i-Free established a special division, i-Free Innovations, dedicated to advancing this objective. The i-Free founders, Kirill Gorynya, Kirill Petrov and Sergei Shulga, left their respective positions in the company to stand at the helm of the new division, and Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov, former chief of i-Free marketing and operations, was appointed the new General Director. Within a very short time, i-Free Innovations has developed and trial-launched several projects employing innovative technologies, making i-Free eligible to sign a partnership deal with the Russian Venture Company and join NFC Forum, the international association that spearheads NFC-based product development globally.
