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Famous intellectual Anatoly Vasserman will power-level Russians’ brains

Credit: Vladimir Astapkovich | RIAN

Wikium group, a neurotechnology-based company offering online tools to train core cognitive abilities, has acquired a 70% stake in the RealBrainBoost project, aiming to take up 30% of the market for intellectual online games in Russia and the CIS.

The amount of the transaction is not disclosed. The merger will strengthen the companies’ leadership positions in the market. Within two years, the conglomerate plans to take over a third of the market for intellectual online games in Russia and the CIS, as well as a part of the European market.

RealBrainBoost (RealnayaMozgokachka) is an intellectual online marathon, with journalist Anatoly Vasserman, a well-known intellectual and winner of television game shows, acting as its ambassador and one of the developers of the quizzes. The project combines intellectual tasks and daily 15-minute ‘brain fitness’ workouts using cognitive simulators. For 21 days, the participants will perform tasks that will help them unlock their brain’s potential, improve attention, memory and thinking, and gain general knowledge.

“The team has chosen the right strategic approach, where it is faster to integrate proven solutions already existing on the market than to create new ones. The deal is an example for those who are looking for tools for fast and high-quality growth,” noted Nikita Yuryev, investment manager at Wikium.

Wikium is a portfolio company of Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), a Russian venture capital fund. The startup was the first in Russia to begin popularizing neurotechnology and a pioneer in this dynamically growing market. After the companies are merged, Wikium will add market analysis and support for creators of intelligent online games to its current portfolio of development of cognitive simulators, soft skills development courses and neurotraining devices with biofeedback.

According to Mail.ru Group, the Russian online gaming market amounted to RUR 56.7 bln ($860 mio) in 2016. Intellectual online games in Russia account for RUR 540 mio ($8.2 mio). It is expected that interest in this segment of games will grow, and the market will increase by 12% annually.

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