Russia has experienced many political, economic and social upheavals in its history. Transitioning from the USSR to the Russian State may have been one of the most difficult. Nevertheless, the ingenuity, determination and optimism of the Russian people has remained a constant force, nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit that has birthed many well-known, international businessmen. We take a brief look at six of the most successful and emerging entrepreneurs in Russia today.
Dmitry Aksenov, 23 years old is co-founder of Digital Genius, a company that develops artificial intelligence platforms. Aksenov’s love of artificial intelligence and robotics began when he was a young boy. He left Russia to study at the University of London, a place he felt would more adequately nurture his love for robotics. DigitalGenius was designed to make customer service a better experience by replacing customer to human interaction with customer to AI interaction. Aksenov launched DigitalGenius in his dorm room, a typical high-tech guru story. He began with coffee shops, where customers could place orders, or ask questions about opening hours. He then moved on to providing the same experience via SMS. Today, DigitalGenius works across industries, everything from retailers, to car dealerships to financial institutions.
Ilya Sachkov is CEO and Founder of Group IB: Global Cyber Security Company. Sachkov, aged 29, launched his entrepreneurial career when he was only 17 years old. Group IB, founded in 2003, is the premier digital spy agency in Russia. Sachkov’s early jobs were in the field of information security, but this did not keep his attention. As he looked around for his next step, he stumbled upon an American book about computer crime. It lit the flame within him to become a cyber detective, leading to his eventual launching of Group IB. Sachkov, a graduate of Moscow State Technical University, is considered one of the foremost cyber detectives in the world. His company has expanded to other countries and is earning a very nice profit.
Dr. Serguei Beloussov has a 23 year history of internationally recognized success in funding, managing and launching global high-tech businesses in Europe, Asia and North America. He is Co-Founder and Senior Partner at Runa Capital, a venture capital firm that specializes in providing early and growth-stage seed money to the next generation of high-technology companies. Dr. Beloussov attended Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, where he received his BS in Physics in 1992, MS in Physical and Electrical Engineering in 1995 and a PhD in Computer Science in 2007. Currently Dr. Beloussov serves as CEO at the data protection and disaster recovery software company, Acronis. Dr. Beloussov’s foray into entrepreneurship began when he took a summer job as salesman at a computer company that sold used PC parts. His summer job ultimately morphed into owning a…