Google Chairman Takes An Interest In Backing Russian Startups

Robin Wauters

Robin Wauters is the European Editor of tech blog The Next Web and lead editor of Virtualization.com. He was a senior staff writer at TechCrunch until his departure in February 2012. Aside from his professional blogging activities, he’s an entrepreneur, event organizer, occasional board adviser and angel investor but most importantly an all-round startup champion. Wauters lives and works in... → Learn More

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

TomorrowVentures, the investment firm founded by Google chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt has partnered with Digital October, a Moscow, Russia-based tech startup incubator.

According to local reports (via Quintura blog), Schmidt’s investment vehicle will team up with Digital October, a center in the heart of Moscow established by billionaire Mikhail Abyzov (chairman of Russian business group RU-COM), its investment arm Bright Capital and Telemarker, to find interesting opportunities for technology startup financings in the country.

TomorrowVentures‘ Managing Partner Court Coursey reportedly said that Digital October will provide the venture firm with a mechanism to select the best ideas from Russia and coordinate early-stage funding rounds. From what I can gather, its new Russian partners will also collaborate with TomorrowVentures to forge cross-border partnerships between their respective portfolio companies and exchange knowledge.

I’ve personally been taking quite an interest in the Russian Internet and technology scene lately, and I’m excited to see early-stage investors pay more attention to local startups.

Coincidentally, a couple of months ago TechCrunch Europe’s Mike Butcher traveled to Moscow for the first ever TC event in Russia, which was hosted in the Digital October Center.

Clearly, things are moving quickly down in Russia.

Financial-organization: TomorrowVentures
Website: tomorrowvc.com
Launch Date: 2009

TomorrowVentures is the investment vehicle for Eric Schmidt. It is an opportunistic investment firm with a focus toward seed and early-stage venture capital investments that develop innovative ideas that have the power to change the way people live, interact, and thrive. Founded in 2009 with a unique approach to venture capital and an extensive, diverse base of experience and expertise, we add value far beyond capital. Our goal is to grow companies capable of transforming technology, lifestyle...

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Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recruited Eric Schmidt from Novell, where he led that company’s strategic planning, management and technology development as chairman and CEO. Since coming to Google, Eric has focused on building the corporate infrastructure needed to maintain Google’s rapid growth as a company and on ensuring that quality remains high while product development cycle times are kept to a minimum. Along with Larry and Sergey, Eric shares responsibility for Google’s day-to-day operations. Eric’s Novell...

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