In the Volga Region, Sber’s Business Accelerator Brings Together 300 Entrepreneurs and IT Developers
The country’s largest bank is testing a new model of digital cooperation: a regional accelerator designed to connect businesses with IT developers, helping participants create prototypes of AI-powered solutions and speed up digital transformation across Russia.
Networking and New Business Ideas
Sber’s regional business accelerator for digital transformation gathered more than 300 entrepreneurs, experts, and IT companies in the Volga region. The program brings together not only those who build innovative digital tools but also those ready to test them in practice.
Participants are encouraged to transform their business cases into real-world solutions using AI, cloud services, digital twins, and generative AI. The accelerator serves as a launchpad for innovation and greater efficiency. Early outcomes are already visible: more than 100 ideas for applying digital technologies in specific client processes are now under review for a two-month trial phase. The most promising cases will be showcased at the accelerator’s finale in November.
Innovation as a Driver of Growth
The platform helps entrepreneurs collaborate with IT developers to design breakthrough solutions or enhance existing projects with advanced technologies. It supports small and medium-sized businesses in the Volga region and beyond, potentially acting as a driver of the regional digital economy.
New projects launched through the accelerator are expected to generate jobs and build professional skills. On a national scale, creating new innovation hubs has strategic significance: it strengthens Russia’s technology sector and reduces the gap with Western competitors.
Prototyping Digital Solutions
The technologies at the center of the accelerator—GenAI, cloud platforms, and digital twins—are in high demand globally and could become the basis for export.
Ilya Kashtankin, CEO of the custom software development company Nord Clan, called the Sber accelerator “an effective platform for solving real business problems.” According to him, experts in AI and automation are helping participants identify practical use cases for artificial intelligence in their workflows and create prototypes of successful solutions.
In the long term, these projects may find their way into major infrastructure initiatives, government programs, and large-scale enterprise deployments. Sber’s model could be scaled nationwide, with similar accelerators opening in other regions. Experts believe platforms that connect clients with IT specialists will reshape Russia’s digital landscape: more small and mid-sized businesses will adopt digital tools, boosting productivity and reducing costs.
At the Forefront of Digital Transformation
Sber’s decision to launch a regional accelerator aligns with Russia’s broader policy agenda promoting digitalization across industries. The national project “Digital Economy” focuses on integrating digital platforms into public administration and services, while also advancing domestic cross-cutting technologies.
Sber is not the only player in this field. Skolkovo, Russia’s largest innovation hub, and the state development corporation VEB are also developing their own accelerators. The trend is clear: bringing developers and clients together. If Sber continues to support projects until they reach commercial rollout, the impact could be significant both for participating companies and for the regional economy.
