Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The Novosibirsk State University Startup Studio, with the support of the Koyon investment syndicate and the NSU University Startup Studio Fund, is launching the first course beyond the Urals to train venture analysts specializing in deep technology. The course is free, and the pilot program will include up to 20 NSU students. Once the course launches and the training mechanics are refined, it has the potential to be replicated at other universities with university startup studios. All course graduates will receive job offers from the NSU Startup Studio and partner investment funds.
In 2025, Novosibirsk State University became one of six universities to win a prestigious federal competition to create university startup studios, which was held by the Fund for Infrastructure and Educational Programs (FIEP) of the RUSNANO Group and the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Over the next three years,NSU Startup Studiowill allocate over 360 million rubles to launch and develop innovative enterprises. Therefore, one of the key current objectives is to increase the number and quality of projects participating in NSU's acceleration programs.
The NSU Startup Studio works with projects not only from Novosibirsk State University but also from other regional institutes. This year, it is expected to see over 100 projects from NSU employees alone.
"Before licensing a development or technology, making it patentable, and marketing it, it first needs to be developed. We are faced with the task of identifying the intellectual property of NSU's existing inventions, testing their commercializability, and assessing their potential market demand. For this, we need venture analysts," said Evgeny Ivanov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NSU University Startup Studio.
The Urals region currently lacks a comprehensive educational program for training venture analysts. Typically, specialists who invest in startups and rapidly growing companies learn the basics of this profession through practical experience. NSU requires venture analysts with specific skills—those who understand "deep technologies" (DeepTech), that is, technological solutions based on innovation or scientific advances. At Akademgorodok, the main product is knowledge and inventions, so one of the key tasks of such an analyst is immersion in a particular high-tech industry, the ability to evaluate developments, and distinguish genuine technology with potential for development from counterfeit.
The NSU Startup Studio course consists of two major sections. The first, a theoretical, distance-learning course, is divided into four levels and involves independent study of materials, primarily in English. Each section includes assignments that must be completed and serve as a form of midterm assessment. A key element emphasized by the course's authors is an unconventional approach to problem solving. The theoretical section begins on March 30 and ends on August 30, with a break for summer vacation.
Those who successfully complete this stage move on to the practical offline block. It begins in September, when course participants work with real startups that won the federal student project competition and received a 1 million ruble grant, as well as projects from NSU's Catalyst acceleration program. Here, students put their knowledge and skills to the test by analyzing real projects, preparing investment reports, and participating in team selection.
"On the one hand, this approach will allow us to improve the quality of the startups that go through the Catalyst acceleration program, and university startups in general. On the other hand, we will prepare the students who will go on to work for investment funds that select potential projects for investment," added Evgeny Ivanov.
Students from any year and any field of study are welcome to apply for the course. A high level of English proficiency is the primary requirement, as most venture capital investment materials are presented in English. A certain degree of flexible thinking is also required. The organizers expect to recruit a pilot group of up to 20 people.
Venture analysts must possess knowledge in a variety of areas, including financial management, business modeling, marketing, market analysis, interviewing skills, information retrieval, public data research (i.e., conducting due diligence), working with intellectual property, and patenting. Typically, each venture analyst defines a niche specialization, i.e., the solutions they will evaluate—for example, organic and low-volume chemistry, new materials, etc. Thanks to its extensive practical training, Startup Studio expects to prepare such specialists with a broad range of knowledge and skills within one year.
All successful course participants will receive certificates from the NSU Startup Studio and a job offer from the NSU Startup Studio or the Koyon investment syndicate. Graduates will also have the opportunity to continue their professional careers at one of the partner funds in another city—Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Kazan.
"Once we've refined the mechanics of training venture analysts, we can roll out this course to other startup studios established at other universities. The shortage of personnel with entrepreneurial skills and investment knowledge is a widespread problem," concluded Evgeny Ivanov.
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