AI business coach and neural vision in football: which startups to be showcased at Kazan Digital Week
Thirty IT startups will be reviewed, with several selected for the Russian Venture Forum exposition in 2026, in Kazan
More than 60 international and Russian startups will present this week during pitch sessions at the international forum Kazan Digital Week 2025. Participants will represent not only Russia but also friendly countries. As part of Demo Day, organised by the Tatarstan Investment and Venture Fund, 30 startups will be reviewed, with the most promising moving on to the exposition of the Russian Venture Forum 2026, where they will be assessed for potential funding. Realnoe Vremya has familiarised itself with some of the projects.
Opportunities in Tatarstan
At the upcoming forum, entrepreneurs will present digital technologies in industry, medicine, sports, and the oil and gas chemical sector. Among the participants are both young firms and companies already active on the market. They are using the Kazan Digital Week platform as an opportunity to showcase their ideas to potential investors.
“This year, when selecting projects, experts primarily focus on the level of technological maturity and the product’s readiness for the market, looking at the presence of patents, prototypes, initial sales, and demand in the real sector. The second important criterion is scalability potential, including beyond Tatarstan and Russia. And, of course, the team: experts will assess the founders’ competencies and their ability to bring the project to the stage of a sustainable business,” told Realnoe Vremya Damir Galiev, director of the Tatarstan Investment and Venture Fund, adding that both Tatarstan and Russian projects are being financed.
As part of the forum, the Kazan Digital Legends hackathon marathon will take place, aimed at identifying and unlocking the potential of specialists in information technology, artificial intelligence, design, and digital project management. The series of events will culminate in Demo Day, where selected projects from the entire IT marathon will be presented. Several developments from different regions of Russia will be showcased:
- AI-based business coach Gideon, which allows users to identify growth areas for individual employees and the entire company, adjust strategies, motivation, and methods to increase sales.
- Online accommodation booking service “Vezde kak doma” for business travelers, legal entities, and individuals.
- Comprehensive industrial equipment integrity management system with AI document analysis and predictive analytics — Cogintech AI Integrity.
- Mixed reality glasses designed for use in industrial enterprises, intended to replace smartphones — SKADI Technologies.
- AI assistant for online meetings — Mymeet.ai.
- · Software and hardware system for remote communication and subsequent collaboration between experts using a web application and operators working with AR glasses — “Digital Inspector.”
- Online service Baby Helpner for parents, providing a comprehensive knowledge base necessary for child development and upbringing.
- Platform Cue for online booking, CRM, and process management to support businesses in rental, entertainment, and leisure sectors.
- AI agent for creating instantly editable interior designs — Vim 2.0.
Simulators for UAVs and digital trainers for oil workers — Tatarstan’s all-in-one solutions
Developers from Tatarstan will showcase their projects. For example, the company Zilant Robotics from Innopolis will present a robotic HITL simulator for comprehensive testing and training in the field of unmanned aerial systems. The firm has been on the market for four years and is known as a developer of autopilots, onboard electronics, and software for drones and mobile robots. Last year, its revenue amounted to 6 million rubles, with a net profit of 5.7 million. According to the company’s director, Roman Fedorenko, the forum will feature the premiere public demonstration of the simulator to attract partners and investors in deep tech and robotics, aiming to expand functionality and enter new markets in friendly countries, primarily the UAE.
The Moscow-registered company RTSIM, which has a Kazan subsidiary, RTSIM Nauka, has developed a digital trainer for workforce training in the oil and gas sector. Such programs are used by major industry companies, as well as 100 specialised universities and colleges across Russia. The developer is now expanding technology exports to the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, having signed an export contract with the UAE. In 2024, its revenue amounted to 130 million rubles, with a net profit of 34.5 million. According to Deputy CEO for Ecosystem Development Oleg Sapaev, the company plans to showcase its latest developments at the forum, expand business contacts, and find potential clients in Russia and friendly countries.
Digital technologies for industry and AI selection in football
The Moscow-based company I5.Solutions will present an intelligent platform for custom manufacturing of various parts in the industrial sector to potential investors in Kazan. The system calculates production methods for components, determines the model, and evaluates costs. It is currently used by about 500 companies from different regions of the country. Investments in the project amounted to 50 million rubles, with a payback period of five years, the developer said. The funds raised will be used for marketing, system improvements, and AI training.
In another Moscow-based company, Unistat has developed a platform that uses machine vision to evaluate promising young football players with the help of artificial intelligence. By assessing players’ potential, it can provide recommendations for their further development. Professional football clubs have already begun familiarising themselves with the system, which is integrated with the Russian Football Union (RFU). Project leader Gleb Shaportov, who played football for his university team, wanted to give any player from remote regions the opportunity to showcase their talent. With the product’s rollout, the company expects to increase revenue to 1.75 billion roubles by the end of 2027.
In the Tyumen-based company Smart Si, an intelligent pedestrian protection system for roads has been developed, which will be presented at the forum. The platform has been implemented in 35 regions of Russia, with a pilot project launched in Kazan. The developers now plan to enter the international market, making their first sale in Uzbekistan.
In the first half of 2025, the RT Investment and Venture Fund supported 18 projects with a total budget of over 1 billion roubles, 270 million more than a year earlier. The funds were directed to initiatives across various sectors of the economy. Through the Industrial Development Fund, projects were financed to create production of high— and ultra-high-voltage cables, expand the manufacturing of water heaters and automotive components, and establish a full production cycle for hip joint endoprosthesis components.