Page 22 - BNE_magazine_10_2019 kolomoisky

22 I Companies & Markets bne October 2019
bne:Tech
Cybersecurity firm Acronis becomes Russia's second unicorn this year
Ben Aris in Berlin
Cybersecurity software company Acronis, founded by Sergei Belousov and Ilya Zubarev, sold just under 10% of its shares for $147mn in the first investment round organised by Goldman Sachs that implies a valuation of at least $1.47bn, Vedomosti and Kommersant dailies reported on September 18.
Acronis became the second IT unicorn with Russian roots in 2019, following the acquisition of Luxoft by DXC Technology for $2bn.
Swiss-registered Acronis will use the funds raised to finance growth through acquisitions and other business development, according to Belousov. Belousov and Zubarev still control 70% of the company founded in 2003 and makes two thirds of if revenues in Europe and the US, according to The Bell.
“Airbnb for boats” GetMyBoat reports surge in Southeast European business
bne IntelliNews
GetMyBoat, which describes itself as the world’s largest “Airbnb (or Uber) for boats” has seen a dramatic surge in business in Central, Eastern and especially Southeast Europe this summer.
The company reports that while it hasn’t made a specific push to increase listings from boat owners in the region, it has seen strong organic growth that company spokesperson and head of marketing Val Streif links to "the luxury without the high price tag” offered by the region.
Just as sites like Airbnb have become popular across the region, allowing apartment owners to connect directly with
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The company employs about 1,400 people in 14 countries and could grow by 30% in 2019.
Belousov and Zubarev also previously sold another start-up Parallels to Canadian Corel for an undisclosed amount and founded a venture fund Runa Capital that has invested in more than 60 companies and completed 12 exits. Runa Capital’s latest deal was the sale of Nginx to American F5 Networks for $670mn.
As reported by bne IntelliNews, Russian venture capitalists are more focused on foreign projects. Investment abroad with Russian VC participation amounted to $860mn in 1H19, beating the volume of domestic investment of $248mn by three and half times.
The “Airbnb for boats” GetMyBoat sees a surge in business in Central, Eastern and especially Southeast Europe this summer.
travellers from abroad, GetMyBoat has also seen boat owners and tour operators list on its site.
“In Eastern Europe, the most popular experiences are private boat tours on smaller motor yachts, sailing tours, island hopping, and river cruising,” Streif says in an email interview with bne IntelliNews.
“Our technology is changing the way people travel in these “lesser-known” countries of Europe. Some of our new hot spots include Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland, where our presence has boomed over the past few summer months,” she adds.