At the end of last year, you won the international technology competition BRICS Solution Awards, beating nearly 1,500 competitors. The jury recognized your project as the best in the “Cognitive Technologies and Creative Economy” category. How did your journey into the BRICS markets begin?

As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Our cooperation with colleagues in Brazil and Iran stems directly from events that unfolded a few years ago. Neurotrend was founded in 2013, and by 2015–2016 we entered a period of steady growth. Over time, we began exporting our solutions across continents: we had an office and three neurolabs in Singapore, research contracts with Europe, and even a project with Boeing in the United States.

In 2022, for obvious reasons, this activity stopped within just a few weeks. We suddenly faced the urgent task of developing new export destinations in friendly countries. At this point, I have to highlight the role of development institutions that support Russian tech entrepreneurs abroad: the Moscow Innovation Agency, the Moscow Export Center, and the Russian Export Center. Neurotrend’s success in the BRICS markets is directly linked to the support of these organizations. Their formats — whether business missions or meetings with trade representatives — have proven very effective.

It really started in 2022, when Neurotrend became a finalist in the Open BRICS competition organized by the Moscow Innovation Agency. That opportunity opened the doors for us to the Brazilian market.

Why Brazil?

The competition finalists could count on institutional support for entering different BRICS markets. Wouldn’t China — the economic leader of the group — have been the more obvious choice, both economically and geographically?

We were deterred by the same factor that influences many tech companies considering China: intellectual property protection. Surprisingly, Asia is not at the forefront of neurotechnology development. In Latin America, however, practical adoption is more advanced than in the Asia-Pacific region. So choosing Brazil as our entry point to this vast continent was a logical step.

One visible result of this strategy was our partnership with Neurobranding LAB and its founder, Regina Monge. Together, we’re working on innovative neurotechnology applications in business, education, and transport security. There’s even a possibility we’ll take part in equipping a training center for pilots in Brazil.

And what about Iran?

For most people, Iran seems like an even more unexpected destination than Brazil when it comes to neurophysiology and its practical applications in marketing. How did this come about?

Personal connections played a key role. Our contacts in Iran actually grew out of my meetings with the Brazilian academic community while exploring ways to enter the South American market. At the University of Sao Paulo, I met Professor Iman Ghodratitustani, head of a neurolab there. He’s not only a scientist but also an entrepreneur, having launched several neurotech startups, including a company making implants for patients with hearing loss.

Given this background, he quickly saw the potential of Neurotrend’s solutions — not only for Brazil but also for Iran. At one point he asked me directly: “Wouldn’t you be interested in working with Iran as well?” It turned out he was originally from Iran, moved to Brazil for his doctorate, and built his career there while maintaining strong academic ties to his homeland.

Iran is very interesting for us: it’s geographically close to Russia, has a demand for neuromarketing solutions, and its scientists are particularly strong in neuroscience, especially in the medical field. I would even say that after Russia, Iran is the second-strongest nation in this area. Historically, Russian and Iranian researchers have collaborated closely — even in American universities, it was common to see Russian scientists heading neurolabs with Iranian deputies. And of course, Iran inherits the legacy of Persia, with its centuries-old tradition of advancing and preserving scientific knowledge.

Our cooperation with Iranian colleagues became more practical after joining a business mission organized by the Moscow Export Center. We gained valuable contacts and later held an international conference on neuroscience and consumer behavior at Tehran Medical University — the first such event in the entire MENA region.

As part of this conference, we conducted a pilot neuromarketing study using our equipment to analyze Iranian bank advertisements. Local respondents watched commercials while wearing biobracelets, neuroheadsets, and eye trackers. We collected data on unconscious reactions, analyzed how Iranians perceive different ads, and identified which ones were most effective. This provided concrete results to support further negotiations with our Iranian partners.

What does your product portfolio look like? What do you currently offer to customers in Russia and BRICS countries?

