ASTANA — Startups from Central Eurasia, including Most Finance, JobEscape, and Speechsense.ai, secured $1.4 million in investments through the AlchemistX and Silicon Valley Residency Programs, the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry reported on Dec. 27.
Photo credit: gov.kz
Out of 22 startups from the region, eight – JobEscape, LoadConnect, Parqour, PointAI, Flowsell.me, Call2action, Oli, and MyStory – signed commercial deals worth $379,000. Collectively, the program participants are projected to generate $17 million in revenue by 2025.
The programs, implemented by the Astana Hub Technopark and Silkroad Innovation Hub, supported participants in securing first contracts, attracting investments, finding housing in the United States (U.S.), receiving expert coaching and mentoring, and accessing the Silkroad Innovation Hub community.
For example, Kazakh startup Parqour, a resident of the Astana Hub, which developed smart parking technology that helps reduce operating costs and minimize manual labor, has expanded to 25 countries.
Following participating in the program, it secured long-term contracts for 10-12 years with San Francisco-based parking operators Nexus Parking (35 lots) and United SF Parking (50 lots). Previously, Parqour operated in several U.S. cities, including Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.
This unique five-month initiative offered startups from Central Eurasia an opportunity to enter the U.S. market and establish a foundation for sustainable growth.
