Female startup: an issue with delivery that inspired the startup

IT Park continues to acquaint subscribers with women's startups that participated in the Tumaris.Tech program. Today we would like to introduce a project from Kazakhstan - ADU24 and its founder Akmaral Yeskendir.

How did the startup come about?

Akmaral is 25 years old. As she recalls, the idea to create a project arose after she encountered a problem.

“Once in 2018, I ordered goods from a foreign marketplace. Then I ran into such problems: long delivery, no possibility of exchange or return of goods. After that, I thought: why not create a domestic product? That’s how the ADU24 marketplace was born.”

Now the project team includes 12 specialists of different levels, each of whom brings something into the common goal.

ADU24 is a universal domestic e-commerce platform offering a high level of service and a wide range of products. One of the main differences between ADU24 and other marketplaces is the opportunity to earn money not only for sellers, but also for buyers.

What benefits does your startup bring to society/people?

The startup industry in Kazakhstan is now developing quite actively, the girl notes.

“Incubators and accelerators are already operating in Kazakhstan, there are venture investors. Some Kazakh startups managed to attract millions of investments. Currently, the startup movement in Kazakhstan is experiencing a significant rise, and I am sure that the pace of development will only accelerate. And the more projects that benefit society, the more positive changes there will be in the whole startup industry.”

Regarding the benefits of ADU24, Akmaral replies that the project helps to develop the e-commerce market.

“There are several main points how our startup helps society and people. We develop the e-commerce market and provide effective opportunities for business development and sales growth. The most important thing is to create new jobs.”

How do you plan to develop the project?

Akmaral recalls that at the initial stage there were some difficulties.

“The hardest thing about anything is getting started. We had difficulties in attracting investments, we faced a shortage of personnel. But then we managed to build and get the job done. Now we are at the stage of launching the project. We raised $53,000 in investments and invested $12,000 of our own funds. Now, a SEED round has been opened - the founders are testing the business model, and if it is promising, then the project begins to grow and attract investor interest.

For the future, the project has ambitious goals - entering the market and further developing the brand, then - sales of more than 900 million tenge per year.”

Akmaral notes that startups have advantages.

“Startups can be flexible. Since the team is small, it is possible to work on the product faster, change the direction of its development depending on the feedback received. In addition, opportunities for fundraising are open to any startup.”

For novice startup founders, Akmaral advises first of all to pay attention to searching for a good team.

“The most important thing in IT is people. They will be the ‘engine' of the product. Find a first-class team that will be able to create, promote, and manage your project. Take relationships with clients, investors, partners seriously. Everything needs to be documented. At some point, you may be "thrown". This is a business and it can be, so be prepared. Divide partner shares in advance, reflect this in contracts. With investors, too, foresee everything in advance, before you receive money from them. ”