S8 Capital

History and Founding

S8 Capital was founded in 2015 by Armen Meruzhanovich Sargsyan, a lawyer by training who studied at MGIMO and worked at Vneshpombank before launching several small businesses. His first major success came with Stoloto, which became the monopolistic distributor of Russian state lotteries after a 2014 regulatory reshuffle. Sargsyan registered S8 Capital as an investment group in 2015 to house his growing portfolio of digital and media assets, including Strahovka.ru (acquired in 2017), Price.ru, and 888.ru.

Acquisition Spree After 2022

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered the departure of many Western companies from Russia, and S8 Capital seized the opportunity to buy their Russian operations at discounted prices. Key acquisitions include: Otis elevator business in July 2022 (rebranded as METEOR Lift); three Bosch plants in Engels in April 2023 (spark plugs, power tools, heating boilers); Continental's tire plant in Kaluga in May 2023; the Cordiant tire manufacturer in May 2023; Kone's elevator business in October 2023; Bridgestone's tire plant in Ulyanovsk in December 2023; Huntsman's chemical assets in January 2024; and a controlling stake in electronics maker Aquarius in 2025 with a subsequent 5 billion ruble investment. These moves made S8 Capital the second-largest tire manufacturer in Russia and a major elevator producer.

Business Model and Operations

S8 Capital functions as a multi-industry holding company, operating through wholly owned subsidiaries each run by its own management team. The holding provides centralized strategic direction, capital, and technology infrastructure. Its digital expertise, honed through Stoloto's high-transaction platform, is applied to transform traditional industrial lines. The company also runs an internal innovation program called 'League S8', a closed club for employees that combines startup-accelerator methodology with project-management training.

Key Products and Brands

The holding's portfolio spans digital services and manufacturing. Digital assets include Stoloto (lottery), Strahovka.ru (insurance aggregation), NextMobile (MVNO), 888.ru (betting), Price.ru (price comparison), and Sport24 (sports media). Industrial assets include METEOR Lift (elevators), Cordiant (tires), the ex-Bosch plants producing spark plugs, power tools, and heating boilers under new brands, tire manufacturing facilities from Continental and Bridgestone, Huntsman's chemical production, and a controlling stake in Aquarius, which makes computers, servers, and tablets.

Leadership and Structure

Founder Armen Sargsyan is the ultimate owner and remains involved in strategic decisions but holds no formal C-suite title. Day-to-day operations are led by CEO Anton Voronin. Tatiana Gladyuk serves as HR Director. No other C-level executives (CTO, COO, CFO) are publicly confirmed. The company is privately held and does not disclose financials. Its headquarters is at Volgogradsky Prospekt 43, Building 3, Moscow.