Russian telco MTS is launching an online programme to accelerate digital start-ups from around the world.
Through the programme, which is being offered through the MTS StartUp Hub, selected start-ups will participate in online webinars and workshops and work with business and technology mentors to prepare projects for commercial roll-out in partnership with MTS.
After finalising their proposal, participants will be invited to present their projects at a demo day, with winners then proceeding to a pilot stage. Following successful pilot completion, start-ups will be eligible for consideration for a long-term cooperation agreement with MTS.
The MTS StartUp Hub programme was launched in March 2018 and during its first three intake rounds, over 2,300 teams submitted applications, of which 58 completed the programme, 45 advanced to piloting, and 15 proceeded to wide-scale deployment.
Targeting digital growth areas
MTS says it is particularly keen to partner with international start-ups developing solutions in promising digital growth areas, including financial services, retail operations, environmental management, and the industrial Internet of Things (Industry 4.0).
Participants will also have the opportunity to test solutions at the MTS 5G Technology Center in Moscow. Companies such as RobotsCity (the Netherlands), a cloud platform for managing robots, and Doubleme (UK), a provider of holographic communication solutions leveraging augmented reality (AR) technology already use the facility.
Dmitry Kurin, Head of MTS StartUp Hub, “Last year, MTS StartUp Hub launched overseas offices in Germany, Israel and Southeast Asia. We also signed partnership agreements with Singapore Enterprise and Invest India, two of the world’s leading technology development agencies.
“One of the goals of these agreements is to help foreign start-ups enter the Russian market, and we believe partnering with MTS is a great opportunity to help them get started.”