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Pavel Prass, co-owner of Yandex, is set to increase his stake in rival VK, signaling consolidation in Russia’s tech sector. The move follows a $5.4 billion deal for Yandex's assets and VK's plan to raise up to 115 billion roubles to tackle mounting debt.
Pavel Prass, one of the co-owners of Russian tech giant Yandex, is poised to increase his stake in rival firm VK through an affiliated company, according to a statement released by VK. The move highlights growing consolidation within Russia’s tech industry.
Prass, who holds a 19% stake in the firm Agana, is linked to VK’s private subscription of 354 million new shares priced at 324.9 roubles each. Agana, alongside AM-Invest, is set to become a majority stakeholder in VK, owning 61% of the company’s increased capital—pending shareholder approval at a meeting scheduled for 30 April.
The development follows a significant $5.4 billion deal in July 2024, which saw foreign ownership of Yandex, often called "Russia’s Google" brought to an end. Yandex’s Russian assets were taken over by a consortium of domestic investors, including Prass.
VK, which reported a loss exceeding $1 billion in 2024, is seeking to raise up to 115 billion roubles ($1.37 billion) via the share issue to reduce its mounting debt.
The strategic stake increase by Prass signals a reshaping of Russia’s tech landscape, with key players tightening their grip amid state-leaning ownership structures and financial restructuring efforts.
JD Vance arrived in Armenia on Monday (9 February), becoming the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit the country, as Yerevan and Washington agreed to cooperate in the civil nuclear sector in a bid to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus.
The United States and Azerbaijan signed a strategic partnership in Baku on Tuesday (10 February) encompassing economic and security cooperation as Washington seeks to expand its influence in a region where Russia was once the main power broker.
António José Seguro’s decisive victory over far-right challenger André Ventura marks an historic moment in Portuguese politics, but analysts caution that the result does not amount to a rejection of populism.
Buckingham Palace said it is ready to support any police investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew shared confidential British trade documents with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as King Charles expressed “profound concern” over the latest revelations.
Iran’s atomic energy chief says Tehran could dilute uranium enriched to 60 per cent if all international sanctions are lifted, stressing that technical nuclear issues are being discussed alongside political matters in ongoing negotiations.
Türkiye’s national energy company, TPAO, has struck a new cooperation deal with U.S. energy giant Chevron, signing a memorandum of understanding to explore joint oil and gas exploration and production opportunities, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced on Thursday.
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Tuesday as investors worried about artificial intelligence (AI) creating more competition for software makers, keeping them on edge ahead of quarterly reports from Alphabet and Amazon later this week.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Chevron is in talks with Iraq’s oil ministry over potential changes to the commercial framework governing the West Qurna 2 oilfield, one of the world’s largest producing assets, after Baghdad nationalised the field earlier this month following U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia’s Lukoil.
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