Astra

Astra Group Releases Low-Code Astra AI Platform for Building Corporate AI Agents in Closed Environments

Astra Group has launched the Astra AI Platform, a low-code constructor designed for creating corporate AI applications that operate entirely within closed circuits without reliance on foreign clouds. The platform targets small and medium businesses as well as large corporations, enabling rapid deployment of AI secretaries, technical support assistants, and other agents in days rather than months. It forms part of the broader Astra AI ecosystem and includes two main constructors: one for machine learning model training and deployment, and another for LLM-based language assistants, document search, and process automation. Users can assemble scenarios from visual blocks, debug them in real time, or extend functionality with custom Python code when needed. The solution supports RAG-based knowledge bases, integration with external tools such as CRM and ERP systems, and the coordination of multiple agents for distributed task handling. One demonstrated use case involves processing ten pages of engineering drawings and specifications in five minutes to prepare data for downstream systems. The product is already listed in the Russian domestic software registry and available to customers.

Russian Organizations Allocate 4.5 Trillion Rubles to Innovation Spending in 2025

Large and medium-sized Russian organizations directed a total of 4.5 trillion rubles toward innovation activities during 2025. Nearly half of the expenditure originated from the services sector, while information technology and telecommunications accounted for 860.9 billion rubles. The Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge at HSE University published the figures based on Rosstat data, showing an innovation intensity rate of 2.7 percent. Services companies alone contributed approximately 2.3 trillion rubles, including 882.7 billion rubles for research and development. Astra Group IR Director Vladislav Anshakov outlined major spending areas such as product development, cloud and AI hardware, and acquisitions of technologies and teams. The group expanded its portfolio with the Perseus DBMS and a 26 percent stake in AI developer AIB. More than one-third of organizations cited high costs and insufficient internal funds as key barriers to further innovation.

Russian Backup Market Hits 10.6 Billion Rubles as Domestic Solutions Reach 70% Share

The Russian market for backup solutions grew 18.5% in 2025 to reach 10.6 billion rubles, outpacing the overall infrastructure software segment which expanded 16%. Domestic vendors increased their share from 19% in 2021 to 70% in 2025, with analysts from Strategy Partners forecasting further growth to 92% by 2030 and a market size of 24 billion rubles. Cyberprotect maintains the leading position with its Cyber Backup product, while Astra Group’s RuBackup is noted as another significant offering. The company itself estimates the market at approximately 12 billion rubles and claims a 56% share. Competition is shifting from feature lists toward compatibility with Russian virtualization platforms, databases, Kubernetes environments, storage systems, and monitoring tools. The broader infrastructure software market reached 158 billion rubles in 2025, with Russian developers holding 68% compared to just 8% four years earlier.