Rustam Minnikhanov: It seems that we do not have enough money to realize our ideas, but we often feel lack of knowledge, experience and skills
25 April 2013, Thursday
At the opening ceremony of 8th Kazan venture fair CEO of the Russian Association of Venture Investment Albina Nikkonen said: “Kazan venture fair is a platform, which brings ideas for implementation of different projects, improvement of legal framework, simplification of conditions to carry out business activity.”
The Kazan venture fair opened at Korston hotel & mall with participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov. The President wished success to participants of the event and thanked partner companies.
To the point, participants of the Kazan venture fair can share their experience in the sphere of direct investments and venture capital, discuss common problems, and determine effective development strategies for their companies.
European Tech Tour, the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA), “Russian Venture Company”, the European Association for Business Angels (EBAN), DFJ VTB Aurorа, the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia, the Russian Fund for Technological Development, Skolkovo Fund will participate in the Kazan venture fair in 2013.
After the opening ceremony guests got familiar with companies represented at the event.
A plenary session “Formation of general innovative market: USA, Europe, Russia. Global trends of venture industry” was held afterwards. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that support of innovations in regions is very important nowadays. He believes that Russia should become a serious player at the global market of innovations.
CEO of Russian Association of Venture Investment Albina Nikkonen noted that a major federal programme should be developed, and it must be implemented starting from higher educational institutions.
Several documents were signed at the end of the event. In particular, Memorandum on cooperation was signed between Agilent Technologies and Kazan (Volga) Federal University, OOO “BIOFOND” and OOO “Techcrowd”.
On March 10, the third meeting of the organizing committee on preparation and holding of the 20th anniversary Russian Venture Forum 2026 to be held in Kazan from April 8 to 10, chaired by Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and with participation of Tatarstan Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and co-chair of the forum’s organizing committee Aleksey Pesoshin, President of the Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan Rifkat Minnikhanov, Director of the Investment and Venture Fund of Tatarstan Damir Galiev as well as representatives of federal and regional authorities, development institutions and partner organizations via videoconference, took place.
On 10 March, speaking at a briefing dedicated to the development of the national Max messenger in Tatarstan and held in the Government House of the republic with all municipalities taking part in it via videoconference, the Minister of Digitalization of Public Administration, Information Technologies and Communication of the republic Ilya Nachvin informed that according to the data of March 2026 about 1.5m residents of Tatarstan use domestic Max messenger.
On 5 February Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin took part in ceremony of awarding winners of the regional competition “The Woman of the Year. The Man of the Year: A Woman’s View” held at the Korston Leisure and Recreation Center in Kazan.
On 4 March at a briefing in the Government House of the republic Tatarstan Minister of Land and Property Relation Fanil Agliullin told about changes in land legislation enforced from 1 March of the current year. He said that they simplify a number of procedures for land plot owners including expanding the possibilities for land use and changing the rules for changing the category of a plot.