Leonid Boguslavsky

Leonid Boguslavsky (Russian: Леонид Борисович Богуславский, born June 17, 1951 in Moscow, Russia) is an entrepreneur, scientist, and the founder of RTP Global. He was one of the first investors in Yandex, Ozon, Delivery Hero, Epam, DataDog as well as SnapDeal. In 2012 he was the Internet investor of the year (Forbes). Most successful investor of the year (RBC, 2017).^[1] He is in Forbes billionaires list.^[2][3]

Early life[]

Boguslavsky studied physics-mathematics at school in Moscow, USSR. In middle school he won the Moscow University Biology Olympiad and went on a year later to win the USSR TV Mathematics Olympiad. Boguslavsky graduated from the (MIIT) in 1973, majoring in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.

From 1973—1990, he conducted scientific research at the Institute of Control Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences in mathematics for computer systems and networks. Upon receiving his Doctorate of Science (Engineering) Boguslavsky wrote more than 100 articles, 3 scientific books and made several inventions while spearheading his own laboratory. He was the first scientist from USSR who published his results on new algorithms for virtual memory management in IEEE Transactions on Computers in the United States Scientific Journal that covers aspects of Computer Science.

In 1985, together with a team of developers from the Academy of Science of Moldova, Boguslavsky launched a project to create a software system to connect IBM mainframes with Digital minicomputers and personal computers into an integrated computer network. As a result, he was awarded two significant contracts to implement these networks in 1987, one in a Czech coil mining company and another at the Polytechnic University in Slovakia.^[4]

Career[]

Beginnings 1989 to 1990[]

In 1989 started his work on the LogoVAZ. Boguslavsky became a deputy director and a shareholder, first organizing the computer business of LogoVAZ and then completing several other business projects.

In 1990, Boguslavsky was offered by Oracle Corporation to distribute Oracle software products in the USSR and he concluded the exclusive distribution agreement with Oracle for the territory of the USSR.

From 1991 to 1992, he served as a visiting professor at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Toronto, Canada.^[5]

In 1992, Boguslavsky used his shareholding stake in LogoVAZ to redeem the computer business from the Company and its shareholders in order to concentrate on his own business – the company LVS. LVS became the first or one of the first Russian business partners of many well-known software, computer, and network vendors.

In 1993, LVS developed the Oracle-based information system for the apartment privatization of Moscow. The system was awarded the Computer World Smithsonian Award in the United States and was featured in the Oracle Annual Report.

In 1994, LVS was awarded a contract to provide the whole IT infrastructure for the State Duma of Russia and successfully carried out the project.

In 1995, LVS became the prime contractor to develop the Uzbekistan national automated passport control system.

In late 1996 Boguslavsky sold LVS to Price Waterhouse (currently known as PwC) and then became a Managing Partner at PwC, in charge of its Management Consulting Services (MCS) practice in Russia in early 1997.^[6] As Partner, Boguslavsky was the lead negotiator and client partner dealing with Gazprom over the largest system integration and SAP implementation contracts at the time.

In December 1999, Boguslavsky met investment bankers Charles Ryan (), Michael Calvey (Baring Vostok) and David Mixer (), who were planning to set up an Internet investment company at that time.^[7]

Investor, 2000 until today[]

ru-Net Holdings Limited, an investment company with startup capital of $20 million, was jointly founded by Boguslavsky, Ryan, Calvey and Mixer in 2000. Boguslavsky invested a substantial amount of the total holdings and became Chairman of the board of directors. In the same year, ru-Net Holdings Limited invested in Yandex, paying $5.27 million for a 35% stake, and in the online retailer Ozon.ru, buying a controlling stake for $3 million. Both projects were part of big IT companies – Comptek and Reksoft as non-core businesses; thus, they became two independent companies due to the investments. After Boguslavsky decided to leave PwC and focus on investing in Internet companies. However, he still had his position in PwC for one more year to look for a successor and arrange the formalities of the handover. Boguslavsky left PwC in 2001 and became CEO and Chairman of the board of directors of ru-Net Holdings.

