An Outsider's View of Russian Tech Entrepreneurs

At Russia's biggest tech event, the Russian Internet Forum (RIF), some 6,000 participants gathered last week to discuss and listen to what's happening in the industry, network and get inspiration. One of the speakers was Megan Miller of Bonnier R&D in the U.S., speaking about the burgeoning connected-TV market as part of a panel on new media innovations.

"Entrepreneurs in today's Russia are working in an environment that is not yet friendly to an open exchange of information and to high-risk investments, so they have to be very brave and forward-thinking," says Miller. "The Russian startup community has loads of skill in terms of technical development, and they just need to keep the ideas coming. I think with time and practice and some successes under their belts, entrepreneurs will become more confident and more adept at pitching their ideas, and venture capitalists will also gain confidence and become more willing to take a risk and invest."

Read more about Miller's experiences first-hand at the Bonnier R&D blog here.