Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) has hosted a roundtable, Investment Bridges 2026, focused on ways Russian technology companies can secure investment in foreign friendly markets. The discussion covered instruments for raising capital, legal frameworks for structuring deals, and practical approaches to international collaboration.
During his remarks, Artem Genkin, Chair of the Commission on Venture Financing of the CCI Council on Financial, Industrial and Investment Policy, presented what he described as “homework” – a series of essential steps to complete before expanding internationally. The economist highlighted five major areas of preparation: careful market selection, product adaptation, financial and legal safeguards, marketing strategy, and the development of local expertise within the team.
According to the expert, a frequent mistake among startups is having only a superficial understanding of the target market, when projects often generate ideas without first evaluating the competitive landscape or analyzing “what is already working” in the chosen jurisdiction. This essentially results in repeated errors, which the Commission is seeking to systematize and address through recommendations and case studies.
Particular attention was given to the greater importance of international expansion this year. The Russian market is “not always sufficient for scaling,” and geographic diversification is increasingly focusing on Southeast Asia, the CIS, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).