MTS Russia’s leading mobile connectivity and digital services provider, today announces the launch of an online program to attract, nurture, and accelerate innovative digital startups from around the world. The new initiative will leverage digital tools for online collaboration with MTS specialists to help develop and coach early-stage projects.
The program is being offered by the MTS StartUp Hub and will provide selected startups with the opportunity to participate in online webinars and workshops, as well as remotely engage with business and technology leaders with the aim to prepare projects for commercial rollout in partnership with MTS. After finalizing their proposal, participants will then be invited to publicly present their projects at a demo day in Moscow, with winners then proceeding to a pilot stage, which can also be handled remotely.
Following successful pilot completion, startups will be eligible for consideration for a long-term cooperation agreement with MTS—an excellent opportunity to enter one of Europe’s largest markets in partnership with one of its leading players. The program—which has an application deadline of March 20, 2020—will last two months and also provides for funding to reimburse certain costs. Additional information can be found on the MTS Startup Hub website.
MTS is keen to partner with international startups developing solutions in promising digital growth areas, including financial services, retail operations, environmental management, and the industrial Internet of Things (Industry 4.0). Participants will also have the opportunity to test solutions featuring bleeding-edge, fifth-generation connectivity at the MTS 5G Technology Center in Moscow. Among its current members, the center already counts two foreign companies: RobotsCity (The Netherlands), a cloud platform for managing robots, and Doubleme (UK), a provider of holographic communication solutions leveraging augmented reality (AR) technology.
“Last year, MTS StartUp Hub launched overseas offices in Germany, Israel, and Southeast Asia. We also signed partnership agreements with Singapore Enterprise and Invest India, two of the world’s leading technology development agencies. One of the goals of these agreements is to help foreign startups enter the Russian market, and we believe partnering with MTS is a great opportunity to help them get started,” said Dmitry Kurin, Head of MTS StartUp Hub.
MTS is Russia’s largest mobile operator as well as a provider of fixed communication services, including broadband Internet and cable and satellite TV. The company also provides a wide range of digital and mobile applications, including financial and e-commerce services, as well as solutions for systems integration, IoT, and cloud computing.
The MTS StartUp Hub is aimed at driving innovation by identifying promising high-tech startups and growing them into profitable business operations. The program includes a corporate accelerator, 5G Center, venture capital fund, and multiple fast-track divisions. Operationally, MTS StartUp Hub focuses on helping projects succeed through close mentorship and training of product teams, including by providing business expertise and technical support. During the program’s first three intake rounds, over 2,300 teams submitted applications, of which 58 successfully completed the program, 45 advanced to piloting, and 15 proceeded to wide-scale deployment.
