13:28, 28 March 2026

Russian Online University to Fund Startups Built on AI Agents

Zerocoder launches a venture fund targeting developers and AI-driven businesses

Russian online university Zerocoder will support startups built around AI agents, the company told IT RUSSIA. Applications will open in April 2026. The initiative is positioned as the country’s first investment project aimed at backing a new wave of IT entrepreneurs as well as established businesses actively using artificial intelligence.

The fund will primarily invest in pre-seed and seed-stage projects where a significant share of operational processes is handled by autonomous systems built on vibe-coding approaches. Entrepreneurs will receive between 5 million and 100 million rubles (about $55,000–$1.1 million), depending on the stage of development.

Both Russian developers and teams planning to enter international markets will be eligible for support.

In addition to the overall concept, selection criteria will include the depth of AI integration into business operations, the level of automation across development, sales, customer support, and analytics, as well as the project’s scalability potential.

A New Growth Point for Russia

“Priority will be given to teams where the maximum possible share of operational processes is already automated, and where the business architecture allows scaling without a proportional increase in headcount,” the company said.

At the prototype stage, the fund will focus on validated unit economics, existing revenue streams, and proven ability of the AI-driven operating model to function in real market conditions.

Zerocoder said the launch reflects a broader global shift over the past two years, as businesses increasingly rely on compact teams while transferring a significant portion of development, support, analytics, sales, and back-office functions to digital systems.

“For founders, this is not only a way to reduce operating costs but also an opportunity to test hypotheses faster, launch products in growing markets, and scale revenue without proportionally expanding teams. What once required dozens of employees can now be built around a strong founder, a solid product, and a well-designed agent-based infrastructure. In our view, these teams will become a new growth driver for Russia’s tech entrepreneurship,” said Kirill Pshinnik, head of the fund and CEO of Zerocoder.

Digital economy