Russian Startup Apis Cor Secures $6 M to Expand 3D-Printed Housing Capabilities

Last month, Rusnano Sistema Sicar—Russia’s leading private‑equity fund—announced a $6 million investment in Apis Cor, a Siberian startup that has pioneered 3D‑printing technology for construction.

Apis Cor’s flagship printer is a mobile robot that fabricates walls in any architectural shape using fine‑grained fibre‑concrete blended with proprietary additives. The system can erect multi‑storey structures—up to three levels—in record time.

The fund asserts that Apis Cor’s technology is unrivaled globally, delivering faster, simpler construction at competitive costs compared to traditional methods.

Rusnano Sistema Sicar predicts that, by next year, the technology will reduce cottage construction costs by 19% relative to foam‑concrete houses, with an additional potential savings of up to 30%.

Last year, Apis Cor captured headlines by printing a 38‑m² home in Stupino, a Moscow suburb, in just 24 hours for under $10 000.

Strategic International Expansion

Outside Russia, Apis Cor is positioning itself for growth in Asia and the Middle East—regions with large state‑sponsored building initiatives—and in the United States and Europe, where architects demand bespoke, intricate residential designs.

With a growing fleet of printers, the company projects multi‑million‑dollar revenues in the coming year.

“3D printing holds vast potential for construction, with projections that it could capture up to 30% of the global low‑rise cottage market—valued at $68 billion,” said Sergey Dergach, CEO of Sistema Consult, the investment adviser to Rusnano Sistema Sicar. “Apis Cor is poised to lead the sector and secure a first‑mover advantage in this rapidly expanding market.”

Headquartered in Irkutsk, Apis Cor also maintains offices in Moscow and San Francisco. Earlier this year, the firm garnered accolades at multiple Russian startup competitions and secured a 3 million‑ruble ($50 000) grant from Skolkovo, the international technology hub on Moscow’s outskirts.

First Portfolio Investment

Apis Cor marks the inaugural investment of Rusnano Sistema Sicar, a fund launched last year by Sistema—a diversified Russian conglomerate—and Rusnano, the state‑backed nanotechnology investor. The partnership plans to manage $100 million in assets, allocating capital incrementally to support growth. The fund remains open to new investors.

Rusnano Sistema Sicar targets high‑tech firms at multiple growth stages across Russia, its neighbors, Europe, and Israel.

Rusnano Sistema Sicar targets a variety of sectors including:

• Information technologies
• Robotics and on-board equipment
• Software and cloud technologies
• Communication equipment and end-to-end solutions
• Renewable sources of energy and energy saving technologies
• Microelectronics
• Automated control system
• Special communications systems
• Software for comprehensive security systems.

This story first appeared in East-West Digital News, a partner of ReadWrite covering the Eastern-European startup scene.