MTS StartUp Hub Innovation Center

The MTS StartUp Hub is an entry point into the MTS ecosystem for technology companies looking to scale their business. Founded in 2017, MTS StartUp Hub belongs to the Department of Strategic Development and Investment of MTS and helps to turn technology projects into a profitable business, accompanying startups at all stages of development.

Corporate Venture Fund

Based on the MTS StartUp Hub innovation and investment center, a corporate venture capital fund was created in 2019. The fund invests up to 500 million rubles in companies at the scaling stage and allows you to grow faster using access to the capabilities of the MTS ecosystem.

The MTS StartUp Hub investment mandate is represented by two areas (as of October 2024):

1. Seed startupMTS
StartUp Hub invests in companies at an early stage with the aim of
testing new technological, product and business hypotheses, as well as with the aim of investing in promising teams and products. Investments at this stage are aimed at the potential integration of startups into MTS PJSC (or pursue protective goals) and at the acquisition of new competencies and breakthrough technologies.

Investment size: up to 50 million rubles in the form of a convertible loan.
Term of the transaction: up to 3 months.
Decision-making body: Venture Committee, MTS Management Board.
The possibility of follow-on investments: provided.

2. ScaleUpBy investing in
companies at the growth stage, MTS StartUp Hub seeks to create new growth points for MTS with the potential to enter an IPO. The investments are aimed at integrating innovative technologies, products and business models of high maturity into the MTS ecosystem contour, as well as at securitizing strategic partnerships of MTS current business verticals.

The size of investments in 2024-2026: 5,500 million rubles, up to $5 million for a minority share.
Term of the transaction: on average 6 months.
Decision-making body: Venture Committee, MTS Management Board.
Instruments: conclusion of call-options with the potential to bring MTS share to 100%.

When launching a pilot from MTS, startups get the opportunity to test the viability of the solution on the company's infrastructure and get the support of experts on information security, legal support and a specific product business vertical, while the company compensates for the costs of conducting the pilot. MTS StartUp Hub pays special attention to startups developing solutions in the field of artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and the Internet of Things.

In its work, MTS StartUp Hub uses the following startup tools:

• Analytics
• Scouting
• Piloting with a budget of up to 1 million rubles
• Asset deal
• CVC
• Startup Challenge
• Hackathons

Since its inception, more than 8,500 startups have passed through the MTS StartUp Hub funnel. During this time, over 80 solutions were tested on the basis of MTS infrastructure, 26 startups successfully scaled their business in partnership with the company, and 9 venture deals were concluded (as of October 2024).

History

2022: Launch of Technology Developer Incubator for Metaverse

February 3, 2022 MTS announced the launch of an incubator for startups those creating technologies in ARVR the field of/-technology, holograms XR platforms and other solutions that will work in, metauniverses as well as for projects in the field unmanned vehicles and digital industry.

The MTS StartUp Hub Innovation and Investment Center invites teams with a finished product or product in the MVP stage to participate in the program. Having become a resident of the center, the startup will receive expert support, additional funds for testing the solution, as well as access to business customers and MTS customers.

MTS launched an incubator for technology developers for metaverse

Pilot projects of companies can be launched in MTS 5G test zones deployed in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod and at the production sites of MTS partners. The company will also provide expert support to technology teams in matters.

It is noted that program participants will be able to use cloud services# CloudMTS, peripheral computing platform and CloudXR Nvidia (a solution for streaming XR content from a remote server via 5G and Wi-Fi network to portable devices without reducing quality). MTS will also provide developers with equipment for testing solutions in the 5G network, including Rokid X-Craft AR glasses equipped with a 5G module, a Dahua video camera that can transmit a video stream with 4K/8K resolution in real time without delay, 5G modules for embedding in devices, routers and smartphones.

5G and edge computing are key technologies for implementing the concept of the metaverse as a new stage in the development of the Internet. They open up great opportunities for creating services that will change the usual perception and ways of consuming content and services. MTS has all the necessary technical base for the development of such technologies and is also interested in attracting partner solutions, - said Dmitry Kurin, MTS Director for Innovation and Investments.[1]

2021

MTS poured another 1 billion rubles into its venture fund and doubled its volume

On November 11, 2021, MTS announced an increase in its venture capital fund by 1 billion rubles, which is twice the original volume. Thus, the size of the fund, created on the basis of the MTS StartUp Hub innovation and investment center, will amount to 2 billion rubles.

According to the press service of MTS, the investment focus of the fund will be projects for the development and strengthening of the position of existing ecosystem products in the market and entering new promising food niches.

MTS announced an increase in its venture capital fund by 1 billion rubles, which is twice the original volume

The main areas of the fund - fintech, media, sharing economy, EdTech and the Internet of Things - will add projects from the field of smart home, wellness (the concept of a healthy lifestyle) and other areas related to the provision of digital solutions to a wide range of users.

The MTS venture capital fund invests up to $2 million in technology startups at the seed stage and in round A. Its portfolio includes a fintech platform with artificial intelligence TalkBank, a client data management platform KonnektU, an online educational platform "Academy of Changes" and other companies.

According to Dmitry Kurin, MTS Director for Innovation and Investments, over the two years of the fund's operation, most of its funds have been invested and the allocation of additional capital is a confirmation of the value of this tool for the development of the MTS group. 

