21 Oct '16
Between October 25 and 27 top managers of 20 leading corporate VC funds from across the globe are expected in Moscow for a visit. Their agenda includes closed-door talks over the possibilities of bringing international venture capital into Russia, RVC, Russia’s national fund of funds for innovation and the co-organizer of the event. RVC’s partner in putting together the visit is Global Venture Alliance (GVA).
For most of the guests this will be their first encounter with the Russian innovation ecosystem. They are hoping to find partners to start businesses and create joint investment structures, to talk to Russia’s scientific research community, to identify promising start-up companies, and to get to know their vis-ŕ-vis in the Russian VC market.
The high profile delegation reportedly includes McKinsey Solutions’ rep offices in Asia, companies such as PepsiCo Inc. and Naspers, venture capital funds such as Independence Blue Cross, Simmons Goodspeed Ventures, Rubicon Venture Capital and some others. In addition to the numerous U.S.-based market players Moscow is expecting the management of VC funds from England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Canada, and Turkey.
During the visit the business people have plans to meet up with members of the Russian Government and state-owned entities known as “development institutions.” RVC is hosting on October 25 a number of closed-door meetings with its own representatives and managers of the Skolkovo Foundation, Rusnano, Sberbank and GVA participating. Meetings with Russian private investors are also reportedly on the agenda.