U-ENTER

A Roundtable discussion, dedicated to GameDev industry development, will take place at U-ENTER. Agenda: https://lnkd.in/e-FmibAK Register: https://lnkd.in/exSYTieJ

A Roundtable discussion, dedicated to GameDev industry development, will take place at U-ENTER. As a part of the event, a GameDev survey will be presented, conducted among developers and game studios of the country. The GameDev Survey 2025 covers such topics as: potential of segments development, local game community structure, key barriers and needs, financing sources, human capital of the industry and other important aspects of the ecosystem. The participants will also discuss current condition of the industry, as well as growth perspectives and main challenges, that are faced by industry players in Uzbekistan. Roundtable agenda: https://lnkd.in/e-FmibAK Register: https://lnkd.in/exSYTieJ 📅 Date: 18 December ⏰ Time: 16:00 📍 Location: U-ENTER Akmal Salikhov Otabek Baratov

Orientation session on Star Venture program from EBRD will take place at U-ENTER. The EBRD's Star Venture program helps startups with high growth potential scale, increase investment attractiveness and enter global markets via individual consulting, mentoring and access to investors. Participants will learn about the opportunities provided by the Star Venture program and receive answers to all questions from the EBRD team on criteria for participation, application and selection of startups. At the event there will be featured success stories from current program participants - leading innovators of the region who have rapidly scaled, attracted investment and become part of the global Star Venture community. Don't miss a chance to level up your startup with Star Venture! 📅 Date: November 17 ⏰ Time: 10:00 🗣 Language: English (with explanations in Uzbek/Russian) 📍 Location: U-ENTER Agenda: https://lnkd.in/dhPSTV9m Register for the event: https://lnkd.in/dVMbxWfF

How mentorship guided Fonus Kids through development Fonus Kids — a team from Uzbekistan — set out to create a safe and educational digital world for children, turning their value-driven mission into a sustainable business through mentorship and strategic guidance. The Beginning The Fonus Kids team aimed to create a safe, educational platform for children in their own language, offering parents peace of mind. But like many impact-driven startups, they faced one question: how to make their idea sustainable and profitable? “We knew our concept brought real value to families,” the founders recall. “But we needed a strong business model, a pitching strategy, and clear market positioning to attract users, partners, and investors.” Finding the Way Forward Despite early interest, the team realized technology alone wasn’t enough — they needed to better communicate their value to parents and the market. At this stage, they joined Micromentor, introduced by the EBRD, where they connected with mentors who helped them rethink their business structure, storytelling, and investor readiness. How Mentorship Helped Through the Micromentor program, the founders gained practical guidance in three key areas: • Business Model: balanced free content for kids with premium resources for parents. • Positioning: built a clear market identity and investor-ready story. • Metrics: learned to track engagement, retention, and revenue. “Mentorship helped us turn our vision into a strategy,” the founders share. “It gave us a clear language to express our value — not just to parents, but to investors too.” The Transformation Within months, Fonus Kids achieved a series of important milestones through mentorship: • Introduced tiered subscription plans (Mini, Plus, and Max) • Developed an internal analytics dashboard to track engagement and retention • Formed partnerships with local educators to enrich educational content • Secured a $25,000 investment from IT Park Ventures. • Reached over 2,000 active users — and the community continues to grow “After mentorship, we began seeing new perspectives, explored fresh product ideas, and gained a clear strategic roadmap.” Looking Ahead The next phase for Fonus Kids includes launching premium parental courses, strengthening its position in the local market, and gradually preparing for expansion. “Our mission remains the same — to help children grow in a healthy and mindful digital environment,” the founders emphasize. Fonus Kids continues to prove that meaningful innovation can be both purposeful and profitable — shaping a safer and smarter digital future for children. You can download and explore the Fonus Kids app on Google Play Market and App Store and join the growing community of families supporting this edutainment initiative. If you’d also like to share your experience to help startups grow — or learn from mentors as a startup founder — register today at Micromentor: https://lnkd.in/eVbwimJp

From Technical Vision to Business Reality: The WiderAI Journey with Micromentor This is the story of Mukhsin Mukhtorov, a solo founder from Uzbekistan who set out to transform his passion for technology into a meaningful business. His journey with WiderAI shows how strong technical vision can be reshaped into entrepreneurial success with the right guidance. When Mukhsin began building WiderAI, he was completely absorbed in technology. He created a modular AI tutoring platform for STEM subjects, including Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, as well as standardized tests such as the GRE, GMAT, SAT, IELTS, and TOEFL. The system could break down problems step by step, explain solutions, and adapt to each student’s pace. On paper, it was powerful. But there was one major issue: he knew almost nothing about business. “As a solo founder, I could build sophisticated technology,” he says, “but I had no understanding of pricing strategy, customer acquisition, or financial planning.” The platform’s interface was clunky and confusing. Signups came in, but they weren’t converting into paying customers. Without a roadmap, WiderAI risked becoming just another good idea. ▪️Finding a Way Forward Mukhsin believed WiderAI could fill a gap by making tutoring affordable in markets where private lessons are costly or unavailable. “AI voice technology could bring tutoring directly to students at a fraction of the cost,” he explains. “That’s what kept me motivated even when the business side looked like a mystery.” At this breaking point, he discovered Micromentor, the world’s largest online mentoring community, introduced by the EBRD to the Central Asian region. ▪️How Mentorship Helped Through Micromentor, Mukhsin found mentors who guided him in three key areas: - Pricing: learning to build data-driven strategies based on customer behavior. - UI/UX: redesigning the user journey to focus on conversions. - Fundraising: presenting honest metrics and preparing for investors. “Talking to mentors felt like someone turned on the lights in a dark room,” Mukhsin recalls. ▪️The Transformation With their guidance, he introduced a tiered pricing model - 25K / 50K / 100K UZS. He stopped tracking vanity metrics and began measuring conversion rates, lifetime value, and revenue. “As a result, my platform now generates between $100 and $200 per month,” he shares. “It may sound small, but it was the first real proof that WiderAI could make money, not just attract users.” ▪️Looking Ahead His next target is $1000+ in monthly recurring revenue. “My plan is to launch new AI Math Tutors, refine the product experience, and expand across Central Asia,” he says. “What began as a purely technical project is now evolving into something bigger - a scalable, investable business. And Micromentor gave me the significant push I needed to turn that vision into reality.”

Join the Women Cup acceleration programme! For women-founded or women-led businesses in design, architecture, textiles, art, media, animation, game development, 3D printing, digital manufacturing, and other creative industries. Participants will receive: ✅ Expert mentorship ✅ Business and brand support ✅ Access to new markets and global opportunities ✅ An opportunity to participate in Dubai Design Week 📍 Hybrid format (online + offline) 🗓 Apply by August 2, 2026 Apply Now https://lnkd.in/d9XfxZSK The program is being carried out with the support of the Swiss Government, and Virtual Accelerate. #uenter #virtualaccelerate #seco #introgroup #startupsupport #womenstartups #uzbekistancreativeassociation