
Moscow Seed Fund
Description
Moscow Seed Fund was established in 2012 by the Moscow Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship. Its primary mission was to stimulate the development of innovative projects and foster a robust venture ecosystem within the city of Moscow, Russian Federation. As a government-backed initiative, the fund aimed to provide crucial early-stage capital to promising technology companies, thereby addressing the funding gap prevalent for nascent startups in the region.
The fund's investment strategy centered on seed-stage startups across various high-tech sectors, including information technology, biotechnology, new materials, and energy efficiency. It sought out companies demonstrating strong innovation potential and scalable business models. Moscow Seed Fund typically provided an initial cheque of approximately 8 million Russian Rubles. Based on historical exchange rates, this translated to roughly $123,000 USD. The fund's maximum investment per project, including potential follow-on rounds, could reach up to 15 million Russian Rubles, equivalent to about $230,000 USD.
Beyond direct financial investment, Moscow Seed Fund played a pivotal role in nurturing the local startup landscape. It offered portfolio companies access to valuable resources such as mentorship, industry experts, and administrative support, aiding them in product development, market validation, and strategic growth. Through its targeted investments, the fund contributed significantly to the emergence and scaling of numerous technology ventures within Moscow, underscoring the city's commitment to fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial environment. Crunchbase data indicates the fund has made at least 10 investments.
Investor Profile
Moscow Seed Fund has backed more than 87 startups, with 4 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 28 rounds, about 32% of its total and boasts 1 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Debt Financing, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in Russian Federation, United States, Spain.
- Strong thematic focus on Software, Information Technology, Advertising.
- Typical check size: $123K – $230K.
Stage Focus
- Seed (62%)
- Debt Financing (20%)
- Series Unknown (11%)
- Pre Seed (3%)
- Series A (3%)
Country Focus
- Russian Federation (84%)
- United States (9%)
- Spain (1%)
- Israel (1%)
- Latvia (1%)
- United Kingdom (1%)
Industry Focus
- Software
- Information Technology
- Advertising
- Internet
- Analytics
- E-commerce
- Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
- Saas
- Education
- Retail Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.