# Timur Artemev

Timur Vladimirovich Artemev (Russian: Тиму́р Влади́мирович Арте́мьев; born July 19, 1974) is a Russian-British entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Euroset, which became Russia's largest mobile phone retailer in the early 2000s. After selling Euroset in 2008, Artemev moved to the United Kingdom in 2009, where he has since focused on investments in biotechnology, longevity research, space exploration, and high-tech startups.

## Biography

Timur Artemev was born on July 19, 1974, in Moscow. His father was a lecturer in the theoretical foundations of electrical engineering, and his mother was a planning engineer. He graduated from Secondary School No. 119 in Moscow.
From an early age, he was interested in electronics and technology. In his final year of school, he assembled phones with automatic caller ID recognition.
In 1991, he enrolled in the Russian Technological University's Department of Robotics. After completing his first semester, he left the university and transferred to the Moscow Independent University of Environmental and Political Sciences (MNEPU), which he left after six months. Artemev later stated that he was dissatisfied with the traditional education system and chose to study independently, focusing on subjects of personal interest.
In 2003, he earned a degree from the Law Faculty of the Moscow External University of the Humanities (MEGU). In 2004, he enrolled in the Russian State University for the Humanities' Faculty of World Economics. However, by that time, he was already working as a director at Euroset, and due to his professional commitments, he left the university after a year.

## Career

Artemev began working in the field of telecommunication equipment sales in 1991. In 1995, he briefly worked at the company Astrum, which specialized in selling NMT 450-standard mobile phones. In March 1996, together with Alexey Beloglazov, he co-founded Medicom, a mobile phone retail company. The first Medicom store opened in May 1996 on Maly Zlatoustinsky Lane in Moscow. However, in the autumn of the same year, Artemev left the partnership.
In 2003, he launched Telefon Gazeta, an electronic platform for classified ads, allowing individuals to buy and sell various goods and services. The platform also helped many users find employment at no cost. Over time, the project changed ownership and was rebranded as Job Parade.
In the same year, Artemev ran for the State Duma in the 108th Lyubertsy single-member district. He secured 22% of the votes, but the mandate was awarded to Viktor Semyonov, a member of the "Edinaya Russia" party.
Since 2005, Artemev has been interested in research related to longevity and aging. That same year, he founded the Institute of Aging Biology to support scientific studies in this field.
Artemev continues to fund aging-related research and is a trustee of the biological laboratory of Evgeny Nudler, a professor at New York University Medical School. The laboratory focuses on aging studies, RNA sensor research, gene regulation, and stress response mechanisms. Over the years, the lab has contributed to internationally recognized scientific research published in *Nature*, *Science*, and *Cell*. By the mid-2010s, Artemev had invested over $5 million in scientific research in this area.
In the UK, Artemev has focused on high-tech startups and makes targeted investments in innovative projects, particularly in longevity research.
In 2014, he acquired technology for manufacturing self-balancing electric unicycles and, in 2015, founded Uniwheel, a company dedicated to their production and distribution.
In 2016, Artemev joined the board of directors of the American diagnostics company MDSec INC and became a board member of the biotechnology-focused American pharmaceutical company Retrotope. He has also invested in space technology projects and lunar resource extraction programs. In 2016, he became a partner in Moon Shot, a company specializing in space industry investments.

### Euroset

On April 2, 1997, Artemev co-founded Euroset with his childhood friend Evgeny Chichvarkin. The two had known each other since the age of four. The first Euroset store opened the same year on Georgievsky Lane in Moscow, offering a limited selection of mobile phones. A second store was launched three weeks later inside the "Electronics" retail complex on Leninsky Prospekt.
Within the company, Artemev and Chichvarkin divided responsibilities: Chichvarkin oversaw commercial operations, marketing, and brand promotion, while Artemev managed finance, accounting, and technological development. This division of labor allowed the two to complement each other and helped establish Euroset as one of Russia's leading mobile phone retailers in the 2000s

## Personal life

Artemev has been married multiple times and has six children. He is currently in a partnership with Ksenia Shuravko, co-owner of the largest Belarusian online resource, Onliner.by. In 2019, the couple had a son.
After relocating to the United Kingdom, Artemev initially settled in London. Later, he purchased a historic 19th-century mansion in Surrey, southwest of the British capital, where he currently resides. The estate, located in the prestigious area of Haslemere, has a notable history, having once belonged to English poet Alfred Tennyson and later sold in 1929 to an Indian maharaja. The mansion, acquired by Artemev in 2009 for approximately £12 million, has since significantly appreciated in value, with subsequent offers reaching up to £30 million.

## Interest in Space

Artemev has long been interested in space travel and has made investments in the aerospace sector. He is known to have a personal connection with Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Galactic, and shares an enthusiasm for commercial spaceflight.
In the early 2010s, Artemev secured a ticket for a suborbital spaceflight aboard Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, placing him among the first group of private individuals set to experience commercial space travel. He has expressed interest in the long-term prospects of space tourism and planetary exploration, seeing it as a key direction for future investment and innovation.
In addition to purchasing a ticket for a future spaceflight, Artemev has been involved in investment projects related to lunar exploration and asteroid mining. His interest in space technologies aligns with his broader focus on longevity research and advanced scientific innovations.

## Interest in Longevity and Biotechnology

Artemev has been actively involved in longevity research and biotechnology investments. In 2005, he founded the Institute of Aging Biology to support scientific studies on aging processes and potential methods for extending human lifespan.
Since then, he has provided financial support to the biological laboratory of Evgeny Nudler, a professor at New York University School of Medicine. The laboratory conducts fundamental research on aging, RNA sensors, gene regulation, and stress response mechanisms. Their findings have been published in leading scientific journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell.
In 2016, Artemev joined the board of directors of the American pharmaceutical company Retrotope, which specializes in biotechnology. The company focuses on the development of innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and research aimed at slowing the aging process.
By the mid-2010s, Artemev had invested more than $5 million in scientific research and institutions dedicated to aging and longevity studies.
Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of MDSec, a diagnostics company, and is actively engaged in the development of innovative biotechnology projects.
Artemev's contributions to longevity research and biotechnology reflect his long-standing commitment to supporting scientific advancements aimed at improving human health and lifespan.