Programs

Silicon Valley Open Doors Technology Investment Conference (SVOD) 

SVOD is the first and only non-profit annual investment conference that brings together Russian-speaking innovators, venture capital firms and angel investors with their counterparts in the Silicon Valley - prominent venture capital firms, leading technology, business media and the top US technology companies. SVOD provides an unparalleled opportunity for Russian-speaking entrepreneurs to present their business plans to leading venture capitalists, learn successful venture fundraising practices, and create partnership ties with the Silicon Valley ecosystem.
SVOD attracts over 400 attendees. During the two-day event more than 45 venture capitalists from such acclaimed firms as Alloy Ventures, Asset Management Company, Almaz Capital Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Doll Capital Management, Opus Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Mayfield Fund, Institutional Venture Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, among many others, as well as angel investors, judge the pre-selected presentations of 20 high-tech companies.
SVOD creates not only the networking but also educational platform with seminars conducted by leading venture capitalists, Stanford University professors, US lawyers, and other experts in the areas of finance, business development, and general management on creating high technology ventures, developing business plans, structuring deals, and transferring intellectual property. Over the eight years of SVOD history, its list of speakers and keynote presenters comes to include many legendary names of Silicon Valley successful ventures as well as leaders of business and professional communities worldwide.

To raise Silicon Valley’s awareness of promising technologies and companies with founders originating from the former Soviet Union countries, AmBAR hosts its Annual Golden Lock Award competition. Over the years, the event has grown in size and prominence. Over 500 companies participated in the selection process, conducted by senior partners from Asset Management Company, Hitachi Corporate Ventures, EDventrue Holdings, Canaan Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Alloy Ventures, and Gartner Group.
Each SVOD, about 20 innovative projects are pre-selected by the SVOD Expert Panel for presentations to venture capital investors and potential corporate partners. Company presentations are judged by AmBAR's distinguished Panel of Judges  made up of prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists. The winner receives a traditional AmBAR Golden Lock Award for the Most Promising Technology Company at the Closing Ceremony of the Conference.
AmBAR has developed a package of resources for the companies interested in presenting their projects.

VC Trip To Russia 

AmBAR runs this program in partnership with the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (Rusnano). Silicon Valley's First Venture Capital Trip to Russia in May 2010 brought a delegation of two dozen managing partners from some of the leading Venture Capital firms in Silicon Valley to Moscow, Russia, where they were provided with an opportunity to learn more about Russian businesses and Russian technology companies and where they were introduced to the Russian market as a destination for potential investment. The list of participating VC firms included companies, most of which are ranked within TOP 50 of all venture firms, with total amount of capital under management exceeding $50 billion.