News (English)

Another day, another Google acquisition rumor, and this one comes from within the borders of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. According to local press reports , Google may have acquired Ukrainian Portal Bigmir)net for $100 million.

By Charles Cooper

Israel and Russia. Besides a common liking for borscht, you'd be hard pressed to find two nations less similar. Yet some very serious people believe Russia is destined to duplicate the Jewish state's astounding success in high technology.

Truth be told, I never considered the connection anything more than accidental, owing to the large number of Russian immigrants who have settled in Israel since the state's founding in 1948. But I've been hearing this theory advanced by a number of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs who say it's only a question of time before Russia undergoes an entrepreneurial boom.

To read more:  http://www.news.com/Is-Russias-tech-future-in-Israels-tech-past/2010-11398_3-6218872.htm

RUSSIA MAY BE AN OIL-RICH COUNTRY FULL OF SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS, BUT IT STRUGGLES There was a time not too long ago when the United States worried about Russia's spies getting ahold of Silicon Valley's tech secrets. Now, the Kremlin is eyeing an even greater prize: the valley's business model for success.

Like every other part of the world, the Russians want partnerships with valley tech companies and venture capitalists. They offered up their version of a road show during a two-day conference in Mountain View last week, making a pitch for investment in the oil-rich country that's also full of smart scientists and technologists.

To read more : http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_7448773?source=email

'3TS-Cisco Growth Fund III' to Support Technology and Communications Start-Ups

SAN JOSE, Calif., November 12, 2007 - Cisco® today announced a venture capital initiative targeting the technology industry in Central and Eastern Europe ¹ . Cisco will pursue investment opportunities in technology-related start-ups in the region, both directly as well as indirectly through a regional venture fund.

In collaboration with 3TS Capital Partners, Cisco is making the anchor investment in the Technology in Central and Eastern Europe S.C.A. SICAR fund (to be informally called '3TS-Cisco Growth Fund III'), which will initially close at 30 million euros. 3TS Capital Partners, one of the leading private equity and venture capital firms in Central and Eastern Europe, will seek and manage the fund's investments. The target companies for the fund primarily include high-growth small and medium-sized companies in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors.

To read more: press here.

"Global Competition Launched Using Collaborative Technologies to Accelerate Innovation." To read the press release press here.

Monday I met with a Russian delegation that is part of an ambitious Russian government program investing billions of dollars in creating several Silicon Valley type innovation regions across Russia. This includes passing new laws, deregulation of controls over some types of investments, and possibly even creating a stock market for its high tech sector.

 as a part of seminar series
"Silicon Valley Best Practices. Kiev Master Classes" 3rd of August, 2007
 Kiev

"You may not have heard of serial entrepreneur Serguei Beloussov, founder of SWsoft, but Western investors go ga-ga over his startups..."

"Putin is pouring billions into boosting the tech sector. The country has a skilled workforce—but cronyism and copyright issues pose problems."

To read the article press here.