Moscow Startup Summit attracts 4,000 startup professionals from 25 countries, set to accelerate startup funding

Startup Summit Awards received over 1,700 submissions from across Russia while UAE to send a delegation to the Moscow Startup Summit.

Dubai, UAE; September 19, 2025

The Government of Moscow and Sber Bank is inviting startups from the GCC countries to participate at the Moscow Startup Summit that takes place from October 1-2, 2025, that will see more than 4,000 startup professionals from 25 countries meet, network with investors, venture capitals and angel investors from across the world that will accelerate the cross-regional startup funding.

“Total Capital Raised in the Venture Capital market in Russia reached US$451.99 million by 2025, with the Early Stage segment dominating at US$212.70 million. Russia’s overall startup ecosystem ranks No.34 globally,” says a report by Statista, a global market intelligence provider.

In the first quarter of 2025, the top three most funded startups in Russia had secured over $1.1 billion in total funding, according to Tracxn. 

The city of Moscow hosts 1,688 startups out of the total 2,200 in the Russian Federation, making it the largest startup hub in Russia. The event will be held in Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoe, a new residential and business district in Moscow known as the SberCity smart city. Moscow Startup Summit will bring together innovators, investors, corporate executives, governmental agencies, and research institutions from Russia, BRICS, and SCO.

A large startup delegation from the UAE will participate at the two-day event.

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

“In total, more than 1,700 applications were submitted from 79 regions of Russia. 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 specialized educational institutions.

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

Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank, says, “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. The programme will ensure tangible outcomes: startups will secure pilot programs and investments, corporations and investors will discover promising projects, and government bodies will conclude agreements on international cooperation.

“A major focus will be placed 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.

“Artificial Intelligence stands out as one of today’s pivotal technologies: every third startup applicant submitted an entry for the ‘Best Artificial Intelligence Solution’ nomination. 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 solution originality, 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 Government of Moscow and Sber Bank. 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 conference will present the Startup Summit Awards for contribution to innovation development for the first time.The prize-giving ceremony will occur on October 2. Event broadcasts will be streamed live on the official website.

There are more than 150 million startups worldwide, of which 1.14 million startups are in the United States. Global venture funding totaled US$91 billion in the second quarter of 2025. More than 1,400 startups globally hold the unicorn badge of which SpaceX is the most successful startup with US$350 billion valuation.

The global startup failure rate is 90 percent, which means every nine out of 10 startups fail. First-time founders have a startup success rate of 18 percent. Business owners who failed in the past have a slightly higher startup success rate of 20 percent. One-third of the startups fail due to the lack of product demand. The average cost of starting a business is US$40,000, according to market research.