The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announces that Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui), one of the biggest Japanese trading firms which has extensive experience across business sector including commercial laundry and textile management, has agreed to join RDIF as investor in Cotton Way company.

Cotton Way is Russia’s leading commercial laundry and textile management company. Mitsui will significantly contribute to improve the operation and management of Cotton Way by introducing international best practices and offering significant experience and knowledge.

Andrei Akopian, Managing director of Caderus Capital, was invited as a member of the jury of the Start-up Weekend organised during the first weekend of February 2014 by Unusual Concepts, with the financial support form the Life banking group (project website: unusual-concepts.ru/startup).

During the competition, generators of business ideas had to first attract enthusiastic supporters to create implementation teams. Then they have to go through all major implementation issues and to prove existing or potential demand for their new product or service. At the end of the event they had to present their business idea and the first prototype created during the weekend.

A total of 6 projects were presented, and the jury selected the winning project and team to get financial support from the Life banking group.