How an 18-year-old guy from Kyrgyzstan developed an innovative parking system

GTECH startup founder Amantur Alanov shared in an interview how, at the age of 18, he was able to turn his idea into reality and create a sought-after IT product in the Kyrgyz market.

Amantur Alanov, Osh, IT Project Manager & CEO/Founder, @amanturalanov, @gtechdevs     

How It All Began

I am the founder and CEO of the IT company GTECH. When I saw how companies lose hundreds of hours, millions, and vast amounts of resources due to outdated and inefficient processes, I realized that technology should work for people and business, not the other way around. Thus, GTECH was born—a company that automates and digitalizes business processes, helping companies work faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

Our first product, which made a real breakthrough in the IT industry of our market, is Parking.G. This is an innovative automated parking management system that makes parking completely contactless thanks to license plate recognition technology.

Startup Launch 

GTECH was launched in 2023. From our first year of university, my teammates and I actively took on projects, tried ourselves in different areas, and accumulated experience. We were not afraid to step outside our comfort zones, experiment, and find solutions to real problems. One such problem was the inefficient parking system at our university. It was then that the idea arose to create a system that would automate parking and eliminate these issues.

For a startup to succeed, you need a strong team. At GTECH, we have always paid special attention to people. We created an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding, where everyone clearly knows their role and makes a significant contribution to the common cause.

Target Audience 

Our target audience consists mainly of B2B clients, as we work with complex software solutions. However, our main goal is to make digital transformation convenient and effective for both businesses and end users.

Regarding the Parking.G project, it is a comprehensive parking management system that minimizes the human factor. The system controls vehicle entry and exit, records duration of stay, integrates with payment systems, and provides detailed reports. We create a convenient, secure, and efficient platform for parking owners and their users.

One of our significant projects is the automation of the parking facility at the "Erkeshtam" customs border, Kyrgyzstan–China. Before implementing Parking.G, all processes were manual, and data was recorded in paper logs.

After implementing our system, the parking process was fully automated: terminals, cameras, barriers, and traffic lights were installed. Cameras capture license plate numbers, recording the date, time, photos, and videos. The calculation of time and payment verification through terminals or mobile devices was also automated. As a result, management became convenient, transparent, and secure.

Another important project is the automation of the Osh State University parking lot. We implemented entry/exit control, parking space management, and an accounting system that ensured convenience for users and efficient administration.

We are also working on new products and projects, collaborating with various companies, and creating automation ecosystems tailored to their business needs.

Incubation and Acceleration Programs 

We actively participated in various acceleration programs, hackathons, and competitions, which helped us not only develop our project but also receive important support.

Key achievements and grants:

— USAID and Aga Khan Foundation acceleration program. We were among the winners out of 40 startups and underwent intensive training in business planning and customer acquisition. After a successful pitch of the Parking.G project, we received a grant of $2,000, which helped us in the early stages of development.

— Startup Nation hackathon. Among 450 participants, we took second place and received a grant of $5,000. This was a great recognition of our project and attracted attention to our company.

— Grant from the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. We became winners of the startup competition and received a grant of 1,000,000 som to develop Parking.G. This gave us the opportunity to scale the project and implement new technologies.

— Grant for the social project GFace Social. We also received 740,000 som to implement GFace Social—a project aimed at helping people with disabilities. It was recognized as the best innovative project at the Enactus Kyrgyzstan competitions.

— Acceleration Prosperity Cup acceleration program. We passed the final stage of the program and became its graduates, gaining valuable knowledge and connections for further company development.

Challenges

The main difficulty in creating a startup is the lack of resources. At the start, there are neither large investments nor a strong team. We often worked under constraints and sought solutions. Sometimes we had to handle everything—from development to marketing and customer acquisition.

It was difficult to assemble a team willing to invest in the project. Many left to pursue their own paths, forcing us to start over. There were moments of burnout, but mutual support helped us move forward.

Advice for those just starting out: Do not be afraid of failure. There will be many setbacks on the startup journey, but it is important to always get up and keep moving forward. Every failure is a lesson that makes you stronger.

Seek like-minded people. The most important thing is the team. These are the people who will be with you when things get tough and who will drive your project forward.

Achievements 

Our company has achieved significant results and received recognition at various levels, confirming the high expertise and effectiveness of our projects. I founded my company at the age of 18, and during this time, we managed to attract over 2 million som in investments. The company is actively developing, and this path was not easy; we continue to move forward, setting increasingly ambitious goals.

In 2023, we entered the top 10 best business projects and young entrepreneurs according to Enactus Kyrgyzstan at the National Youth Entrepreneurship Cup, and also became finalists and graduates of the Accelerate Prosperity Cup incubation program. 

In 2024, our GTECH project was recognized as the "Best IT Company of 2024" by Vizitka Magazine Awards for its innovative contribution to the field of information technology. We also received the nomination "Best Young Entrepreneur of 2024" from Accelerate Prosperity, the leading business acceleration platform in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. Additionally, our startup won the "Best Innovative Project" award at the 2024 Youth Startups EXPO organized by Enactus Kyrgyzstan. In recognition of our activities, the Rector of Osh State University presented us with a letter of appreciation for our contribution to the university's development, digital support, and strategic partnership.

Plans 

We strive to become not only leaders in IT innovation in Kyrgyzstan but also actively participate in the digitalization process on the international stage. We are confident that our solutions and technologies will be in demand not only in Kyrgyzstan but also abroad, and we are actively working on entering international markets.

One of the key projects we are working on is the development of our own CRM system, which will be integrated into a larger service for automating business processes. This system will cover a wide range of business sectors, ensuring effective customer relationship management, data analysis, and improved operational efficiency.