During 2000 and 2001, ru-Net Holdings survived the dot-com crisis, although some investors intended to exit the business and distribute the remaining funds. Some investors were especially concerned about the future of Yandex, whose revenues were low at the time.

ru-Net Holdings made its first investments in a couple of system integration and software development companies in 2002, buying stakes in TopS (Russia-based enterprise management systems integrator) and VDI (offshore programming). Later, VDI merged with Epam to become the largest offshore programming and software outsourcing company in Central and Eastern Europe and launched an IPO on NASDAQ. ru-Net Holdings restructured its business in 2006 with only Yandex shares left and the company changed its name to Internet Search Investment Limited (ISIL). Other assets (including shares of Ozon.ru, TopS, and VDI) were distributed among the shareholders of ru-Net Holdings. As a result, Boguslavsky was still a significant shareholder of ISIL and, accordingly, a beneficiary of shareholding in Yandex (he had also invested additional funds) on one hand and obtained corresponding stakes in all other assets on the other hand.

In 2006 he set up his own investment company ru-Net Limited that took control of his assets and made new investments in IT and Internet technologies and services. VDI merged with Epam, and TopS joined Systematica and the AND Project companies transforming into Systematica Group. Boguslavsky became Chairman of its board of directors. Later a large stake in the Group was bought by A1, the investment subdivision of Alfa Group. Later Systematica Group acquired a large distributor, Landata. ru-Net Limited also owned Energodata, a big IT outsourcing company supporting SAP systems in Russia's federal electric grid sector. Additionally, ru-Net established PSI Energo, a joint venture with the German software company PSI AG, to introduce dispatching information systems into electric grids.^[8]

In 2007 Boguslavsky invested in HeadHunter and iContext. Boguslavsky left the board of directors in Yandex in 2008 as he started investing in companies that could potentially create a conflict of interest with Yandex. He purchases the Digital Access Company from Leonard Blavatnik and his partners, international music majors and together with Oleg Tumanov set up Russia's online video service ivi.ru.

In 2010 Boguslavsky invested in Biglion.

Yandex floated 17.6% of its shares on NASDAQ for $1.3 billion on the 24th of May 2011. Boguslavsky sold a small portion of his shares during the IPO. He partly used the funds (about $60 million) to invest in the purchase of new shares in Ozon, leading to the largest investment ($100 million) in an Internet company in Russian history.^[9]

In 2011 and 2012, ru-Net sold its shareholdings in the system integration and IT service companies EPAM, Systematica, Energodata, and PSI Energo. ru-Net continues to invest in Russian internet companies. It purchased a stake in 2GIS and increases its investments in existing portfolio companies.

In 2011 he set up a US-based subsidiary, the venture capital company - ru-Net Technology Partners (RTP Ventures). Headed by Kirill Sheynkman, RTP actively invests in early-stage companies in the US market with investments in Big Data, SaaS, cloud computing, Fintech, Health Care, IoT and Information Security. ru-Net started investing in Europe and India. Among some of the early investments was German startup Delivery Hero that later in 2017 was valuated at €4.5 billion at IPO.

In India, Boguslavsky invested in Practo, Faasos, Snapdeal and other companies. In the United States his investments include RingCentral, which had a successful IPO in 2013. RTP was among the first investors in Datadog, which had successful IPO in 2019.

In 2016, Boguslavsky invested in the coaching company Iloverunning Family (that now is known as I Love SuperSport holding company), and in European internet company Urban Sport Club, that sells passes to sport and fitness clubs. He also co-founded the first professional international league in triathlon - Super League Triathlon (SLT).^[10] His partners are the triathlon legend Chris McCormack and Michael D’Hulst.^[2]

In October 2018, ru-Net rebranded to RTP Global.^[11]

In 2020 he set up RTP Global III fund of $650 mln. RTP Global manages assets of $3 bln.

In January 2021, VEON appointed Boguslavsky to the Group’s Board of Directors.^[12]

Personal life[]

Boguslavsky is married and has four children. His hobbies include kitesurfing, skiing, triathlon, bicycle racing and extreme travelling. In 2013, he started his first triathlon training and took part in several Ironman races. He managed to get his first podium spot after only six months of training. A year and a half later, being a prizewinner of several races in his age category, he qualified for the 2015 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. He is the founder of Super League Triathlon, having established it in 2017.^[6]

In 2013, Boguslavsky together with his mother, Zoya Boguslavskaya, established the Andrei Voznesensky Fund in memory of Zoya's late husband, Russian Poet, Andrei Voznesensky. In 2016, Boguslavsky created the Andrei Voznesensky Center of Culture.^[13][14]

Boguslavsky has Russian and Canadian citizenship.

References[]