Russia’s Far East occupies one-third of the country’s territory and accounts for more than nine percent of the world’s forests. Forestry there thus plays a crucial role, locally and further afield, supplying livelihoods for millions of people and a valuable habitat for flora and fauna, including the endangered Amur tiger. Continue Reading
Category Archives: News
Ulmart enters the travel market
Perhaps inspired by the success of Ozon Travel, Ulmart, Russia’s leading online retailer, has officially announced its entry into a new field of activity: Ulmart Travel. Continue Reading
Russian analog of Blue Apron raises venture investment from Moscow players
Source – marchmontnews.com Moscow Seed Fund, an institutional early-stage investor, and AddVenture, another Russian VC fund supporting Internet projects, are investing $347,000 in Chefmarket, an innovative Russian hybrid of a grocery store and a restaurant, the RVC web-site reported. Continue Reading
The Funds of KCM’s group invest in Chaplin Cinemas network
ADM Capital’s funds, KCRF and KGF, members of a group of funds with the participation of Kazyna Capital Management JSC (owned by National Management Holding “Baiterek” JSC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announce completion of the acquisition of the controlling stake in Chaplin Cinemas network. Investments of the Funds will be… Continue Reading
CAREER: Why the Top 1/3 of Your Resume Matters Most
It’s not true that recruiters only spend 10 seconds on your resume. They actually spend 10 seconds glancing at the top 1/3 before deciding whether to even read the rest. Continue Reading
Russian IP video surveillance software company signs $15 million contract in Bahrain
Macroscop, a Russian startup developing software for IP videocameras, signed earlier this month one of its first international contracts with Bahrain’s MHS-Technologies. Continue Reading
Bank of Moscow ex-chief's prosecutions: the trail continues…
By Andrei Skvarsky. Bank of Moscow’s emigre ex-chief executive Andrei Borodin has been slapped with a new charge in Russia, being accused in absentia of defrauding the lender of 1bn rubles ($29m at today’s exchange rate) through an alleged forex scam, according to Moscow-based daily Kommersant. Continue Reading
Russians in the City London Club opens its branch in Moscow
Russians in the City Club in London is A Russian-speaking professional community that unites more than 2000 members who are working in the financial and legal services industries. Now the Club has opened its branch in Moscow. Continue Reading
RenCap: investors shouldn’t neglect Romania
By Andrei Skvarsky Renaissance Capital analysts say Romania has seriously improved its business climate and has made “an impressive recovery” from the global financial crisis. Continue Reading
Russian central bank partially sells out of Moscow Exchange
By Andrei Skvarsky Russia’s central bank has sold an 11% stake in Moscow Exchange in partially fulfilling its obligation to divest all its interest in the bourse by January 1, 2016. Continue Reading
EBRD BECOMES KEY INVESTOR IN ROMANIA’S ELECTRICA
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested over RON 320 million (equivalent to €75 million) for an 8.6 per cent stake in Romania’s electricity distribution company S.C. Electrica S.A., as the firm moves towards privatisation in the country’s largest-ever IPO. Continue Reading
EBRD FINANCES MAJOR BIOGAS PROJECT IN UKRAINE
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is organising a financing programme of up to €7.1 million to construct and bring into operation a 2.25 MW biogas plant, adjacent to Rokytne sugar mill in the Kiev region. The plant, which will be the largest facility of this type in the country, will generate electricity… Continue Reading
Three years after NASDAQ IPO, Yandex introduced on Moscow Exchange
Trading of Yandex shares on Moscow Exchange started yesterday in Russian rubles under symbol “YNDX”. Shares also continue to trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, where the search company was introduced in 2011. Continue Reading
Local search service Yell.ru secures $11 million from Swedish funds to measure itself against Yandex
Last week, Russian online local-search service Yell.ru announced that it has secured $11 million, which includes $8 million from Vostok Nafta and $3 million from current investor AB Kinnevik. Continue Reading
Middle East Investors Expected To Spend Us$180 Billion In Global Real Estate Markets Over Next Decad
Middle Eastern investors are expected to spend US$180 billion in commercial real estate markets outside of their own region over the next decade, according to the latest research from global property advisor CBRE. Continue Reading
ADB $300 Million Loan to Continue Power Upgrades in India’s Assam State
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million loan to help India’s northeastern Assam state continue its drive to eliminate power sector inefficiencies that are hurting its consumers, its world-famous tea industry, and its environment. Continue Reading
