Sturgeon Capital

What an inspiring day it was at Astana Hub, where we hosted an Invest Day with Sturgeon Capital! This event brought together 11 outstanding startups from our ecosystem to pitch to the country lead of Sturgeon Capital in Kazakhstan, Nazerke Kalidolda. The following startups took the stage: pwron.ai Tania Plotnikova The Fashion People Dias Nurlanov Finflow.pro Daulet Aitmakhanov Courstore Rauan Syzdykov Oina Interactive Presentations Bakdaulet Tygynbayev on.ai | AI для звонков и чатов Нурболат Сагенов AI Pradavan Talap Kenzhebaev Beksultan Maukenov Özen Finance Erkin Berdalin Scano - Social Listening, ASLAN ABILKAS TrustMe Chingiz Dauletbayev Aigerim Baigotanova Livin.kz Yerzhan Amirkhanov Slambek A. Each founder showcased their unique vision, business model, and growth potential, sparking a dynamic exchange of ideas and opportunities. We are optimistic that this event will pave the way for results and commitments, accelerating the growth of these startups and the tech ecosystem at large. A big thank you to Nazerke for her valuable feedback and engagement, and to the incredible founders who continue to push boundaries with their innovation. Looking ahead, I’m excited about the opportunities for future collaboration between Sturgeon Capital and Astana Hub. #InvestDay #AstanaHub #SturgeonCapital #VentureCapital #TechStartups #KazakhstanInnovation

Sharing recording of recent Paklaunch webinar on The Georgia-Pakistan Venture Corridor with guests: Aleena Nadeem, Gega Tsurtsumia, Faisal Aftab, and Robin Butler CFA. Our goal with this discussion is to bridge the two emerging tech ecosystems, share learnings, and promote collaborations. Enjoy and feel free to share with all those who might benefit. Sturgeon Capital Zayn VC EduFi PAYZE (YC S21) https://lnkd.in/gRZEmrWB

It was an honour to be received by His Excellency Ravshan Usmanov. Our two institutions share a deep interest in education. The Sturgeon Foundation looks forward to exploring how we might work together.

Last week I had the pleasure of welcoming the new The Sturgeon Foundation Scholars in Tashkent. This is the fourth year that the The Sturgeon Foundation has provided scholarships in partnership with INHA and WIUT Universities, and with this new intake we now have 14 current and alumni scholars. It is inspiring to see what the early scholars have gone on to achieve already, from running technology teams at TBC UZ to coming in the top 1% of their year and pursuing further studies in the US and Korea, and I am sure our new scholars will push the bar even higher. A huge thank you to H.E. Timothy Smart for hosting us at the British Ambassador's residence for the second year running. Thank you to Inha University in Tashkent Rector Muzaffar Djalalov and Westminster International University in Tashkent Deputy Rector Nizom Kadirov for presenting the certificates to our new scholars. Thank you also to those who joined the event for their continual support and encouragement. Finally, the foundation would not be half of what it is without its Chair Carol (Madison) Graham and trustees, nor would the event have happened so smoothly without my colleague Alijon Ravshanov's hard work - thank you all! The Sturgeon Foundation seeks to advance education in Central Asia principally through awarding university scholarships and training opportunities to students seeking careers in finance and technology. If you are interested to learn more or support the work of the foundation, please get in touch.

Why haven't we seen more Turkish technology companies entering the Central Asian markets? With a large, young population of 80m people, structurally high GDP growth and growing smartphone and internet penetration, Central Asia is a market primed for rapid technology adoption. At the same time, the venture and startup ecosystems are still nascent, with a first-mover advantage that will not last forever. Türkiye has an unfair advantage in the region (EDIT - otherwise known as Turkestan) with its historical, linguistic, cultural and culinary connections. "Brand Türkiye" is exceptionally strong and a sign of quality, and there is an increasing level of engagement on the political level as this The Economist article explains (link in comments). Despite everything, there are still hardly any Turkish technology companies that have expanded into the region. Trendyol Group has established a presence in Azerbaijan. However, the most high profile deal between the two markets goes in the opposite direction, with Kaspi.kz's recent acquisition of Hepsiburada (NASDAQ: HEPS). Turkish companies have historically looked to the West for expansion for various reasons, but I think they are missing a lucrative opportunity on their doorstep by doing so. There are opportunities to build the future Papara, Trendyol Group and iyzico's of these markets, some of which Sturgeon Capital has been lucky enough to invest in already. Should Turkish technology companies be taking this region more seriously? Which ones do you think should be jumping at the opportunity today? #Startups #CentralAsia #Technology #VC #Turkiye

Representatives of IT Park, led by CEO Farkhod Ibragimov, held a meeting with investment company Sturgeon Capital, represented by Robin Butler CFA, Partner and Head of Impact, and Alijon Ravshanov, Partner and Head of Uzbek Operations. During the #meeting with Sturgeon Capital, the parties discussed a wide range of opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation aimed at strengthening the venture ecosystem in #Uzbekistan. So far, Sturgeon Capital's total investment in local startups exceeds $10 million.