Sponsors

Founded in 1875 by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet in the Swiss village of Le Brassus, Audemars Piguet is the oldest Manufacture of Haute Horlogerie never to have left the hands of the founding families. Today, its range encompasses complex mechanical watches, Haute Joaillerie creations as well as a line of jewellery. At each stage in its history, the Manufacture has daringly adopted avant-garde techniques in order to place them in the service of traditional craftsmanship. This approach has earned it an unparalleled number of world firsts in the field of Haute Horlogerie.

Egon Zehnder International was founded in 1964 in Zurich and today the firm specializes in Board Effectiveness Reviews, Leadership Strategy Services and Executive Search at the Management and Board levels. The Firm has a distinctive vision and structure aimed at achieving two basic goals - placing clients' interests first and to lead its profession in creating value for its clients through the assessment and recruitment of top-level management resources. The Firm has a structure which is unique in its profession. The Firm's 385 consultants, operating from 63 wholly owned offices in 37 countries, are organized around a single-profit center partnership. This is designed to eliminate competitive barriers between offices. It allows the Firm to operate seamlessly when engagements call for multi-office, cross collaboration and knowledge sharing. Large or small, local or global, clients benefit from this structure by having access to the Firm's most relevant resources and relationships wherever they may reside.

Endeavour Vision is European cross-boarder venture capital firm providing expertise and funding to entrepreneurs with global ambitions in technology, cleantech and life sciences. Endeavour Vision combines a team of experienced venture capital professionals responsible for investments in over 70 companies in 12 countries in Technology and Life Sciences since 1989. We are passionate about building the next entrepreneurial success story and being entrepreneurs ourselves, we have a deep understanding of what it takes to develop successful companies. Endeavour Vision’s DNA comes from three established firms: Genevest, an early European VC started in 1983, Vision Capital Europe, established in 1997 as a pioneer in Trans-Atlantic venture capital, and Endeavour, a VC formed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. To better support entrepreneurs, the firm is a main supporter of: the European Tech Tour Association, a non-profit foundation generating networking opportunities for Entrepreneurs with VC’s, large corporations and corporate advisors.

Weber Shandwick is a Communications Partner of the European Tech Tour, supporting both the European level organization and the various country tours.  Weber Shandwick, a unit of The Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), is one of the world's leading public relations agencies, with offices in major media, business and government capitals around the world. Weber Shandwick is a leader in marketing public relations, public affairs and corporate communications counseling, and also provides services in advocacy advertising, market research and visual communications.

Tatarstan is situated in the center of the Russian Federation. The overall territory of the Republic is 68 sq. km. Population of the Republic is about 3,8 mln. people. Tatarstan is one of the most economically developed regions of the Russian Federation.
Long-term prospects of the Republic are connected with the trend on innovations in all spheres of life of the Republic, further development of oil and oil-chemistry branches, and production of high-technological products. Full-fledged innovation infrastructure was created in the Republic: technoparks and innovation and technological centers, Center for Innovation Technologies Transfer and Export, and Fund for Assistance in Venture Investments Development into Small-Sized Enterprises in Scientific-and-Technological Field of the Republic of Tatarstan. Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan was established in order to raise innovation potential in the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as to develop science-intensive production, and to implement new advanced technologies.

The Tomsk Region is situated in the south of West Siberia, extending for some 700 km. from the Altai foothills to the northern taiga. The Tomsk Region is covered with forests for about 61%.The capital of the Tomsk Region is Tomsk founded in 1604. Tomsk is also the capital of education, research, and innovational business of Siberia. There are six state universities, two institutes, and 15 branches of non-resident higher educational institutions in Tomsk.

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries the Tomsk Region transformed into a dynamically developing region, whose economy combines harmoniously the two strategic advantages, the raw material resources and the intellect. Developing transport communications, telecommunications, and international relations, the Region became a transit area on the way from Europe to Asia. The regional authorities seek to create a favorable investment climate.

The U.S. Russia Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) is a catalyst organization advancing the role and scope of entrepreneurship in Russia through network learning events that target the needs of growth entrepreneurs. CFE’s educational workshops are specifically developed for entrepreneurs who have both the desire and ability to expand their growing companies, and who seek additional knowledge to attain this goal. This knowledge may include how to find sources of investment, present to investors, and implement sound corporate governance. It may also include developing the skills entrepreneurs need to further their company’s success, such as leadership, recruiting and retaining high-quality talent, cash flow and financial management, and strategic planning. Network learning programs are interactive and can take the form of guest speaker forums, entrepreneur exchanges, panel presentations, and conferences.

The Magazine "The AngelInvestor" is for alternative business investments across Russia. This is the magazine for inside information on what is happening in the angel investment and venture capital worlds. "The Angel Investor" is Russia's Number 1 source of industry news, resources and Entrepreneur business investment proposals. "The AngelInvestor" is sent out to over 20,000 accredited high-net-worth business angel investors and potential business angel investors. The magazine covers various topics including; industry news, successful business angel interviews, industry profiles, start-up spotlights, resources, lifestyle features, events, and an entire section of entrepreneur Investment Proposals.

ASTELNET is a Telco service provider and vendor of voice and data equipment, serving emerging and traditional telecoms and service providers. The company offers extensive line of Voice-over-IP products and solutions which enable MNO,MVNO and traditional telephony operators to build robust and scalable networks for delivery of next generation FMC services to subscribers. ASTELNET's innovative solutions are successfully deployed in different countries worldwide.

