17 February 2006

VVP Turns VC

Our favourite President has made his first VC investment - apparently he managed to get a 3x participating liquidation preference as well as some serious rights to replace management if they failed to meet certain pre-agreed milestones - yeah right.

If you drop to the bottom of this article from Tass you will see that the yet-to-be-formed with a yet-to-be-agreed investment policy with a yet-to-be-appointed (or competent) management team Russian government venture fund has agreed to invest in Cognitive Technologies. Whilst Cognitive is not a bad company it is precisely this type of meddling that makes the government venture initiative will not emulate Israel's successful model.

His attack on Russian business and government for not using local Russian IT is closer to the mark. Without a domestic market building IT companies becomes problematic.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's a grrrrreat theme you have happening here Alistair.

I am watching these developments with great sense of trepidation and acute bipolarity.

Truth be told, we'd pack our bags and move our little IT shop over to Russia. we'd dop it tommorow at the drop of a penny. The only thing stopping us is availability of advice and information. Other than that - you'd have to be insane to want to do startups in Australia. Down under, is more than backwards - it's a country for raising children and sunny retirement.

Yet, most conversations I have on this subject, end with a rather unoptimistic consensus that Russia doesn't need IT at this time. IT isn't Russia's comparative advantage, unless, of course - there is a great push to position Russia as Europe's version of India.

There is a large back office out there and it's time it became Russia's front office.

That said, I am on the side of foregoing microeconomics and putting faith in infection enthusiasm.

So yes, if there is some kind of a welcoming committee for foreign IT shops wanting an office on Noviy Arbat or something - well, we're in as much need of a welcome as the next guys.

17 February 2006

VVP Turns VC

Our favourite President has made his first VC investment - apparently he managed to get a 3x participating liquidation preference as well as some serious rights to replace management if they failed to meet certain pre-agreed milestones - yeah right.

If you drop to the bottom of this article from Tass you will see that the yet-to-be-formed with a yet-to-be-agreed investment policy with a yet-to-be-appointed (or competent) management team Russian government venture fund has agreed to invest in Cognitive Technologies. Whilst Cognitive is not a bad company it is precisely this type of meddling that makes the government venture initiative will not emulate Israel's successful model.

His attack on Russian business and government for not using local Russian IT is closer to the mark. Without a domestic market building IT companies becomes problematic.

Technorati Tags: ,

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's a grrrrreat theme you have happening here Alistair.

I am watching these developments with great sense of trepidation and acute bipolarity.

Truth be told, we'd pack our bags and move our little IT shop over to Russia. we'd dop it tommorow at the drop of a penny. The only thing stopping us is availability of advice and information. Other than that - you'd have to be insane to want to do startups in Australia. Down under, is more than backwards - it's a country for raising children and sunny retirement.

Yet, most conversations I have on this subject, end with a rather unoptimistic consensus that Russia doesn't need IT at this time. IT isn't Russia's comparative advantage, unless, of course - there is a great push to position Russia as Europe's version of India.

There is a large back office out there and it's time it became Russia's front office.

That said, I am on the side of foregoing microeconomics and putting faith in infection enthusiasm.

So yes, if there is some kind of a welcoming committee for foreign IT shops wanting an office on Noviy Arbat or something - well, we're in as much need of a welcome as the next guys.