Startup Grind
We run Startup Grind across Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Kazan so far, with more to come. It is a global community - founded in Silicon Valley in 2010 by Derek Andersen, now 300+ chapters in 100+ countries and more than 5 million entrepreneurs - bringing its fireside format behind the yellow door. Its values are house rules here too: help others before you help yourself, give first, make friends - not contacts.
Join the waiting list → Startup Grind Moscow ↗
A season, not a single fireside.
How an evening runs.
Choose your kind of room.
Seven ways an evening can go. The point of every one is a useful conversation and an introduction you keep. Nobody needs another networking event.
- 01Fireside interviewOne candid conversation with someone who actually did the thing. Failures first.
- 02Founder panelSeveral views on the one question that matters this season.
- 03Working sessionFrameworks worked live, on a real problem. Something to use on Monday.
- 04Founder roundtableA small room. No slides, no speeches.
- 05Pitch BattleTwo minutes, three slides, honest feedback, and a road to the global final.
- 06Virtual exchangeAnother chapter’s speakers and founders, joined from wherever you are.
- 07Founders CoffeeThursday mornings since 2016. Twelve founders, one table, no pitches.
Which door you came through.
Startup Grind Russia is one chapter in the Innov8 Global family. Every event on the calendar carries one of three marks, so you know who is behind the room.
- Startup Grind originalThe chapter’s own.Firesides, panels, working sessions and the Pitch Battle, produced by the chapter and listed on Startup Grind.
- Co-sponsored by Startup GrindFriends of the chapter.Founders Coffee, The Future of the Future lectures, The Big Ideas Contest and a few Yellow Door evenings.
- A Yellow Door programmeThe rest of the family.Accelerators, market entry, investor preparation and the programmes that take a company abroad.
Don’t overthink it. Come pitch.
An MVP or live product, and a two-minute pitch with three slides. Applications close 31 October 2026.
Belong before you break through.
Building is lonely on the frontier. Startup Grind is where founders find their people.
“It is the one evening a month where I remember I am not doing this alone.
- A chapter regular
Join local. Sit with the big names.
Founders and investors from Pixar, Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark, Twitch, Replit and Linear were on the 2026 Startup Grind conference line-up. The delegation puts our chapter in that room.
Meet them through the delegation
Four of the 2026 line-up. Photos: startupgrind.tech ↗
Come with a question. Leave with a next move.
- FoundersTest the idea, sharpen the plan, meet your peers, get ready to go abroad.
- InvestorsMeet founders who are actually building, say what the market really looks like, see the next thing early.
- Builders and operatorsTrade the practical lessons: product, AI, sales, growth, getting it shipped.
- Partners and expertsHost a room, back one, speak, mentor, or help bring the programme to another city.
Help make the next room.
- 01SpeakA founder story, an expert interview, a seat on a panel, a workshop you can run.
- 02HostA venue, a studio, a university hall, an office, a community space with chairs.
- 03PartnerBack the programme, bring your expertise, or build one good evening with us.
Nominate your city.
Yekaterinburg? Almaty? Somewhere we haven’t thought of? Tell us where founders already gather and who could lead the room. We take it from there.
- Generosity before transaction
- Friendship before networking
- Practical help
- Candid conversation
- Global ambition, local community
Find your people behind the door.
Members attend free - give first. Join the waiting list for the next fireside, or to pitch in the battle. We send the where and when by email.
All programsMembers attend free · give first
