receive the opportunity to launch a pilot with Sber and partner firms, as well as receive investment from top funds and business angels.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Global Venture Alliance is a worldwide innovation and ecosystem builder, as well as a venture capital firm, that collaborates with startups, major businesses, and governments to develop startup ecosystems. They create world-class acceleration and incubation programs for businesses, including specialized programs and training sessions for early-stage entrepreneurs.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
The Moscow State University business incubator provides the best opportunity to bring ideas to life via professional mentorship and assistance. The incubator offers an educational curriculum from outside market practitioners as well as free coworking space in Moscow. The incubator also works with prominent Russian venture capital funds and IT firms to make seed investments after gaining residency in the incubator. Through the programs, startups can gain connections to potential first purchasers, clients, partners, and investors.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Universe Ventures is a VC-Accelerator that provides an acceleration program that includes seed-stage finance and a comprehensive startup development curriculum. The acceleration program is run in collaboration with the Moscow State University Business Incubator, in which startups will engage in customer and product development in collaboration with industry professionals adapted to the unique needs of early-stage enterprises. The curriculum is followed by a business track focused on strategy, marketing, intellectual property, and capital fundraising to prepare entrepreneurs for engagement with external investors.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
GenerationS is a corporate accelerator that connects technology startups with corporate partners and facilitates their collaboration. Through the GenerationS program, startups can gain opportunities to deploy their technological solutions in the business operations of their corporate partners. The specialized acceleration program will focus on boosting the firms' product offering in terms of marketing, sales, business, and financial modeling, and will facilitate project testing and launch with corporate partners.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: B2B/B2B2C
Winno is an innovation center that includes an accelerator, an open innovation hub, and a platform that facilitate collaboration for key players in the tech startup ecosystem. They provide a variety of startup services, such as an acceleration program, investment schemes, digital team services, coworking spaces, and more. Winno's free acceleration program is intended to assist businesses in determining product/market fit, conducting pilots with major organizations, and obtaining investors. Following the completion of the startup acceleration program, a business trip to France is arranged to meet with potential clients and investors.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: IT
The IIDF accelerator provides a variety of services to technology entrepreneurs in order to assist them in rapidly growing and entering the worldwide market. Through their product transformation center, they utilize their synchronized knowledge in the fields of product management, team development, and building processes to maximize startups' product offerings and processes. They also organize a GoGlobal Program for IT firms, which is designed to help startups who are just starting their international development or those that are currently operating in foreign markets to enhance their sales funnel and increase their revenue.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: IT, BioMedTech
MUIV.LAB is an acceleration program that provides financial and educational assistance to tech startups to multiply their growth, particularly those formed by student initiatives. They will advise startups on all aspects of development and sustainable business growth, as well as assist with worldwide market expansion. To help startups expand, the accelerator will provide up to USD 100,000 in funding, as well as opportunities to attract additional funding from partner investors.
Growth Stage Startup Accelerators in Russia
Full list of growth-stage startup accelerators in Russia:
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: HR, EdTech
HRED is a venture capital that invests in and accelerates HR and edutech startups. They offer their expertise, time, and network to support startups through their equity-free accelerator program. Over the course of 2-3 months, startups will gain opportunities to work with specialists that will advise on growth strategies as well as gain introductions to potential investors and clients.
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
iDM USA Landing is a business development program designed by the venture capital firm iDealMachine for Eastern European businesses looking to expand to the American market. They collaborate with tech-focused startups at various stages of development in order to enter the US market. They will assist entrepreneurs in efficiently structuring their businesses and acclimating to the US regulatory situation and financial requirements. The curriculum is based on the founding partners' accumulation of 25 years of expertise in launching firms in the United States and worldwide markets.
Closing Thoughts on Startup Incubators and Accelerators in Russia
Though there has been a recent decline in entrepreneurial activity due to ongoing conflicts, Russia's capital, Moscow, continues to rank as a major city in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Despite the challenges, the general outlook for Russia's startup ecosystem remains positive, with sustained development and innovation anticipated in the coming years.