Co-founder of 'Maps.me' and 'AiMatter' launches investment project 'Bulba Ventures'


He will work in Belarus and support domestic start-ups. Today, the company’s portfolio includes already two projects – OneSoil (improving agricultural productivity through data analysis and machine learning) and WANNABY (technologies of augmented reality and computer vision).

The creators of ‘Bulba Ventures’ are Belarusian IT-businessmen Yury Melnichek, who is known by Maps.me and Fabby (the program that changes hair color) and former top manager of Atlant-M and ‘Triple’ Andrey Ausievich.

Mr Melnichek notes in an interview with dev.by that “Bulba Ventures” is not a fund, but an investment company. Andrei Ausievich further explains that their goal is not just to collect a lot of money and to invest small amounts in a multitude of projects, but to invest efforts and time in a limited number of companies.

“Unfortunately, we are still observing the trend: startups are trying to get investments at home, and if this does not work out, they leave for Europe, Israel, the US, or Russia. Typically, Western investors set the conditions for a startup to move into their jurisdiction.

We also do this: we consider not only start-ups from Belarus, but if the company wants to receive our mentoring and investment, an important condition is relocation to Belarus,” Yury notes.

Ausievich adds that now HTP 2.0 has created an environment in which not only outsourcing, but also start-ups with a high degree of risk, including foreign companies, will be comfortable.

The company focuses on projects, a significant part of which is machine learning. It is not necessary, but it is desirable that the project is in the junction of IT and some related areas from real business, says Melnichek. Ausievich adds that the creators of the project want to see in the company’s portfolio startups related to health and a healthy lifestyle.

“We support the projects that can change something in the world,” said Ausevich.

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