The fund's strategy allows you to select the best projects in the market to create new partnerships or enter new niches. For example, MTS already has its own smart home solutions and investments in promising companies from this area will quickly expand the current product portfolio. We are also ready to consider digital b2c platforms for launching new ecosystem directions, including wellness, "he said.[2]

Opening of the center in Nizhny Novgorod

MTS opened a testing and selection center for IT startups in Nizhny Novgorod. The telecommunications operator announced this on August 12, 2021.

We are talking about the MTS StartUp Hub representative office. The center will select, test solutions and accelerate technology companies and startups of the Volga region for their further scaling at the regional and federal levels. Technology teams will be able to pilot and implement their products on the MTS infrastructure of the region's enterprises, as well as receive grants and expert support from MTS.

Federal programs for acceleration and implementation of MTS StartUp Hub products, support for mentors and the opportunity to receive additional investments in the amount of up to 150 million rubles will be available for residents of the center in Nizhny Novgorod.

MTS opened a center for testing and selection of IT startups in Nizhny Novgorod

Companies developing solutions in the field of Cloud,, 5G, IoT/- ARVR technology,, fintech media and others can become residents of MTS StartUp Hub in Nizhny Novgorod. By August 2021, MTS Startup Hub business customers in Nizhny Novgorod are key enterprises in the region - JSC Nizhny Heatpower Novgorod Vodokanal, Nizhny Novgorod Planetarium, PJSC Krasnoye Sormovo and GC Modern Transport Technologies. MTS Startup Hub also entered into partnership agreements in the field of open innovation with the Nizhny Novgorod Scientific and Educational Center (REC), Nizhny Novgorod State University (), UNN iCluster and Gorky AI.

I am confident that the innovation and investment center from MTS will help novice IT companies implement the most interesting projects that will optimize processes at industrial enterprises in the region, increase efficiency in public administration and the quality of service provision in the field of healthcare and education. Creating a comfortable environment for the development of high-tech business is a contribution not only to the development of the region's economy, but also to improving the lives of ordinary citizens in general, "said Gleb Nikitin, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.[3]

2020: MTS launches online accelerator for foreign startups

On March 17, 2020, MTS announced the launch of an online accelerator for foreign startups. Companies included in the new set of the MTS Startup Hub acceleration program, due to the difficult epidemiological situation, will remotely communicate with departments to operators and trackers in preparation for the implementation of their solutions in the company's products, participate in webinars and workshops.

MTS announced the launch of a remote acceleration program for foreign startups.

Startups will be selected in four main categories:

• financial technology,
• innovations in retail sales,
• environmental innovation,
• solutions in industry 4.0. 

Foreign residents should come to Moscow only for the "Demo Day," which ends the MTS Startup Hub acceleration program. Then the startup moves to a pilot with MTS, which can also pass remotely.

After the accelerator, startups will develop pilot projects with MTS. The company will pay the costs of the pilot. Successful projects will be able to receive MTS support for development in the Russian market. 

Also, the telecommunications operator is ready to offer foreign companies to test their solutions in a new generation network at the MTS 5G center. Previously, two foreign companies have already become residents of the center - the cloud platform for managing robots Robotscity (Holland) and the holographic communication system working with augmented reality Doubleme (UK).

During 2019, we have signed partnership agreements with overseas government development institutions Singapore Enterprise and Invest India. One of the goals of these agreements is to help foreign startups enter our market. Partnership with such a large company as MTS is a great opportunity to start expansion in Russia, "said Dmitry  Kurin, head of MTS Startup Hub.

Collection of applications will last until March 20, 2020. The duration of the acceleration program will be two months.^[4]

2019

In April 2019, the Russian telecommunications operator and digital service provider MTS announced the launch of a corporate venture capital fund to develop and support promising technology startups.

The fund's strategy involves investing in early-stage startups through the acquisition of a minority stake. Among the key parameters in choosing projects are prospects for rapid growth and synergy with new MTS business areas. The geography of the fund's investments is startups from Russia and the CIS countries.

The fund will operate on the basis of the corporate accelerator MTS StartUp Hub. Both projects that have been successfully piloted at MTS StartUp Hub and external startups will be able to apply for MTS venture investments. Thus, the MTS StartUp Hub accelerator moves away from accelerator positioning, expanding functionality.

"The creation of a corporate venture capital fund is a logical step in the development of the MTS innovation ecosystem. Venture investments will become one of the key tools for expanding the portfolio of MTS products and services, as well as increasing the revenue of existing areas, - commented Vladimir Khrenkov, director of the MTS Innovation Center. - In the development of directions outside the traditional telecom market for MTS, we go both through our own product development and through the acquisition of promising companies or participation in their share capital. The venture capital fund will allow you to do not only joint product pilots within the accelerator, but also invest the best Russian startup teams, providing them with venture capital for faster development. In addition to development within Russia, we also plan to bring startups to the international market - for which we create a partner network in the main innovative countries of the world and open our own representative offices there. " Building a venture capital fund will open us up to greater opportunities to invest in early-stage startups. "

To simplify internal procedures and speed up decision-making, a venture committee will be formed in MTS, which will include four participants, its composition is planned to be approved later.

The decision to create a corporate venture capital fund was approved by the MTS Board of Directors.

See also

• Venture investing
• Venture capital investments in the IT sector of Russia
• Venture capital investments in Russia