According to new research by Firrma analysts from December 2015 years to December 2016, the Russian venture capital market has shown a significant increase in activity. The research was carried out with the support of the Russian Venture Company (RVC) и британской консалтинговой фирмы EY (Ernst & Young).
Russian venture capital funds have made 390 deals. Last year, researchers only counted 313 deals. In this way, their number increased by 24,6%. However, in 2014 year, there were significantly more transactions - over 450.
Regarding classic funds, they behaved inert this year, concludes издание Firrma. Many of them have already completed the active investment phase and are now attracting funds to second funds..
Most of the transactions in 2016 year fell on the "sowing" stage, and the most active investor was the Internet Initiatives Development Fund, invested $19,2 million in 91 project. At the same time, the first five classic funds concluded a total of 70 deals, their amount exceeded $160 million.
Alexey Katkov, President of Sistema Venture Capital, confirms, that more and more investment transactions take place at an early stage of projects. Truth, he explains the trend not by the lack of money in the market, but high competition for promising technologies, writes RBC. Новые технологические тренды – искусственный интеллект и машинное education, virtual and augmented reality, neural networks and telemedicine - began to be detected much more often. The vast majority of projects in these areas are at the "seeding" stage.
Globalization
Russian funds began to invest more actively in foreign companies, and the total number of their deals with domestic startups, vice versa, снизилось за год примерно на 20%.
Andrey Gershfeld, partner of the venture capital fund Flint Capital, explains this by a more stable economic situation abroad and higher chances of finding buyers in the international market..
Foreigners, in its turn, became more willing to enter the Russian venture capital market. If in 2014 year, only five foreign funds invested in startups from Russia, then in 2015 - already 13, and in 2016 - 17. Altogether in 2016 they spent 32 investment, which is more than twice as much, than last year.
