Issue One: We Are an Open Incubator

The campaign for the selection of the first residents goes to the finish line. While we are collecting applications from start-up projects (until September 20th), we still have time to check once again whether we have correctly emphasized both the selection of projects and the positioning of the capabilities of the incubator itself. We will tell you what advantages the organizers give out; and you tell me how they are seen from the side.


As you know , the ANH business incubator is an open structure that helps not only students and graduates of the Academy, but also those who studied or are studying at other universities. And that's great! The incubators existing in Moscow do not provide such an opportunity for inter-university interaction.

There are no restrictions on the background of startup or industry participants. The main thing is that the project be innovative and have good market prospects. It is important for us to understand that work is already underway on it: the backbone of the team is formed, there is a vision of our future; excellent if a prototype is created.

In the fall, the incubator will host several such projects. They will be presented with a set of free features . Including: fully equipped workplaces in the ANH (metro station “Southwest”, the Academy campus), a PC or laptop, Internet access, IP-telephony, general office equipment. Coworking, you say? Yes, but completely free. For a year you will be able to work surrounded by the same startupers developing their projects.

Actually, openness at the reception of external applications does not end there. If the project does not pass the selection, but remains interested in the incubator, such a startup will be able to get most of the opportunities available to residents (with the possible exception of a free office and overseas trips). That is, his team will be able to attend profile events and educational programs on an equal footing with residents, receive advice and assistance in the "packaging" of the project.

Let us separately mention the educational process in the incubator: it will include not only communication with Russian experts, but also foreign internships (the Academy has a good resource in this regard, and it is stupid not to use it). Inviting teachers in general disciplines when students have already begun to build their own business is not a good option. The emphasis is on applied training courses.

What can projects get from participating in the selection itself?
One of our trump cards is the jury. Now there are agreements with dozens of specialists (ANH employees, independent experts and businessmen). We will find out exactly who will enter the jury later, when it becomes clear which pool of projects has been selected for experts. In our opinion, this will give startups a unique opportunity to communicate specifically with those experts whose assessment they need most.

The jury will get acquainted in advance with the achievements of each of the projects that have passed the preliminary selection. We will individually advise startups on issues that need to be finalized. These materials will be provided to the expert commission, so that the jury will understand what a project is doing for the qualifying event.

Prequalified projects will have to prepare a short video presentation for the final event. We chose this format, because we want to reduce the time for the presentation of the project, and leave more time for answers to questions from experts.

The selection of projects by experts will be open. We will invite everyone to the qualifying event, and for those who can’t come, we will organize a live broadcast on the site.

UPD: The Academy of National Economy is one of the largest management universities in Russia. The Academy is a multi-level scientific and educational complex. It implements a model of continuing education, within the framework of which programs of higher and additional professional education are implemented. More than half of MBA and eMBA graduates in Russia earned a degree in ANH.