Moscow [Russia], February 20: Sber is announcing the start of the seventh batch of Sber500, an international seed accelerator for technology startups from Russia and abroad.
The seed accelerator invites startups with finished products or breakthrough DeepTech projects at earlier stages that can contribute to the long-term development of key sectors of the economy. Some of the tech priorities are generative artificial intelligence, robotics, new materials, and other science-driven fields with high scaling potential. Special attention is given to international startups seeking to grow their business and raise investments in Russia.
The seed accelerator program will last for 12 weeks and will be conducted in English. The first stage — an online boot camp — will bring together 150 teams to shape or rethink their strategy and product, as well as propose a strategy for applying their solutions within the Sber ecosystem.
Following the boot camp selection stage, the top 25 teams will proceed into the main program to work with international mentors and Sber500 partners from among investors and large companies. The final stage of the accelerator is a demo day at the Moscow Startup Summit in the fall of 2026, where startups will pitch their solutions to the leaders of major corporations, venture fund partners, and government officials.
Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy chairman of the Executive Board, Sberbank:
“Sber500 is a unique project for the Russian market. It combines the interests of investors, corporate partners, the state, and, of course, Sber itself. For us, it is an opportunity to build a community of technology partners around us and significantly accelerate the marketing of new products. For startups, it is a chance to acquire a client and test the viability of their product on a large infrastructure.
“Sber500 teams pitch their solutions to 70 venture investors, funds, more than 30 customers, and negotiate partnerships with Sber companies. Graduates of the previous six batches raised RUB 1 bn (USD 13 mn) in investments in 2025 alone, which is approximately 14% of the Russian venture market in 2025, according to Venture Guide. All investments in the 155 graduates of the accelerator over six years surpassed RUB 4.6 bn (USD 60 mn), while their revenue grew on average four-fold within two years after the accelerator. In some cases, it soars by up to 1,000 times.”