Airun — a startup that creates online stores in minutes and boosts sales

Azamat Koikelov, city — Bishkek, entrepreneur, Instagram

How it all started

It all began with the fact that we launched our first marketplace with online installment payments from a partner bank in a record-short time. For the Kyrgyz market, this was the first marketplace with online installments, where there was no need to physically go to a bank. Market interest was high, and in a short period, we received applications totaling 1 billion som, but unfortunately, the conversion to disbursement was low due to the scoring system.

The project's economics didn't add up, so we decided to pivot. Since our marketplace improved the user experience of purchasing, we decided to focus on this and provide all the capabilities of our service to other entrepreneurs.

We decided to create a platform that would allow any business to quickly create its own online store without spending a lot of time and money on development. Our goal was to create not just another tool, but a product that even those unfamiliar with technology could easily use.

Startup Launch

The development process began in late April 2024, and our team worked intensively and quickly. This is the startup mode. Two months later, we released the first version of the new product, AiRun. We understood that at the start, we needed to create a minimum viable product that could be quickly tested in the market.

This was only the foundation, and it had its shortcomings, but it gave us the opportunity to start working with clients and receive valuable feedback. At the start, it was like taking off to a height when you don't know what to expect, but it is precisely this that helps make the product better.

We are a team of founders — we have already been trying different products since 2018, so we didn't even need to assemble the team. The team includes an excellent marketing specialist, Syrga Tylekova. Stas Kazantsev is the company's Chief Technology Officer, Nurgazy Ordobaev is the Chief Product Officer. And I am the founder and sales expert.

Target Audience  

Our main focus is small and medium-sized businesses, especially in sectors such as retail and the restaurant business. These companies often face barriers when transitioning to the online space. We created Airun to help them overcome these barriers.

Our platform allows you to create an online store in just a few minutes. We provide a full set of tools: from setting up the storefront to integrating with payment systems and logistics. We make it so that every business can easily enter the world of online sales and focus on developing their business.

Challenges

Like any startup, we had a whole tangle of problems: from bureaucratic obstacles and difficult negotiations to attempts to enter other markets.

Every week we made mistakes in attracting businesses, but at the same time, we gained a deeper understanding of how small and medium-sized businesses in our target audience operate.

Despite all these difficulties, each of them opened up new opportunities for growth and improvement. We learn from our mistakes and continue to look for solutions to move forward.

Achievements  

Despite all the difficulties, we have achieved significant success. Currently, more than 70 stores are already working on our platform, and we are actively working to expand this number.

By the end of the year, we plan to reach the mark of 500 stores. We have also started working on new features that will improve user interaction and make our product even more useful. Our efforts are already yielding results, and we see growing interest in our platform. This inspires us to continue developing Airun and strive for new heights.

In just two months without a large advertising budget, we received more than 500 applications to connect our service.

Plans 

In the long term, we plan to continue expanding Airun and implementing new technologies. One of the key directions will be the integration of artificial intelligence into our platform. We see huge potential in using AI to improve personalization, automate processes, and support users.

We are also considering the possibility of entering international markets to provide our product to businesses around the world. In the future, we want to become a leading tool for online sales, offering all necessary features in one place.

Our goal is to provide a product to businesses around the world. In the near future, we want to become a SuperApp for entrepreneurs.