Daria Bondarenko is the EVP of Sales, Acquisitions and Co-productions, at START, a subscription-based streaming service, founded in 2017. She started her career in media at renowned independent Russian production studio Sreda before moving to CTC Media, where she was deputy head of acquisitions working with major studios to secure content for up to five free-to-air national channels in Russia.

At START Bondarenko handles all international outreach and relations, raising the profile of START’s shows, identifying international distribution and co-production partners, and overseeing acquisitions. Under her leadership, START has secured its first distribution deals with global giants taking Start’s dramas to international audiences for the first time.

In 2021 she served as a member of the Jury at the BANFF Rockie Awards and Rose d’Or. She is one of the only executives in Russia to be interviewed by Golden Globes about the rise of women in TV production in Russia.

Bondarenko has a degree in Economics and Media.

START is the leader in the production of premium content in the VOD market of Russia and CIS. START Originals are already recognized all over the world: 257 Reasons to Live (2020 Canneseries Best Performance Award, 2020 Rose D’Or Finalist), Russian Affairs/Gold Diggers (Amazon Exclusives, Walter Presents, CJE&M), Better Than Us (Netflix); Passengers (Seoul International Drama Awards, Best Short Form Series) and etc.

START was co-founded in 2017 by the producers of Yellow, Black and White, a leading film studio in the production of box office hits and a broad range of entertaining movies.

START now encompasses a subscription-based streaming service of the same name; in-house production START Studio; a scripted series distribution division; a feature film distribution arm alongside its own talent agencies.