BRIDGE TECH CONTEST III: Results of the Startup Competition in AI, Blockchain, FinTech 2026

BRIDGE TECH CONTEST III

BRIDGE TECH CONTEST III is a competition for startups, developers, and technology leaders.

The BRIDGE TECH CONTEST III concluded on May 9, 2026.

BRIDGE TECH CONTEST III is a competition for startups, developers, and technology leaders. The contest celebrates the achievements of companies and outstanding individuals in the creation and development of technology products across the following sectors: IT, AI, FutureTech, Blockchain, FinTech, Investments, EdTech, and Digital Marketing & PR.

The competition aims to address the following objectives:
supporting innovative projects and technology teams, including projects at the MVP and growth stages;
fostering the development of the professional community and establishing sustainable industry connections;
enhancing public visibility and building trust in project outcomes through expert evaluation;
facilitating the establishment of partnerships (including with investors, accelerators, media outlets, and institutional partners)—to the extent of the capabilities of the Organizer and its partners.

Winners across 15 Categories:
COMPANIES:
THE BEST IT STARTUP – Tangl
THE BEST AI STARTUP – Statanly Technologies
AI FOR BUSINESS (GROWTH) – AgroField
AI FOR BUSINESS (SEED) – BRaiN HR
FINTECH PROJECT – Bitbanker
MADE IN RUSSIA – VISUS LAB
SOFTWARE 2026 – Online Patent
EDTECH PROJECT – POVUZAM
AR / VR COMPANY – VR Concept
MEDTECH (By Startech) – MD

INDIVIDUALS:
TRENDSETTER 2026 – Davud Alifov
FOUNDER OF THE YEAR – Sergey Fedorov
DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR – Vladislav Blinov
AI DEVELOPER 2026 – Artur Zinnurov
CEO OF THE YEAR – Alexander Potapov

Jury:
The competition jury consisted of experts and leaders from the following industries: IT, AI, FutureTech, Blockchain, FinTech, Investments, EdTech, and Digital Marketing & PR. Alexey Taranov — Managing Partner, Invest Hub; Venture Partner, Friendly VC Fund;
Andrey Mikhaylishin — Chairman, Commission on Payment Systems and Cross-Border Settlements, Council on Financial-Industrial and Investment Policy, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;
Vladimir Shabason — Co-founder, Self; Founder, MyInvest.Art;
Leonid Goryainov — CEO, FutureBy.info (Belarusian technology analytics portal);
Lubarto Sartoyo — President, Alliance of Business Structures and Entrepreneurs of Southeast Asian Countries (B2BASEAN);
Anton Pronin — Managing Partner, MalinaVC;
Artur Anisimov — Co-founder, The Trends; Founder, BRIDGE (boutique event agency); Co-founder and CEO, Seventix (ticketing system);
Oleg Ushakov — Chairman, Commission on Digital Financial Assets, Council on Financial-Industrial and Investment Policy, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation;
Ammar Al-Ansi — CEO, FRACTAL Accelerator and Venture Fund; Managing Partner, BRICS+ Investment Club Digital Platform;
Liza Tikher — Founder, Startech.Awards (startup awards); Community Leader, Startech Networking;
Rail Gataullin — Executive Director, “Tatnet Development Fund” (NPO); CEO, Belem LLC;
Vyacheslav Beresnev — Director, “Neurolab” Center for Artificial Intelligence Technologies (ANO);
Andrey Komissarov — Vice-Rector for AI, Synergy University;
Evgeny Vasiliev — Coordinator, St. Petersburg Club of Strategic Initiatives; Chairman, Institute for the Support of Strategic Initiatives (ANO);
Alexey Ryabov — Founder and CEO, CodingTeam and CTSoft; Deputy Chairman, “Smart City” Committee, Russoft Association; Dmitry Shishmakov — Entrepreneur, Business Angel, and Mentor; Member of the Russian Guild of Marketers;
Kirill Dorozhkin — Expert at the SPbU Center for Distributed Ledger Technologies; Founder and General Producer of AI Piter;
Serge Fokas Odunlami — Public Figure; Expert in International Trade and Lobbying; Founder of the non-profit organization “House of Africa”;
Denis Zakharkin — Founder of VR CONCEPT; Head of the “NeuroNet” track: “Neuro-Entertainment and Sports” (NTI);
Alexey Ashikhmin — Entrepreneur and Expert in Engineering and Technological Innovation;
Konstantin Urvantsev — Founder of FranchCamp and Altairika;
Ekaterina Fominykh-Kapitsa — Chair of the “Creative Industries” Section at the Creative Union of Artists of Russia;
Alfred Khamzin — CEO and Founder of the venture studio Rewolt; Investor, Mathematician, and Expert in DeFi and International Finance;
Roman Mitkalev — CEO, CrowdFin; Head of Department, Moscow Region Entrepreneurship Development Center;
Marianna Danilina — Head of Strategy, Research, and Analytics, FinTech Association;
Vladislav Panteleev — FinTech Entrepreneur, Founder of Zorko;
Tatevik Ponomareva — Startup Partner, Brainbox.vc Ecosystem; Board Member, Brainbox.vc Platform;
Maxim Shevlyakov — Founder and COO, Finalyst;
German Kukhtenkov — Founder and CEO, Finalyst;
Denis Mezentsev — World-Class Executive (ex-Magnum, Skolkovo); Member, Moscow Association of Entrepreneurs and Eurasian Business Association; Sergey Kuznetsov — Lead Software Engineer, EPAM Spain;
Boris Vasiliev — Software Test Engineer, UST;
Bulat Sabalakov — Founder and CEO, Caria LLC (Cary, North Carolina, USA) — a voice AI platform designed to support the elderly;
Maxim Kozlov — Director of Innovation and Digital Transformation, BRICS Media Group; Director of Strategy, 3iTech (international AI group);
Nikita Gannusenko — Lead Software Developer, EPAM Systems;
Kirill Komalenkov — Founder, CryptoFishKA.com; expert in SEO, growth marketing, branding, and product scaling in international markets;
Artemiy Romanchuk — Founder and CEO, groms.team; expert in growth marketing and AI-driven marketing solutions.
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Prize Fund: 3 million rubles.
Winners in each category also received two Business-class tickets to “The Trends”—an international forum and exhibition dedicated to investment and technology—which will take place on November 25–26, 2026. Additionally, nominees were sent digital certificates worth 150,000 rubles (representing a 150,000-ruble discount applicable to any commercial integration package at “The Trends”).
Contest Partners:
BRICS MMF, National Coordination Center for International Business Cooperation, Bashir Rameev IT Park, Association of Artificial Intelligence Development Laboratories, National Artificial Intelligence Foundation, Startech VC, Invest-Foresight, Modern Information Systems, Malina VC, and others.

Contest Dates: February 10 – May 9, 2026
Location: Online
Website: https://bridge-forum.pro/contest2026