Vladimir Polyakov

The import substitution strategy undertaken by the Russian authorities  in the sphere of electronics in the last two years has had limited effect so far. However, it does not mean that Russia have little to show in the global market. The Forbes has made a list of ten Russian companies that are a success abroad.

1. Monocrystal

Founder: Vladimir Polyakov

Established in: 1999

Headquarters: Stavropol, Russia

Production: single-crystal sapphires, and slurries for solar cells

Scope of application: optics and laser equipment

Customers: Apple

Investors: Ilya Shcherbovich (sold his share in 2012) and RUSNANO

History: In 1999 the founder of the Energomer concern Vladimir Polyakov redeemed the Stavropol enterprise Analogue after bankruptcy and founded Monocrystal. In 2014 the enterprise, according to the report of Yole Development, became the world's first-rate producer of sapphires in terms of revenue. No wonder that displays of Apple Watch devices are made in Stavropol. RUSNANO corporation invested 1,3 billion rubles in this project.

2. Innalabs

Founder: Dmitry Simonenko

Established in: 2003

Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland

Production: vibratory gyroscopes and accelerometers

Scope of application: aviation, spacecrafts, and military industrial complex

Customers: Google, SpaceX

Investors: Genezis Capital, the Sequoia founder Bill Newton, and Vladimir Yevtushenkov

History: Having sold his first enterprise, Dmitry Simonenko undertook to develop production of gyroscopes. A year later he constructed a plant in Ireland. Now gyroscopes and the accelerometers by Innalabs are ordered by Google, SpaceX, and producers of military equipment in Europe. According to Dmitry Simonenko, he plans to launch gyroscope production in Russia as well.


3. Optolink

Founders: Yury Korkishko and his colleagues in science research

Established in: 2001

Headquarters: Moscow, Russia

Investors: Kedah Wafer Emas

Production: optic fiber gyroscopes and navigation systems based on them

Scope of application: aviation, spacecrafts, and military industrial complex

Customers: NASA and Lockheed Martin

History: The Optolink company grew up the basis of the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology. In 2001 research associates of this institute led by Yury Korkishko founded the enterprise for commercialization of their scientific developments. The Malaysian company Kedah Wafer Emas and its partners became investors. Initially the investors held 100 per cent shares but later the management got 30 per cent of it. Optolink has three production sites: those in Zelenograd, Arzamas and Saratov.


4. AMT&C Group

Founder: Alexander Tishin

Established in: 1999

Headquarters: Troitsk, Russia

Production: magnets

Scope of application: mechanical engineering, household appliances, and metallurgy

Customers: 3M

History: The founder of AMT&C Group is still engaged in science as a professor at the Physics Faculty of the Moscow State University. Magnets are his speciality and so they laid the foundation for his business. AMT&C Group  is now one of the world's leaders in supplying magnets. The company's representative offices work in Great Britain, Brazil, Germany, China, and Ukraine. Developments and production is carried out in a few Russian cities, such as Moscow, Troitsk, Borovsk, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk.


5. IPG Photonics

Founder: Valentin Gapontsev

Established in: 1990

Headquarters: Oxford, USA

Investors: RUSNANO
Production: fiber lasers

Scope of application: medicine, and mechanical engineering

Customers: General Electric, and Volkswagen

History: Valentin Gapontsev founded his first company IRE-Polus  in Moscow in 1990, but then shifted his business in production of high capacity optical fiber lasers to the USA. Nontheless Mr. Gapontsev has not lost touch with Russia and holds a chair in the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. In 2006 the IPG Photonics placed shares in Nasdaq. The RUSNANO corporation was among the company's investors for a few years. By September 1, 2015 the capitalization of the IPG Photonics made $4,3 billion.

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