Russia’s startup climate: 5 steps away from primetime
Protests in Russia last week have dominated international news, and talking heads have been eager to explain how this is evidence of an increasingly divided and unstable Russia. Although the political response has not been as graceful as it could have been, the restraint the government has shown in regards to the protesters is encouraging, especially compared to how similar protests were met in Syria, Libya, or Egypt.
What is unfortunate, however, is that the … Continue Reading
Web store builder Ecwid secures $1.5M in funding
Russia has been a bit of a rough neighborhood for tech startups, but a Ulyanovsk-based startup called Ecwid just received $1.5 million in its first round of funding from Runa Capital, the first serious angel investment group in Russia. Ecwid builds seamlessly integrated online stores for any website or social media page.
The company has produced a cut-and-paste widget that quickly builds a web store for any website in less than five minutes. The widget … Continue Reading


Dean Takahashi
Tom Cheredar
Julia Plevin








