The final of the Export Accelerator for Creative Industries took place in Moscow

On November 26, the final pitching session and closing ceremony of the Export Accelerator for Creative Industries, organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, took place at Mercury Space (Moscow-City).

The final gathered representatives of 30 participating companies presenting their export concepts for defense, as well as 25 Russian and international experts from China, India, Indonesia, and Iran — countries where demand for original content and co-production projects is rapidly growing today.

From the animation industry, 37 companies from cities including Voronezh, Donetsk, Irkutsk, Krasnodar, Kaliningrad, Kurgan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Tomsk, Khabarovsk, Yakutsk, and others took part in the accelerator program. Five companies were selected for the final pitching session: Animur LLC, AistMedia, Platoshka Animation Studio, Gavr Film Company, and NeuroLab/NeuroLab Company.

The free accelerator was aimed at helping Russian companies create products tailored to specific foreign markets, find international partners, and integrate into global content distribution chains.

Ekaterina Cherkes-Zade, Head of the Creative Economy Development Center at ASI, commented:
“The primary goal of the accelerator is to build a professional community capable of creating internationally competitive products. The program is designed in a way that allows each participant to find a mentor and partners for co-developing projects with friendly countries. That is why we invited both Russian experts — who shared their experience entering global markets — and partner speakers from friendly countries, who highlighted key nuances of collaboration and international cooperation.”

Irina Mastusova, Executive Director of the Russian Animated Film Association, also served as an expert on the accelerator panel. During a webinar dedicated to creative industry support by Russian development institutions, she presented current export support tools and initiatives, and shared case studies from recent international business missions.

The program also featured international speakers from industry associations, including Sanjay Himesara, Head of the Indian Chapter of ASIFA (India), and Sirisak Koshpasharin, Vice President of Thailand’s National Federation of Film and Content Industries.

India’s creative market is rapidly evolving around mobile content, noted Sanjay Himesara:
“In 2024, India’s digital advertising market grew by 21.1%, driven by increased investments into digital platforms and formats such as social media, online video, paid search, and display banners.”
He also emphasized the importance of mobile and social platforms for content distribution. India ranks first globally in YouTube video consumption and remains a major leader in mobile gaming, with 89% of the country’s game revenue coming from mobile games.

Accelerator participants received advisory support and had the opportunity to discuss international cooperation prospects, as well as receive concrete recommendations for entering the markets of India, Thailand, UAE, Indonesia, and China from global companies and industry associations.

A key outcome of the accelerator program was establishing direct contacts between participants and foreign company representatives who can further support and develop joint cases and creative projects.