UpGrowth x IVF RT
Russia Cohort #1: pitch to Russian investors, join the delegation to Kazan
UpGrowth and the Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan (IVF RT), the state fund behind the Russian Venture Forum, are selecting 15 Algerian startups for the first corridor cohort. Selected startups pitch directly to the fund, enter the official Algerian delegation to the next forum in Kazan, and get matched to paid corporate pilots. Applications close on August 31.
- Pitch session in front of IVF RT
- Official delegation to RVF in Kazan
- Paid pilots with Tatarstan companies
Find your track in the corridor
Three taps. We point you to the part of the corridor that fits, and prefill your application so nothing is asked twice.
What matters most for your startup right now?
What stage are you at?
Which sector fits you best?
Answer the three questions to see your track.
What the 15 selected startups get
Pitch to a Russian state fund
An online pitch session in front of the IVF RT team (USD 134 M invested, 1:9 co-investor leverage) and its investor network. No travel needed.
The official delegation to RVF in Kazan
Top startups of the cohort join the official Algerian delegation to the next Russian Venture Forum: 5,000+ participants, 150+ investors, 60+ venture funds. Travel details are communicated directly to selected startups.
Paid corporate pilots
Tatarstan companies post technological challenges they pay to have solved. Cohort profiles are matched first when the briefs arrive.
Free preparation and follow-through
A pitch preparation session with the UpGrowth team, and support that continues afterwards: follow-up routing, market entry, soft landing in Russia.
Free to apply · 6 required fields · about 4 minutes
Who is IVF RT
The Investment and Venture Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan is the region's state institution for technology development, created in 2004. It runs acceleration programs, corporate venture funds, university startup programs and investment platforms, and every ruble it invests attracts nine more from co-investors.
Why Tatarstan
Tatarstan is not a random region on the map. It is one of Russia's top investment destinations, with an industrial base (KAMAZ, Tatneft, Alabuga SEZ), the Innopolis tech city, and a capital, Kazan, that has hosted the Universiade, the FIFA World Cup, WorldSkills and the BRICS summit.
investment region in Russia, attracting USD 1-2 bn per year
in the National Investment Climate Rating of Russia
in the maturity index of sci-tech development management
technology parks and investment platforms, led by Innopolis
special economic zones and advanced development territories
institutions of higher education feeding the talent pipeline
Russian Venture Forum
RVF is the largest venture capital event in Russia, held in Kazan since 2005 and organized by IVF RT. The 2026 anniversary edition took place on April 8-10 at Kazan Expo. The next edition is where the first Algerian startup delegation selected through UpGrowth will stand.
What a startup gets there
Curated visibility
A selected exhibition and pitch slot in front of VC, PE and institutional investors, with the credibility of having passed selection.
One-stop financing ecosystem
Grants, venture funds, private equity, corporations and development institutions in one venue, covering the path from idea to large-scale deployment.
Soft landing support
Localization, partnerships and growth support that continues after the forum ends.
A large, less crowded market
Strong demand for technology solutions and import substitution, with lower competitive intensity than saturated Western markets.
Deeptech clusters represented at RVF
The forum integrates the full spectrum of industrial technologies. If your startup fits one of these, the corridor is relevant to you.
What Russian partners look for
Based on the forum's own materials and our exchanges with IVF RT, Russian corporations and funds screen foreign startups on four practical things:
Pilot-ready product
A solution that can be deployed in a real pilot within months, not a concept that needs years of R&D.
Import substitution fit
Russian industry actively replaces Western technology suppliers. If your product substitutes one, you start with demand.
Localization willingness
Readiness to adapt the product, work with a local partner and, at scale, localize part of the operation.
B2B discipline
Clear pricing, documentation and the ability to run a structured pilot with a large corporation.
This section will grow: IVF RT is preparing a detailed knowledge brief on Tatarstan sectors and corporate requirements, and real technological challenges from Tatarstan companies are being collected now.
Open the full knowledge module: the 8-chapter Russia market guideA full support ecosystem, including Islamic finance
IVF RT is not only a fund. It operates acceleration programs, corporate venture funds, angel syndicates, IPO and bond platforms and a university startup studio. It also runs Sharia-compliant investment vehicles, a familiar ground for Algerian founders: its Ijara-Leasing subsidiary is the number one private Ijarah leasing company in Russia with an active portfolio above USD 15 M, and its funds include dedicated vehicles for construction robotics, agro-biotech and new chemistry.
Paid pilots: corporate challenges from Tatarstan
Mirroring our Skolkovo corporate challenge program, IVF RT is collecting real technological challenges from Tatarstan companies: concrete problems they will pay to have solved. Algerian startups whose profile matches a challenge will be introduced directly. Leave your profile below to be matched when the first briefs arrive.
Joint pitch session
UpGrowth and IVF RT will run a joint online pitch session where selected Algerian startups present directly to the fund's team and its network. Tick "Pitch session" in the form below and we will come back to you with the date and the selection steps.
How the pitch session worksA company from Russia or Tatarstan?
The corridor works both ways. Looking for Algerian startups to pilot, invest in or partner with? Send us a scouting brief and we shortlist from 2,500+ mapped startups. Setting up in Algeria? We handle the soft landing: company formation, domiciliation, banking, fully remote.
Prefer to talk first?
Reach the corridor team directly:
