Given its deep roots in science & mathematics, Russians may very well be the real O.G. (original geeks). Just look at recent statistics, and its clear why Russia is experiencing a tech renaissance – one in two Russians are internet users, the country just overtook Germany as Europe’s largest internet market, and they boast a GDP-per-capita growth rate of  around 13pc annually from 1999-2010.

The result: Russian consumers have major purchasing power and are rapidly embracing the online economy. Just look at companies like Yandex, Mail.ru, Wikimart.ru, KupiVIP.ru, & Ostrovok.ru, and it becomes very clear that Russia has stealthy risen to become a major player in the global tech scene.

In Moscow, the agenda includes:

• #GOAP Welcome Dinner hosted by SendGrid, with Esther Dyson & U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul
• Business Day & Startup Day at Digital October (the de facto hub for Moscow’s tech industry), where we’ll meet Russia’s leading tech companies, startups, investors, and accelerators
• Startup Weekend Russia, organized by the country’s pioneer accelerator, Glavstart & co-hosted by 500 Startups & .CO Internet
• Visit to Yandex (the “Google” of Russia) to tour the office, learn about their development teams, and meet CTO Ilya Segalovich
• Visit to Mail.ru (the largest internet company in Russia and leading email provider) & Odnoklassniki.ru (Mail.ru’s social network), tour the company, and meet with leading execs
• ‘Off the Record’ session with Russia’s most successful serial tech entrepreneurs – a private, roundtable conversation about the real opportunities and challenges facing technology in Russia
• ‘Startup Moscow’ dinner hosted by Alexander Dresen (SeedCamp entrepreneur) + other local startups
• Geeks on Red Square - See Moscow up close & personal from Red Square to St. Basil’s Cathedral, and more
• Founders’ Tours – Walking tours of Moscow led by local startup founders, a great opportunity to see the city through a local’s perspective while also learning about a cool new startup