Introduction. Russian economic acceleration, innovative and digital economy establishment and development requires an increase in investment challenged to high technology sectors. Successful achievement of this objective defines finding the investments attraction mechanism. One of them is the project finance, which is a modern investment instrument in high-risk environments. Increasing importance of project finance implies a more detailed exploration of its mechanism, application characters in current Russian conditions. Theoretical analysis. The content, signs and background to use project finance was analyzed. It was shown that project finance is the riskiest investments attraction model, which defines the creation and use of effective risk management system. Project finance advantages and disadvantages for its participants in comparison with the other investments attraction methods were found. Empirical analysis. Valuation, industrial and regional structure of global and Russian project finance markets were submitted, their main development trends were identified. Results. Project finance is a modern effective investments attraction model in high-risk environments. It was considered that its effectiveness largely depends on right purpose, its relationship with development strategy, project realization specificities accounting on various stages of project life cycle, project company activity, development finance institutions, government regulation methods. Main directions of project finance improvement in Russian economy based on development trends of global project finance market were revealed. It was shown that project finance mechanism should be applied for realization of not only investment projects, but innovative as well.