Ogandzhanyants Andrey Vagnerovich

Andrey Vagnerovich Ogandzhanyants (an alias Andrey Andreyev) - one Iza of the most successful Russian Internet entrepreneurs.

Biography

Life in Valencia, study in London. Alias

Last time Andreyev publicly was called own name — Andrey Ogandzhanyants — at a conference "Internet-marketing-99". Until in 2002 Ogandzhanyants ceased to give them, it disappeared in all interviews under an alias.

From where such reserve and what the entrepreneur was engaged before SpyLog creation in? The interlocutors of Forbes^[1]knowing Andreyev rather close tell that before emergence of its projects in the Russian market he spent several years in Valencia and studied in London.

Friends and colleagues, both former, and present before to tell something to Forbes, consulted on Andreyev, and then either refused to speak, or agreed only to comments on projects. On Forbes request for an interview he said that he "is not ready to speak with the Russian press".

One of Andreyev's acquaintances explains that that "never wanted publicity, and, besides, in Russia he always had concerns about personal security and safety of business". One of the former managers of Badoo Rick Baker adds that Andreyev does not like to be photographed.

However, this restraint and distrustfulness can be explained with the family tragedy. One of interlocutors of Forbes told that Andreyev's father, Wagner Ogandzhanyants, was the prominent Leningrad scientist-physicist who "whether got into a car accident, whether on it there was an attack, but it very strongly suffered". Judging by the patents detected by Forbes, last of which is dated 1984, Ogandzhanyants Sr. developments found application in underwater plazmennodugovy cutting of metals. Developments of his son, perhaps, not such knowledge-intensive, but are commercially much more successful.

1999: SpyLog creation

Andrey Andreyev (it is an alias) in 1999 created the first service of statistics in Runet — SpyLog (in the literal translation from English "the magazine of work of the spy").

The history SpyLog, the former CEO of the company Sergey Babayants remembers, began in 1999 in the cellar where Andreyev's firm trading in computers Virus rented the premises. SpyLog studied behavior of users in network and earned from sale of analytical reports to owners of web resources, advertizing agencies, marketing specialists.

"It was the first Russian service of the mute who could be used as the system of web analytics" — the chairman of the board of directors of Aktivist holding Leonid Filatov explains SpyLog advantages.

In 2001 many American users, having glanced in history of the browsers, found out that their computers someone visited from the website Spylog.net. The domain was registered in Valencia (Spain). For contact it was offered to contact on the suspicious e-mail address pz@virus.ru Pyotr Zaytsev (now possesses own firm in Silicon Valley). Eventually the Moscow acquaintances of transatlantic bloggers confirmed that SpyLog — "business, dear and big to the Russian measures". Invasion did not do any harm to the American computers, and the storm abated.

In 2007 Activist paid about $3 million for SpyLog. Whether Andreyev helped out something from the transaction, it is unknown: he left the project in January, 2002. According to Babayants, still working in SpyLog, Andreyev's team already did the following project — "Begun". Why Andreyev left? According to Filatov, his calling — to start new projects. Andreyev from those who can "make a feature in the cellar, sells for $100,000 and be engaged new", Filatov says.

2002: Creation of Begun service

In the 2002nd Andreyev started service of contextual advertizing "Begun" which became the first Russian rule of placement of contextual advertizing with payment for click. The advertiser needs to be only at the key word telling about his goods or services, and the banner or the link appear on the websites interesting to consumers of such goods and services. The advertiser pays for result (a hop count on its website), and the price of click is established as at an auction: who paid more — that more visible on the advertizing platform. Respectively, for a motor show the price of click was higher, than for bookstore. Having paid advertizing with bank transfer, the credit card or through the courier, it is possible to begin an advertizing campaign instantly. In Runet there was advertizing revolution.

"First worked at the empty computers at offices of friends — the CEO of Begun Alexey Basov remembered in an interview to "Finam of FM". — Then removed office in the shabby house on Ostozhenka: filling up with nights over the keyboard, shuddered from bustle of mice". In several months after start of "Begun" came to operating profit. In one and a half years the firm waged campaigns for 20,000 advertisers at the average price of one — $50 a month. The monthly turnover reached $150,000. Potential investors began to address Andreyev. Then he was also acquainted with Victor Remsha from Finam.

Remsha looked for online projects for investment. Met in cafe on Myasnitskaya and, discussing the transaction, used up several napkins, the investment banker tells. At the end of 2003 80% of stocks of "Begun" passed to Finam for $0.9 million.

These investments brought to the new owner good income. In two years of Finam sold a block packet of "Begun" of Rambler Media for $0.75 million. In 2007 Rambler purchased another 25%, already for $18 million Finam could earn more when it in the 2008th Google offered $140 million for 100% of stocks of "Begun". But the transaction was blocked by antimonopoly service — allegedly because of the fact that Google provided "unreliable information". However neofitsialno in Rambler told that prohibited to sell "a strategic asset" to Americans personally Vladimir Putin.

Andreyev earned real remains from the project also this time. But it already lit up the new idea.