Neurotrend’s exports focus on three areas:

  • Neurolaboratories — complete hardware and software solutions for conducting neurophysiological research. These labs are quick to deploy and provide objective insights into consumer perception and decision-making. They help determine how people unconsciously react, second by second, to sensory stimuli (sounds, words, images, videos, texts, aromas, product experiences, or actions) and how to optimize that content. For example: making packaging more appealing, websites easier to navigate, educational materials more engaging, or advertising more relevant to its target audience. 
  • Neuromarketing research services — using our labs, equipment, and software to provide insights for clients across industries. 
  • Complex custom solutions with a research element — such as our project for Boeing to monitor pilot stress levels. These are not off-the-shelf products but are tailored for each client, combining scientific data with practical applications. 

This last category is particularly knowledge-intensive and often aimed at large transport and manufacturing companies. Over the years of working with Boeing, we’ve built truly unique expertise. Frankly, we have no direct competitors in this niche — most universities focus on basic science rather than market-ready products. Neurotrend combines both scientific and commercial competencies. 

We like to say our company is a science-based business. First, we turn scientific knowledge into a product, then we bring it to market. Nearly one-third of our team are Moscow State University graduates. Our Scientific Director, Professor Alexander Yakovlevich Kaplan, is one of Russia’s leading experts in neurocomputer interfaces, and thanks to his work, Russian neurotechnologies have gained global recognition. Another outstanding scientist, Professor Alexander Vasilyevich Latanov, head of the Department of Higher Nervous Activity at MSU’s Faculty of Biology, has also collaborated with us. 

Your client list includes KFC, PepsiCo, Decathlon, X5, STS, and Yandex, among many others. Which project best showcases the potential of neuromarketing?

We’ve done a lot of fascinating studies. One I can mention — since it’s not covered by NDA — is with Yandex. We conducted the first neuromarketing study of advertising in the Yandex.Navigator app, comparing it with outdoor advertising to determine which was more effective for motorists. 

Using an eye tracker, we measured engagement with three types of in-app ads (pins, billboards, banners) and compared them with roadside billboards and LED boards. The results were striking: ads in the app had five times higher visibility and were viewed twice as long as outdoor ads. 

Do you have to adapt your products for different BRICS markets — say, Iran versus Brazil? 

Of course. Product localization is essential — something every marketer and exporter knows. A classic example is the Chevrolet Nova, which failed in Spanish-speaking countries because “no va” literally means “doesn’t go.” 

That said, for Neurotrend, localization is relatively straightforward — often limited to translation. This simplicity offsets some of the challenges of entering new markets.

Brazil, however, has its own specifics. As one of the world’s leading economies and a neighbor to U.S. high-tech hubs, Brazilians expect high-quality industrial design. They value beauty and functionality. Another factor is perception: many Brazilians still associate Russian products with poor quality, a stereotype left over from the brief import of Zhiguli cars in the 1990s. Overcoming this image requires extra effort.

Finally, what lessons in intercultural communication would you give Russian exporters entering Latin America?

Let me share an anecdote from my Spanish teacher, an Ecuadorian who studied and lived in Russia for several years. He became so “Russified” that he found it hard to reconcile Russian and Latin American mindsets. Like us, he became frustrated by the unreliability of his compatriots and their tendency to delay decisions — the famous manana (Spanish for “tomorrow”). He would say: “Guys, let’s just decide. If we’re going to work together, let’s do it. If not, let’s part ways. But let’s not drag this out for months.”

This highlights a common challenge: Latin American partners may not respond for weeks or even months, then suddenly resume contact as if nothing happened. For us, this feels odd or even offensive, but for them, it’s normal. The same applies to punctuality — being late to a meeting by two or three hours is not unusual.

Fortunately, we mostly work with academics, who tend to be more punctual. Still, when scheduling a meeting in Brazil, it’s wise to plan how to spend a few extra hours in case your counterpart is late — because it happens often.

On the flip side, our Russian directness and tendency to give clear yes-or-no answers can be perceived as aggression. These cultural differences are natural. Over time, you learn to adapt — to understand and accept them.

Source: https://bricsmagazine.com/biznes/tehnologii/v-iran-cherez-braziliyu/