A girl from Bishkek created a marketplace that transforms digital education in Kyrgyzstan

Mariyam Soodanova, city — Bishkek, COO of EdTech startup, Instagram

How it all started

4Bricks is an educational digital platform designed to scale quality education.  

We not only provide a platform but also actively participate in creating educational content. We help mentors develop methodologies based on their own experience — previously, we launched four courses jointly with iHub.

For many users, 4Bricks will serve as a marketplace, especially in the B2B segment. 

Since our platform operates as a marketplace, we are optimizing the offline information business. Our goal is to develop digital education in Central Asia, starting with Kyrgyzstan. We strive to make quality knowledge accessible to everyone, regardless of their location, resources, and financial capabilities.

Startup Launch

The 4Bricks platform has not yet been launched, but we are actively working on filling it with content. Our courses are created with the participation of leading specialists, including Eldar Azamatov, Ayana Kasymova, and Bermet Koshoeva, who have become marketers and experts in their fields. 

We strive to cover as many areas as possible to test demand and understand which ones are most in demand. For example, we are the first in Kyrgyzstan to develop an online vocal course, as this field has not yet been represented in a digital format.  

Currently, we are refining the product, and the platform launch is planned within the next one and a half to two months.

Target Audience

Our main audience consists of schoolchildren and students, although anyone can use the platform to gain knowledge.

We particularly focus on supporting students, as we initially aimed to make quality education accessible to everyone — whether they live in Karakol, Osh, Batken, or Bishkek. Most often, our users are schoolchildren and students, as they are actively developing and are already familiar with digital educational platforms such as Coursera.

These young people strive to acquire knowledge quickly and in a convenient format, and our platform helps them achieve this.

Incubation Programs

We began working on the startup by participating in the Prosperity Cup incubation program in June 2024, when our idea was still not fully developed, and we had not yet started developing the MVP. The program lasted two months, and at one stage, we almost gave up, as mentors believed we had little chance. 

However, before giving up, we were invited to the Pitch Day, where the winner received $10,000. Despite our doubts, we participated and unexpectedly took first place, securing investments. This became a turning point: with the receipt of investments, we began actively working on the MVP, which allowed us to take the product to a new level.

Challenges

In the IT sector, deadlines are constantly shifting due to changes in the technical specification. What was initially planned as the final version often requires further refinement over time. Because of this, the platform launch has been postponed several times. One of the key tasks is to synchronize the work of the IT team, which creates the product, and the office team, responsible for content, so that they move at the same pace and follow a clear timeline.

Working in a startup is always a long-term game. Results do not appear immediately but only after months, and not everyone is ready for such a format. Sometimes there is a feeling that the work does not yield visible results, which can lead to burnout. Therefore, it was important not only to establish processes but also to help everyone understand their role, identify their strengths, and create healthy motivation.

A startup is like gym training: at first, progress is not visible, but if you continue, the result becomes obvious over time. The most difficult but important task is to instill in the team this "startup character," so they can work for the future without losing motivation due to temporary difficulties.

Achievements

We attracted investments at the idea stage — this was an important step forward. In addition, all mentors and partners we approached were willing to collaborate, and we continue to build partnerships.  

At the moment, we are negotiating with educational institutions and considering the possibility of accrediting our courses as academic credits. In the future, our goal is to bring the platform to the state level, so that schools and universities can officially recognize our programs.

Another achievement is the team. I assembled a team of young, motivated people, to whom we give freedom for growth and experimentation. Our product energizes them, and a clear work structure helps achieve goals. It is important to me that 4Bricks is useful not only to clients but also to the team.

Today, we invest in production, filming, landing pages, and the team. iHub supports us with funding, which allows us to build the product and create quality content.

Plans

Our goal is to successfully launch the platform and scale the first courses across Kyrgyzstan within six months. We have made the interface user-friendly and intuitive so that everyone can easily use the platform.

We want to become a recognizable brand so that people come to us through word-of-mouth and reviews, knowing that we are the best marketplace for spreading knowledge.

Our mission is to help experts who want to share their knowledge. In a year, we see ourselves as the platform that people turn to first when they want to share knowledge.