2005: Creation of Mamba.ru

Remsha tells what the following development, dating service Mamba, they with Andreyev thought over together. Then there was only a service in collecting of SMS payments, and it was necessary to understand how it can be used. Andreyev believed that unlike similar services which for access to base of "brides and grooms" required a considerable subscription fee on Mamba registration had to be free and — anonymous. And still he wanted to play on vanity of users — to allow them to increase the popularity on the website and, respectively, number of runs in a profile. So the idea of the mechanism on promotion of questionnaires on the first page for little money was born. Approximately for $1. "Anybody did not have it" — Remsha admires.

The majority of the Russian Internet startups simply copies the western model. "And Mamba was unique — the ex-president of the company Nikita Sherman emphasizes. — Together with rare then online games she created demand for SMS payment". And if the previous projects of Andreyev were connected with advertizing, here he decided to save users from its importunate presence at least first.

Andreyev managed almost impossible: integrate in a partner network with the single database from Mamba hundreds of dating sites, including belonging to direct competitors — Rambler and Mail.ru. After the mechanism of "raising" of a profile the service "A race for the leader" — an auction for the foreground on the homepage of the website appeared. Sherman calls it method to show that "you not one of millions, but one of units". "In peak time, Friday in the evening, the best place will cost $1000 — he tells. — Some throw this one thousand one sms".

Having purchased Mamba in 2005, the head of Finam did not regret: in the 2009th its revenue reached 664 million rubles at EBITDA of 48%. The number of its users exceeded 12 million people.

In 2007 Finam sold 30% of Mamba for $18 million Mail.ru which was included into DST Internet holding of Yury Milner. The rest of Mamba became the main asset (73.9%) of Finam IT venture fund which net assets are estimated at 3 billion rubles.

Despite mad success in Russia and efforts of a team of expats, Mamba could not face the West. Its ex-president Sherman considers the reason "mistrust of local users to a freebie". "They got used that dating service is the closed environment where for a subscription fee you get access to the database — he explains. — Free registration caused suspicion". Gere sees a problem in another. "Mamba" was too concentrated on acquaintances — he says. — To start in Europe, it was necessary to add components of social network".

Creating Badoo, Andreyev and arrived. By this time he finally moved to England, having lodged in a townhouse near London.

2006: Badoo creation

In 2006 he created the website Badoo.com focused on Spain, and the firm of the same name with the headquarters in London. Gere became her CEO.

In 2007 Finam took 10% of shares of Badoo at Andreyev, having estimated all company at $300 million.

Fostering Badoo four years, Andreyev not for nothing changed the habit to leave quickly projects. "With Badoo he, apparently, learned to go further" — Filatov from Activist reflects.

Badoo assumed a global scale, especially in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America and also in Italy and in France.

Later Finam increased the share to 20%.

2014: Purchase of Hot or Not service

In 2014 Andrey Andreyev purchased and tried to restart the American service Hot or Not allowing users of computers to estimate photos of each other. Andreyev released mobile application for Hot or Not, hoping to enter the market of the USA thus. But, as then the entrepreneur in an interview to the Forbes magazine told, the Apple corporation prohibited functionality of assessment of photos in this connection development of the project was frozen.

In parallel, in 2014 Andreyev got acquainted with one of creators of service for acquaintances Tinder Whitney Wolfe Herd. Having left Tinder, Herd together with Andreyev created one more application for acquaintances – Bumble. Its distinctive feature that only women can select men for acquaintances. Creation of Bumble allowed Andreyev to implement a dream of entry into the market of the USA.

2019

Consolidation of projects in Magiclab holding

In 2019 Andrey Andreyev integrated the deytingovy projects in Magiclab holding, having become also his CEO. The holding, in addition to Badoo and Bumble, included the application for homosexuals Chappy and service for acquaintances of people 50 years of Lumen are more senior.

Magiclab revenue for 2018 made $500 million.

The owner of Tinder the American company Match Group wanted to purchase Magiclab for $1 billion, but Andreyev refused. After this Match Group began to have legal proceedings with Magiclab, accusing holding that Bumble illegally uses Tinder technologies.

Sale of MagicLab for $3 billion

In November, 2019 Andrey Andreyev together with Finam investment company sold the MagicLab holding integrating deytingovy services Badoo and Bumble. The buyer – Blackstone fund paid $3 billion Finam for an asset received 30-fold return from the investments into Badoo.

The Magiclab holding integrates deytingovy services Badoo, Bumble and others at this time.

At the time of the transaction at Badoo of 450 million users, from which 30 million in Russia. The headquarters of Badoo is in London.

Within the transaction with Blackstone Andreyev will leave the post, and Heard, to these being responsible only for Bumble, will head all Magiclab.

According to the American newspaper Wall Street Journal, Andreyev with Heard possessed 80% of stocks of MagicLab. The source among shareholders of MagicLab explained CNews that Andreyev's share made 75%. Thus, Andreyev will receive from the transaction with Blackstone $2.25 billion, Finam - $600 million.

At the same time Finam, according to a source of CNews, enclosed in Badoo 30 times smaller - $20 million. The president of Finam Vladislav Kochetkov on the page on social network Facebook said that sale of Badoo was the consolidated solution of shareholders of service. Besides, now Finam in a priority has financial technical-services.

Notes