HSE Allocates Funds to Support Innovative Projects
From March 2, applications will be accepted for the Fund for Innovative Enterprise Support competition, which is to be held for the sixth time. Winning projects will receive from 150,000 to 500,000 rubles in support.
The annual competition aims to boost the commercialization of research developments, to provide targeted support to projects that have potential to become profitable start-ups. A crucial condition of participation in the competition is the presence on each team of at least one teacher, student and HSE graduate. Key areas covered include online education and educational technologies, hardware, wearable electronics, robotics and automation, the Internet of Things, media communication, financial technologies and payment systems, but applications involving other areas will also be considered.
The winners will be selected by a competition commission comprising 40 experts, including HSE staff, representatives of active private venture (Runa Capital, Life.Sreda, Almaz Capital etc) and corporate funds (QIWI Venture, IT Online Venture etc) and specialists from development institutes (Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology, Skolkovo Foundation, Moscow Seed Fund).
The winners will be able to direct the funds awarded toward developing their business plan, carrying out market research, developing prototypes, creating and testing their products, and on legal support.
In addition to the financial award, winners will have access to business consultants, HSE experts and experts with HSE partner companies, who will help them understand the nuances of internet marketing, legal practice, technical development and project management.
‘Our mission is to work together to build these projects into working businesses, to develop concrete business plans, build a sales system, strengthen the team,’ said Anastasia Tyurina, General Director of the Innovation Center. ‘Grant funds are awarded to resolve specific tasks, and members of the jury help make more balanced decisions as to how viable a project is and how realistic its business plan. Fund resources in an ideal world help speed the product’s journey to market. Jointly with the teams, we seek out resources for growth – investors, product promotion partners, building a website for the target audience. I personally see the HSE team’s role as working together with the projects to create the most effective trajectory for achieving the goals set with minimal funding.’
Applications are accepted until March 16, and the competition committee will announce the names of this year’s winners by the end of the month.
For more information about the competition, and the entry procedure, please contact Mikhail Demidov at mdemidov@hse.ru or call +7 499 390 88 19.
Anastasia Tyurina
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500,000 roubles
is the maximum grant amount that winners are able to receive in a competition sponsored by the Fund for Innovative Enterprise Support.
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