I'm from Moscow. I graduated from the Faculty of Biology at Moscow State University, majoring in virology. I am very consistent in my hobbies. I've loved CrossFit, skiing, and traveling for a long time.

I joined Skoltech the year after it opened: we were the second cohort of students, and there were fewer than 50 of us at that time. In my fourth year of university, I participated in events at the Skolkovo Open University. Back then, it was a unique platform: we met at the Polytechnic Museum since Skolkovo was still just a concept on paper. There, we were taught to think differently than we were used to. My time at OTUS significantly shaped my future — that’s where we learned about Skoltech. There weren’t many program options at that time, just a few tracks: IT, Energy, Space, and Biomed. There were no buildings either; it all felt like a big adventure, which I’ve always loved. We had an innovative workshop at MIT, and then I spent a year studying in the Netherlands at the University of Groningen, which was a partner of Skoltech at that time. It was still a master’s program back then, but a year later, Skoltech launched a PhD program, and I transitioned into that since I already had my first higher education degree (specialist degree). Skoltech attracted me because it was a very international experience. Now I realize it was the best decision I ever made.

Everything at Skoltech pushed me toward creating a startup. University life was built around this paradigm. First MIT, then entrepreneurship courses in the Netherlands, and the overall vibe that everyone is starting their own ventures. The idea came during the pandemic: my colleagues and I in the lab decided it was time; we realized that the research we were doing was ripe for commercialization and that we could do something that no one had ever done in Russia. I think that's the main thing Skoltech gave me. Of course, they helped us with registration and so on, but the key is the idea in your head that you can do what others aren’t doing. And if there’s no job you like, you can create one yourself. There’s this feeling that if you’re here, you’re the best, and that means you definitely can. The journey was tough: for a couple of years, we were just trying to offer our services to everyone, and nothing worked. After we faced difficulties with importing seeds into Russia, our situation improved, and we started to grow rapidly. Soon there will be 20 of us—I can hardly believe it. In the last two years, we’ve been growing very quickly, watching our team expand, our employees grow, and we’re growing alongside them. Our startup is now attracting its second round of investment. We have our own lab, and we are transitioning into a mature company. My role is to transfer our ideas and values into reality. I’m creating the company of my dreams; I handle all management, organization, and financial aspects. I’m doing what I love.

For me, the most important thing at Skoltech was the opportunity to gain unique experiences. Learning methods that almost no one in Russia is using yet, all of this ultimately laid the foundation for our startup. In general, when I came to Skoltech, it was like a startup itself, and it’s very interesting to see what has come of it now. I have a special story with Skoltech. Alongside my studies, I worked in the PR department, writing scientific press releases. I enjoyed interacting with researchers from different centers and staying informed about the latest studies. This also greatly broadens one's horizons and fosters a desire to create something new and original.

Skoltech is a great opportunity, but it's important to take advantage of it.

We are Skoltech. A new type of university in Russia, established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT with the vision of being a world-leading institute of science and technology. From the zero stage, Skoltech has rapidly advanced along the way towards a top-100 young university recognized globally by Nature Index.