Moscow Government, Sberbank organise Moscow Startup Summit

The international Moscow Startup Summit, organised by Moscow Government and Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, will take place in the Russian capital from October 1–2. Dedicated to technological entrepreneurship, the event will bring together innovators, investors, corporate executives, governmental agencies, and research institutions from Russia, BRICS, and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

"Participation in the summit has already been confirmed by international investment funds and start-ups from 25 countries, including Belarus, China, India, Serbia, Brazil, Türkiye, and the UAE,” says Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow. “Experts will discuss mechanisms for supporting talented developers, successful implementation and scaling practices, and promising directions for further collaboration."

The business agenda includes presentations, masterclasses, panel discussions, and practical sessions. More than 150 leading market players will share their experiences with visitors. Additionally, there will be an exhibition featuring start-ups, including residents of the Moscow Innovation Cluster.

"This summit will serve as a platform merging the capabilities of Moscow's innovation ecosystem with Sber's infrastructure and expertise in AI to advance technological entrepreneurship and creative economy in the country,” says Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank.

“The programme will ensure tangible outcomes: start-ups will secure pilot programmes and investments, corporations and investors will discover promising projects, and government bodies will conclude agreements on international cooperation. A major focus will be on regional agendas and innovations in Russian constituent regions, alongside Sber500 international seed accelerator’s Demo Day and roadshows by young startup teams. We expect more than 4,000 delegates from Russia, the BRICS, and the SCO."

The summit will be held at the Smart City SberCity venue. Event broadcasts will be streamed live on the official website.

Innovation Award

For the first time, the conference will present the Startup Summit Awards for innovative contributions.

"In total, more than 1,700 applications were submitted from 79 regions of Russia,” says Sergunina. “The most popular category is Startups, attracting nearly 1,000 applicants. Moscow leads the way with 550 entrants, of whom roughly 270 are affiliated with the Moscow Innovation Cluster."

Saint Petersburg ranks second, followed by Moscow Region and Tatarstan.

The applications will be reviewed by a jury consisting of heads of domestic enterprises, well-known entrepreneurs, investors, representatives of government bodies and specialised educational institutions.

"Artificial intelligence stands out as one of today's pivotal technologies: every third start-up applicant submitted an entry for the Best Artificial Intelligence Solution nomination,” explains Vedyakhin. “Symbolically, determining finalists in this category will rely on our neural network model GigaChat. This demonstrates how AI serves as a real instrument for advancing innovation, augmenting expert assessments, and identifying projects poised to transform Russia's tech landscape."

Projects will be evaluated according to criteria such as originality of solutions, partnership quality and scale, sustainable revenue growth, and contribution to improving and promoting the technological ecosystem, as well as creating new sources of growth for its participants.

The founders of the award are the Moscow Government and Sberbank. Its mission is to recognise effective practices, inspire larger companies and investors to support aspiring entrepreneurs, and enhance the economic potential of Russian regions.

The prizes will be distributed on October 2.