March 9 saw the launch of the principal phase of Sber500, Sber and 500 Startups’ international accelerator program. The 25 best startups were chosen to work individually with Silicon Valley mentors over the next eight weeks and present their projects on Demo Day to Sber ecosystem executives and leading Russian and international corporations and funds.

The accelerator received entries from approximately 1,800 startups from countries all over the world – almost three times the applicants for the previous two Sber500 batches. Aside from Russia, this year’s submissions came from countries including Singapore, Israel, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Belarus, and Estonia. The vast majority of projects submitted (over 70%) have already closed their first deals and are based on B2B and B2B2C business models. Around 60% of all submissions were startups working with e-commerce, logistics, marketing, and Data Analytics. 

All projects underwent a multi-stage selection process. The Sber and 500 Startups teams initially analyzed the startup applications for idea potential and relevance to the interests of the Sber ecosystem. The 567 top projects then proceeded to the first acceleration stage, which is a two-week online bootcamp, where the teams benefited from 500 Startups’ core international program and worked on assignments to iron out the kinks in their startups. The best performing teams were then interviewed by the accelerator organizers and were shortlisted for the final.

Year after year, we strive to increase the impact and improve the quality of the Sber500 accelerator. For this third batch, we opened the accelerator to foreign companies, launched bootcamps that became the largest mass startup training program on the market, lifted the conditions for investments, and engaged even more partners in the form of corporations and funds. I am certain that the lead-up to the accelerator final on Demo Day will be full of pilot launches and examples of successful cooperation, enriching the Russian market with breakthrough technologies and solutions.

Lev Khasis

First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank

The top 25 teams were selected through team voting by the Sber500 accelerator (Sber and 500 Startups representatives), potential Sber ecosystem clients, venture capital firm Fort Ross, and over 35 accelerator partners, including Russian and international corporations, venture funds, and business angel communities.

The following projects made it to the accelerator:

1. AMADEI — an international platform for music artists, enabling them to release their music on all global streaming platforms, promote their material, and earn revenue from airplay
2. ApRbot — a service that uses AI to process, analyze, and extract data from print and electronic documents
3. AURORAi — a service for high-precision non-contact object measurements that also identifies defects and anomalies
4. BackAd — digital backpacks with a screen showing time- and location-sensitive advertisements
5. Basis Genomic Group — a food tech services solution providing recommendations based on users’ genetic traits
6. CARGO.RUN — a digital logistics platform allowing one logistician to more efficiently direct over twice as many vehicles
7. Dbrain — a solution for the automatic processing of print and handwritten documents of all kinds
8. DEERAY — an omnichannel platform capable of analyzing various channels of communication between a business and its clients and automatically detecting client needs and issues
9. Eveon — a platform for online events and exhibitions that also provides technical support
10. Friday — a platform for accelerated employee onboarding at large and growing companies
11. Goodt RBS — an HR-tech platform covering all aspects of work with personnel, from strategic planning and operational management to motivation and performance monitoring
12. HintEd — a platform aimed at reducing spending on training, onboarding, and user support for corporate information systems
13. Honeyleads — an HR-marketing automation platform: from lead generation to analytics and recommendations
14. LeadHit — a marketing personalization and automation service that links a company’s financial, non-financial, and e-commerce services and improves sales for each service
15. Medframe — a set of tools for the efficient preparation of training datasets for medical AI algorithms
16. Retell — a program for text material voiceovers using neural voices
17. ROSMED — an AI-based social network for patients and doctors
18. SoMin.ai — a service that uses AI for ad campaign automation and profitability growth
19. Thea — telematics hardware that stores data about a vehicle and its driver
20. Ubex AI — a launch service for sophisticated ad campaigns in Programmatic with the possibility of AI algorithm-based streamlining
21. Win-Bin — technologies and services for the separate collection and disposal of recycling, allowing for reduced spending on municipal solid waste disposal and recycling-bound waste tracking for logistics and plants
22. Antison — a contactless monitoring system using computer vision and edge computing to prevent high-risk situations while driving
23. SalesChain — an agent and partner sales generator integrating the full cycle of work with partners and agents: from onboarding to remuneration and taxes
24. Realitika — a service that analyzes client queries from digital channels to help company executives understand complaints
25. TsenovikPRO — an automation system for calculation processes, procurement activity, and price substantiation for the public sector and businesses.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SBER BANK