Positive Technologies hosted its 12th annual Positive Hack Days event, which for the first time was open to a wider audience and held in Moscow’s popular Gorky Park. The event focused on the importance of trust in technology, including trust in investing in technology companies. A panel discussion on the topic featured several industry representatives, including Anton Malkov from Tinkoff Bank and Boris Blokhin from the Moscow Exchange. The participants discussed the changing landscape of the stock market, with retail investors now playing a key role in transactions. Some believed that up to 10 companies, half of which are in the technology sector, could join the Moscow Exchange by 2022. Positive Technologies co-owner Maxim Pustovoy called for better conditions for small IT companies to enter the stock market and suggested the Direct Listing method to make the process easier.
Boris Blokhin, director of the Department of the MASTOSE of the Moscow Exchange, noted that Direct Listing is a rare practice globally and is yet to be adopted in Russia. However, he also acknowledged the need to simplify the process and ensure risks are excluded. The Moscow Exchange has launched an offset for on-and-off-site transactions, the first of which will take place later this year. Retail investors now make up 80% of the market, with a representative from the Moscow Exchange observing that they have significant capital to invest. Despite the current difficult market conditions, the demand for investment persists.