How to Sell Your Project to a Corporation

Interview · Digital Breakthrough 2020

Ekaterina Egorova, Project Manager, Innovation Department, Large Enterprise Financial Organisation (Russia) · 2020

About

This interview was recorded at Digital Breakthrough 2020 — one of Russia's largest digital hackathons — as part of the North Caucasus IT Hub programme. As a representative of Gazprombank's Innovation Department, I shared a behind-the-scenes look at how Russia's major corporations actually find, evaluate, and onboard startups. The conversation covers the full journey: from cold outreach and pitch sessions to pilot launches — and what separates the startups that get through the door from those that don't.

Topics Covered

How Gazprombank's Innovation Department works: role, structure, and what it actually does
Three ways startups can reach the bank: cold outreach, pitch events, and hackathons
What a "business customer" inside the bank is — and why finding the right one matters
What makes a startup pitch land: two presenters, a working demo, and a strong technical voice
Why a mature, proven product beats a fresh MVP — and what "buying a skeleton" means in practice
How hackathons help corporations assess teams, not just products

Quote

"We're not just buying a ready product — we're buying a skeleton that we'll build on together. What matters most is the team's confidence and their ability to actually deliver."

Innovation Management

Startup Ecosystem

Corporate Innovation