Informilo is a news site that covers tech sector developments in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The site covers entrepreneurship and innovation in every part of the pipeline – from the smallest start-up with the best idea to big companies that embrace creative disruption. The aim is to help start-ups and venture capitalists benchmark the global competition and connect with big corporates. The site covers Internet, telecommunications, software, hardware, semiconductors, biotech, med tech and clean tech. Founded by veteran journalist Jennifer L. Schenker, Informilo vows to adhere to the highest standards of editorial integrity.

StartupIndex is an evaluation information analytical company specializing in Internet and New Media investment markets. StartupIndex provides wide range of services to both projects searching for investments and investors in the Internet and New Media markets.

Startup Point is a unique networking platform for contact and communication with entrepreneurs, investors and business experts. Startup Point allows entrepreneurs to tell about their projects, discuss news, find partners and employees to their projects. Startup Point combines online (blogs, contests, Wiki) and offline events (meetings, mini-conferences, barcamps) to create convenient and effective communications.

UNOVA is an online media about venture industry and innovation business in Russia. The team of professional journalists, editors, analysts are aggregating news, collecting data about venture market and produce own texts and multimedia content. UNOVA is the only one media with this kind of specialization in Russia.

The Chilli is a unique media platform for high-tech entrepreneurs, investors and advisors. The Chilli is an established global brand in the technology entrepreneurial food chain in Europe, US and now expanding out in Asia. Our information and in-depth analysis are available through regular newsletter updates, online products and live at seminars, conferences and events.

Red Herring is a media company whose mission is to cover innovation, technology, financing and entrepreneurial activity. Its staff of award-winning journalists tell readers what's first, what matters and most importantly, why.

Dow Jones Private Markets (www.fis.dowjones.com) is part of Financial Information Services, a division of Dow Jones & Co., a News Corporation company. Dow Jones Private Markets offers integrated content solutions for the deal-sourcing, due diligence and compliance needs of today’s venture capital and private equity investors, fund managers, advisors, and portfolio companies. Core products include the industry-specific deal databases Private Equity Source and VentureSource, as well as the highly-respected publications Private Equity Analyst, VentureWire and LBO Wire.

The European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA) is a member-based, non-profit trade association and was established in 1983 and is based in Brussels. EVCA represents, promotes and protects the interests of the European private equity and venture capital industry.

State Non-Commercial Organization “Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan” was established in 2004 in view of innovative activity development in the Republic of Tatarstan. Mission of the Fund is to increase innovation potential of the Republic of Tatarstan, develop science-intensive industries and implement new advanced technologies, form new for the Republic approaches to innovation activity development, assist innovations, create the conditions for systems of venture financing, and improve system for support of science-intensive small and medium-sized business. Among main fields of activity are: 1) participating in implementing innovation and investment projects, including those, which are on the earliest, most risky stages of development; 2)providing scientific groups with grants for the performance of R&D activities, supporting fundamental scientific research; 3) improving and developing the Republican innovative infrastructure by developing and implementing special events; 4)developing and implementing progressive mechanisms for small and medium-sized business support; 5) advancing innovative projects, products of the Republican enterprises and organizations, gaining favorable publicity and investment attractiveness of Tatarstan by participating in regional, federal, and foreign exhibitions and fairs.

The MICEX Group is an integrated exchange which provides services related to electronic trading, clearing, settlements for transactions, depository and information services on the basis of a unified platform. The Group is comprised of the number of companies in Moscow, as well as regional exchange and settlement centers. They serve over 1700 participants in the exchange market — leading Russian banks and broker firms all over the Russia. At present, the MICEX Group operates a number of key financial markets: the currency market, the government bonds market, the share market, the market for corporate and regional bonds, the derivatives market and the money market. In 2007 the Innovation and Growth Companies (IGC) sector was launched on MICEX SE. IGC - enables young and growth companies to entry exchange market, preferable industries: telecommunications, internet-technologies, software development and installation etc.

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The Federal Agency on Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) is the main federal institution that fully concentrates on the development of young citizens of the Russian Federation. Since the youth is the principal resource in the development of the country in the XXI century, Rosmolodezh is a reliable state partner for all kinds of private and social projects aiming at the interests of the youth in Russia. One of the Agency's initiatives is Zvorykin project (innovaterussia.ru), a potent tool that enables young inventors and innovators to present their projects to investors and strategic partners.

Joint-stock company 'Russian Venture Company' (RVC) was set up in 2006 by the Russian Government to stimulate the creation of Russian venture industry, the development of innovative industries and promotion of Russian technological products to the world market. The authorized capital stock of RVC is 28 225 879 400 rubles (circa $1b). More then a half is invested in 7 funds (VTB-Venture Fund, Bioprocess capital ventures, Maxwell biotech, Leader, Tamir Fishman CIG Venture Fund, C-group ventures and New Technologies) and composes 49% of each fund. RVC is a state fund of VC funds through which the government stimulates the venture investments and provides financial support of high-technological sector on the whole.

Russian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (RVCA) was set up in 1997. Up to now RVCA has united about 80 members.
RVCA's mission is to contribute to establishment and development of venture industry in Russia. RVCA is generally accepted in the business community and by the Russian Government. RVCA's goals are to create Đ° political and entrepreneurial environment favorable for investment activity in Russia, to represent RVCA's interests in political and administrative agencies in Russia and abroad.