EdTech of the Future Is to Become a Strategic Partner for Russian Business
Russia’s online education market saw a genuine boom in 2025, and experts expect the trend to accelerate further in 2026.
Photo: From the personal archive of Kirill Pshinnik
For the second year in a row, Russia’s
online education market has shown steady growth. In 2024, according to Rosstat,
the sector’s volume exceeded one trillion rubles. In 2025, experts expect this
figure to rise further.
As Kirill Pshinnik, co-founder and CEO of
Zerocoder University, noted, EdTech today is a technology-driven business that
has automated a significant share of its operations and is focused on teaching
people in-demand skills needed by the state and Russian companies.
AI Instead of the Blackboard
“The main trends in AI-driven learning are
a surge of interest in vibe coding and the integration of AI into educational
tracks. In 2025, AI tools overall dramatically improved engagement with new
clients and prospective students. Of particular interest are Russia’s neural
networks GigaChat and Alice. Over the past six months, they have made a real
breakthrough: an open reasoning mode has appeared, video and long-text
transcription has become convenient, and the quality of code generation has
increased sharply. Another advantage of domestic solutions is the absence of
payment and connection barriers: 90 percent of features are available for free,
which perfectly addresses the everyday needs of millions of users,” Pshinnik
said.
Looking ahead, experts expect growth in
companies focused on generative AI solutions. Firms such as MTS are entering
the market for AI services aimed at B2C audiences. This suggests that neural
networks in Russia are increasingly being seen as assistants and partners
rather than as threats to jobs.
Appealing to a Broad Audience
“The most attentive audience for courses on
new technologies consists mainly of adult internet users aged 35–40 and older –
established professionals who want to master the technical capabilities of
neural networks. They are not looking to erase their professional past and
‘jump’ from law into programming. What they need is to simplify their daily
work routine and free up time for personal tasks. These people choose practical
courses on Russian and Chinese neural networks for life and career. Such
learners account for more than 70 percent,” Pshinnik noted.
According to Zerocoder, the number of
students with a technical background – even a basic understanding of simple
programming languages – is also growing. They want to test ideas quickly by
launching personal startups or helping companies as freelancers. For this
audience, professional courses in vibe coding and prompt engineering are of
particular interest.
“In my view, the EdTech of the future will
become a true strategic partner for business – a forge of skilled professionals
where a love for technology, rich professional experience, and a deep
understanding of market needs come together to form a powerful alliance. It is
precisely this combination that will create ideal conditions for
self-development and for strengthening the country’s technological
sovereignty,” Pshinnik concluded.
