The winners of the Women Cup accelerator, designed for female creative entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan, have been announced following the completion of the final stage of the program at the U-Enter Innovation Center.
Twelve finalists presented their creative projects, and the jury selected the aroma brands Shami, Evoke Bureau, and Mimoram AI as winners. These laureates will have the opportunity to participate in the Dubai Design Week event in Dubai.
The goal of this program is to develop female entrepreneurship and strengthen the potential of Uzbekistan's creative economy. The program is implemented with the support of U-Enter and Virtual Accelerate, with financial backing provided by the Government of Switzerland.
More than 120 applications were submitted to the Women Cup competition from various regions of Uzbekistan, and the competition started in mid-July. More than 30 projects led by women were selected for the program, covering fields such as design, fashion and textiles, architecture, art, media, digital production, crafts, and other creative industries.
Participants attended 14 educational sessions on topics including product development, consumer research, financial management, branding, and sales. Additionally, each participant worked with individual mentors, including international experts.
Business trips were organized to the Tashkent Contemporary Art Center, Human House, and Maison de Chapan. At U-Enter, participants were introduced to 3D technologies in creative industries, where they developed model concepts and created them using 3D printers. After the training, a selection took place, and the 12 strongest projects advanced to the final.
The aroma brand Shami, founded by Alexandra Kasaeva in 2022, has become one of the most well-known similar brands in Uzbekistan. Its workshop in Navruz Park in Tashkent produces handmade candles, diffusers, car air fresheners, soap, and original souvenirs. One such souvenir is a miniature ceramic lepeshka carrying the characteristic scent of Uzbek bread.
The entrepreneur stated that the brand has been developing for three years. The souvenir was created in collaboration with a ceramist and is now available in duty-free trade. The ceramist made the lepeshka, which was then painted, and the candle was filled with the scent of bread.
According to Alexandra, the brand gradually gained recognition, and the company received an unexpectedly large number of orders in September. The training within Women Cup helped her coordinate activities in new conditions and adjust her business plan.
Evoke Bureau specializes in visual communications for fashion brands and cultural projects. Founder Shelin Erkhojaeva reported that the team's main task is to form the client's brand identity and determine how it should look on social networks, banners, and all communication channels. The team has been working since the beginning of this year and already has partners from Qatar, in addition to clients and partners in Uzbekistan.
The project plans to expand actively in Qatar and the wider region, where significant investments are being made in creative industries, and where, according to the founder, values are largely similar to those of Uzbekistan.
Mimoram AI was developed to provide people planning renovations with a clear plan and a detailed cost estimate. This project was created by entrepreneur Madina Ilhomova based on her experience working in major architectural firms in Turkey. Madina graduated from TOBB ETU University with a degree in architecture and noted that residents of Uzbekistan often face a lack of planning and cost estimation when renovating homes.
The platform's algorithm converts a photo taken on a phone into a 3D model of a room and a detailed renovation estimate, including furniture costs.
Nodira Mukhammadkulova, Economic Projects Coordinator at the Swiss Embassy in Uzbekistan, explained why the embassy supports Women Cup. She emphasized the importance of young people, women, and girls being able to quickly change professions, improve qualifications, find their place in the modern economy, and become self-sufficient.
According to her, the current global economic situation, especially in Uzbekistan, dictates the need for people not to wait for subsidies or state aid, but to build their own career paths, start businesses, and utilize opportunities provided by artificial intelligence.
Oleg Ryzhichenko, Director of U-Enter, stated that the center pays special attention to supporting startups led by women. He noted that the Women Cup program was specifically created to help girls and women who wish to start or develop their business realize their potential, reach a new level, receive support and motivation, find a mentor, and ultimately successfully commercialize their ideas.
According to Ryzhichenko, the support from the Government of Switzerland and the international platform Virtual Accelerate allowed for the attraction of mentors from different countries with extensive international experience. He added that all 30 companies selected for the accelerator will continue to receive support and participate in various events held at U-Enter, some of which will interact with venture investors to attract funding.
Overall, the program contributes to the gradual development of the startup ecosystem in Uzbekistan aimed at supporting the growth of private business and the creative economy.