EBRD Invests in Poland's Altus TFI
The EBRD plans to invest up to PLN 50 million (€12 million equivalent) in the forthcoming IPO of Altus TFI S.A. on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Altus is a privately held mutual fund and asset management company in Poland with more than PLN 5 billion of assets under management across 36 funds. Continue Reading
Russia’s VC market shrank in 1Q 2014, RMG and EWDN analysts found
Rye, Man & Gor Securities, a Russian investment firm, and East-West Digital News, an international resource on Russia’s IT, have issued a report on the status and trends of Russia’s venture market in 1Q 2014. Continue Reading
Russian-American startup iBuildApp raises another $200,000
Mobile app builder iBuildApp has raised $200,000 from Starta Capital and Nikolay Belykh. iBuildApp is an international project that enables clients to build and manage mobile apps. As well as being a resident of Moscow’s Skolkovo IT-Park, the project also has its headquarters in Foster City, California. Continue Reading
VTB Capital participated in the placement of CNH 1 billion Offshore Renminbi Bonds for Beijing Capital Company Limited
VTB Capital has been mandated as a joint bookrunner and joint lead manager on the placement of CNH 1 billion offshore renminbi bonds in the Reg-S format for Beijing Capital Company Limited, to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and priced with a coupon of 4.7% and a three-year maturity. Continue Reading
Russia’s Renaissance Capital hosts annual investor forum
By Andrei Skvarsky. Renaissance Capital, one of Russia’s leading privately owned investment banks, has hosted an annual investor conference in Moscow, a three-day event that opened on June 23 and was expected to bring together more than 200 attendees with assets under management totalling more than $3trn. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot: Nepal
From Asia Frontier Capital – Newsletter for May After ten years of civil war between the government and Maoist rebels ended in 2006, Nepal is looking to shed its violent past and provide its citizens with political stability and economic growth. In the foreseeable future, economic growth will largely depend on the government’s ability to exploit… Continue Reading
Sberbank wants apologies from Ukraine’s top prosecutor
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank chief executive Herman Gref has asked Ukraine’s chief prosecutor to apologise for “groundless” allegations that Russia’s biggest lender has been financing pro-Russian separatists who are fighting government troops in eastern Ukraine. Continue Reading
Asia Frontier Capital reminds investors of Vietnam’s booming economy
By Andrei Skvarsky. Asia-focused fund manager Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) points out that Vietnam, not the most yearned-for destination for the average investor, has become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies since market reforms opened up the ex-communist country to foreign capital in the late 1980s. Continue Reading
Russia’s Mosoblbank “most likely” had unit for cooking the books
By Andrei Skvarsky. Mosoblbank, Russia’s 83rd largest bank by assets, “most likely” had a division whose job was to cook the books in a bid to bypass regulatory restrictions slapped on the distressed lender with the aim of stopping it from going to the wall, a central bank deputy governor said. Continue Reading
Ozon acquires stake in LitRes, the leading Russian e-book store
Source – East-West Digital News Ozon Holdings, one of Russia’s most established e-commerce players, announced that it acquired a stake in LitRes, the leader in Russia’s fast growing – though still embryonic – domestic e-book market. Neither the size of the stake nor the amount of the transaction has been disclosed. Continue Reading
Streaming music startup Bloom.fm shuts down after Russia investor pulls out
As reported by Guardian, streaming music service Bloom.fm, app with more than 1.1m registered users in the UK alone, has shut down after its main investor pulled out suddenly. Continue Reading
Sanctioned Bank Rossiya parts with $362m as clients withdraw forex
By Andrei Skvarsky. Client accounts at Bank Rossiya have plunged by a total of 12.6bn rubles ($362m) since the end of March as customers have been withdrawing foreign currency from the St Petersburg-based lender after the United States imposed sanctions on it. {{{?}}} Bank Rossiya limited its business to ruble transactions after the U.S. government… Continue Reading
Russia-Ukraine crisis threatens recovery in the EBRD region
The crisis in Russia and Ukraine is having a severe impact on the economies of the two countries and is threatening to slow down the recovery in the wider EBRD region – or even bring it to a complete halt. {{{?}}} The EBRD’s latest economic report predicts growth in the transition region of just 1.4 per cent in 2014,… Continue Reading