The Moscow Startup Summit was held for the second time in Moscow, focusing on technological entrepreneurship and the concept of open innovation. The event brought together representatives of the scientific community, investors, large businesses, relevant agencies, and technology entrepreneurs from Russia and 21 other countries. Participants discussed how the implementation of breakthrough technologies affects productivity, urban environment, quality of life, and startup development. Online broadcasts of the summit attracted 50 million viewers.
The summit took place on September 29 and 30 at the SberCity venue in the 'School 21' campus. Over 150 speakers participated in the business section, representing both Russian and foreign organizations. The program included not only discussion sessions but also an exhibition of over a hundred startups, pitch sessions, and a ceremony for the technological award. The organizers of the event were the Government of Moscow and Sber company.
Sber500 Accelerator Finale and Technology Demonstrations
A significant moment of the second Moscow Startup Summit was the final stage of the seventh wave of the international Sber500 accelerator. Over 1,800 applications were submitted to the accelerator from 52 countries, and 25 teams made it to the final group, representing Russia, India, and South Korea. The finalists presented their innovations to investors, experts, and executives of large corporations during the demo day. The startups covered five main areas: agriculture and food, medicine and biotechnology, education and creative industries, construction and urban planning, and smart devices and robotics.
Approximately 85 percent of the finalists actively use artificial intelligence, including generative models, and 20 teams are classified as deep-tech startups. Among the demonstrated developments were 3D bioprinting of collagen membranes, robotic testing of electronic components, an AI platform for identifying new plant varieties, and five-axis 3D printing of composite parts.
German Greff, President and Chairman of the Management Board of Sberbank, stated that Sber is ready to provide access to construction sites and laboratory facilities for testing their technologies to teams that receive funding. For the first time at the Sber500 demo day within this summit, the 'Neurocode' neural headset, created by one of the accelerator participants, was used. This device allowed for the recording of the brain activity of jury members, reflecting changes in their interest and attention during presentations.
Startup Solutions Presented
Participants at the Moscow Startup Summit exhibition also demonstrated their projects. Teams from Russia, India, and South Korea showcased practical solutions demonstrating the potential of engineering technologies and the application of artificial intelligence in key sectors of the economy. The South Korean company IRVIS presented a system for automatic inspection of electronics on production lines. This system uses a camera and AI to recognize boards and connectors, and then corrects the robot's trajectory if the product or tooling is displaced, which is useful for electronics manufacturers and testing laboratories.
Colltech demonstrated the technology of printing collagen membranes on its own bioprinter. These membranes are used to restore soft and cartilage tissues, such as the eardrum, acting as a body-compatible scaffold. This development is aimed at clinics, hospitals, and ENT surgeons. Additionally, the 'Plastilin' platform was presented, which allows forecasting yield, disease resistance, and climate conditions when introducing a new variety. The system integrates data on plant genomes with field data, helping to select suitable parent lines and genetic markers, and is intended for breeding centers, agricultural holdings, and seed companies.
Technology Award
The Technology Award, jointly established by the Government of Moscow and Sber, took place during the Moscow Startup Summit. This year, about two thousand applications were received for this award from 76 regions of Russia, which is a 15% increase compared to the 2025 figure. The most popular nomination was 'Best AI Solution,' accounting for almost 70% of all submitted projects. A novelty this year was the presentation of a special prize for 'Best Gigagent Implementation Case,' which was awarded to the authors of a digital dictionary of the Ingush language.