Moscow, 13 March 2018- Rusnano Sistema SICAR, a fund created jointly by PJSFC Sistema and RUSNANO, announces the launch of HardTech Round, the first open competition for industrial technologies projects, whose winners may qualify for investment of up to $10,000,000 from the fund.

The competition, organized by Rusnano Sistema SICAR with the support of Sistema Group, RUSNANO Group and MTS PJSC, aims to find promising technology projects ranging from commercial prototype stage to the scaling stage in the following areas: robotics, microelectronics, energy efficiency, energy storage systems, green chemistry, innovative materials, software development for the B2B market; innovative solutions for the oil and gas industry, integrated security systems, IoT solutions, communication equipment, and special communications tools and systems. 

Developers from Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Europe and Israel are invited to participate in the HardTech Round competition. In order to qualify for the prize, the projects must employ unique and protected technology, as well as have the potential for export and the ability to be scaled up for business application. Projects that can demonstrate that they are already producing results and commercial success will have a significant advantage. Another important criterion in the selection process will be a strong team with industry and technology expertise.

In addition to attracting investment and presenting their projects at the final stage of the contest during the Moscow International Open Innovations Forum, participants will also benefit from a number of other opportunities. The participant whose project demonstrates the greatest visionary potential and development prospects in the area of application, implementation, growth and attractiveness in the market, will win a financial prize in the amount of RUB 1 million for the Best Idea nomination. Additionally, MTS, in its role as a partner of the contest, has established a special Smart Technology for Smart Cities nomination for digital solutions aimed at improving urban areas. The winner in this category will have the opportunity to participate in an MTS programme aimed at supporting innovative technological start-ups, and will qualify for a paid pilot project to develop and launch their own solution with the participation of one of the largest technology companies in Russia/CIS.

The HardTech Round jury will include First Vice President of Sistema Felix Yevtushenkov, Head of Investment Division K and  Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of RUSNANO Management Company Oleg Kiselev, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and Executive Director of RUSNANO Management Company Boris Podolsky, President of Sistema Andrey Dubovskov, Managing Partner of Almaz Capital Partners Alexander Galitsky and others. Among the members of the Expert Council tasked with carrying out the preliminary evaluation of projects and selecting finalists are: CEO of Sistema-Consult (investment advisor to Rusnano Sistema SICAR) Sergey Dergach, Investment Director of RUSNANO Management Company Sergey Amiryan, Managing Director of Phystech Ventures Petr Lukyanov, as well as representatives from the innovative divisions of MTS, Kronstadt Group, Sitronics and other specialized experts.

Applications will be accepted until 12 April 2018 at the website: www.gotech.vc/hard/en.

The operator of the HardTech Round competition is GoTech.

Rusnano Sistema SICAR

Rusnano Sistema SICAR is a private equity fund with $100 million under management and established by Sistema and RUSNANO in August 2016. The fund was established with a seven year investment period that may be extended, and the fund is open to outside investors. The average single investment size is $3-20 million for growth-stage companies or late venture stage companies with working products. At the end of 2017, the fund had invested $16 million, including in Apis Cor, a developer and manufacturer of unique 3D printers for the construction industry, GEOSPLIT, a developer of an innovative system for the monitoring of oil-producing well inflow profiles, as well as other companies. The fund’s website is www.rss-fund.com

For additional information, please visit the website www.gotech.vc/hard or contact:

Media contacts:

Dmitriy Kolchugin

Tel. +7 (495) 692-10-88

Mob. +7 (916) 330 5197

kolchugin@sistema.ru<