ALMATY, Kazakhstan – Anar Akbarli typifies the new generation of innovators from Central Asia: Progressive, tenacious, and very, very smart. His is a generation tasked with providing a new string to the Kazakh economy’s bow, and if his product pitch is anything to go by, the country’s energy-dependent government has little to worry about.
Progressive and tenacious, Akbarli typifies the new generation of innovators in the CIS. Photo: sk.ru
Akbarli, a 31-year-old IT whizz born in Baku but resident in Kazakhstan’s second city of Almaty, was a winner of the pitch contest when the Skolkovo-led Startup Tour rolled into town last week.
What impressed the judges wasn’t so much the nature of his company’s product – a retail management system that ultimately squeezes more customers through stores faster – as the fact that it is already implemented in several cities across Kazakhstan and showing promising results.
Together with co-founders Ivan Didenko, Emin Valiyev and Rinat Fazylbekov, Akbarli believes the Pole Retail Scanning System can achieve ubiquity in a relatively short space of time.
In an interview with sk.ru at the Almaty Management University, which hosted the sixth stage of the Startup Tour, Akbarli explained that victory in the pitch contest will open up new avenues of investment and potential partnerships that can take the company to the next level. The win earned the company a place in the pitch competition at the Startup Village, held at the Skolkovo Innovation Center in Moscow on June 2-3.
A screenshot from the Pole Retail Scanning System. Photo: Anar Akbarli
How does it feel to win the pitch contest?
It feels fantastic. The competition was tense in our category. It was exciting to be part of the most crowded category (the IT track had 21 teams competing – ed). Our team had been confident throughout the competition. We had some mentoring the day before. Thanks to that mentoring session, we made some revisions in the presentation and took our best shot today.
But in truth we were targeting first place from the outset. Our main weapon was that the project has architecture based on very relevant insight that solves a real need in the retail industry. I don’t think that we won by accident. Our win has been backed up by a lot of hard work and dedication from all the project’s members.
And we are thrilled about the possibility that the project may become one of the pioneer high-tech initiatives from Kazakhstan, which would be recognized by the regional business community.
Akbarli, far right, collecting his prize on stage at the Almaty Management University. Photo: sk.ru
Now you’re coming to Startup Village. What do you hope to gain from participating?
It’s always good to have a fresh view and some expertise from outside. It’s not just other people, it’s actual experts. I think this will only help complete our business and open up new horizons as to how we can develop it further.
Do you hope to become a Skolkovo resident?
We'll definetly consider Skolkovo residency, in case it contributes to further development of project. The residency itself isn't a final goal. The most important thing is to extract the most important insight, support and contribution from Skolkovo that we can get for our project. We don't target the title itself (of ‘Skolkovo resident’- ed.), we should target the reason why we’re doing it, why we’re going to go there.
You said you revised your presentation after the Skolkovo mentor session. What exact changes did you make and how did they help you win?
The only change we made, the only insight we got from the mentors, is that we should talk about the business more. We should talk about the problem that we are solving rather than showing how you are solving it. The jury needed to be persuaded that the problem exists and that we offer just the right solution for solving that problem. It was recommended to us to emphasize those things when we would be presenting.
How did it feel to be part of Startup Tour? Can you comment on the atmosphere?
The atmosphere was astonishing. It was exciting to see so many young, local entrepreneurs together. I wouldn’t even image that there is so much talent in our country. The Startup Tour managed to uncover some serious intellectual potential.
What is it about your product that you think the judges liked the most?
Our product generates a simple solution to a relevant issue. It isn't a rocket science, and it has a big business potential. I believe these are the key attributes of it that attracted the judges most.
How could the retail scanning system help the lives of ordinary people?
More than 70 percent of the retail industry in Kazakhstan consists of small- and medium-size convenience shops run by small- and medium-size entrepreneurs. Their expertise in managing the shop is much lower than the ones running key accounts. When producers and trade companies will be using Pole as an instrument to improve the way their products are displayed in those shops, the shop owners will benefit from that instrument by having better-organized shops. If the shop is well-organized, the shoppers get around better in the shop, find what they want faster, and therefore spend less time in the shop. In that case, the shop can serve more customers during the day. Also, the shopper can be stimulated to buy more, as smartly displayed products usually act as a trigger to buy goods not included in the original shopping list. Consequently, Pole can contribute to improving the business of those small and medium shopkeepers.
What is your ambition? Are you looking for a quick exit or would you prefer to see how far you can take the business?
Our ultimate ambition is to grow the Pole retail scanning system into a must-have instrument - not only in retail trade management, but also in other industries such as banks and insurance companies, which also sell their goods through retail points. We are ready to consider any development strategies, such as a quick exit or growing the business into multinational, that would serve our ultimate ambition.
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The Russian Startup Tour is the country's biggest innovations roadshow. The stop in Almaty was its first foray outside Russia. The tour's goal is to find the most promising startups and give them the instruments they need to commercialize their innovations. Some of the top startups encountered along the way are invited to compete at the Startup Village in Moscow at the Skolkovo Innovation Center. When abroad, its task is also to create a new cross-border investment communities and to integrate innovation processes across the region.