October Podcasts: 11 podcasts about women in IT, smart prosthetics, and startups

In October, new podcasts were released on the most relevant topics in IT and startups in Central Asia. Each episode reveals real-life cases, the experience of founders and experts, and provides concrete tools for business development.

"How to Attract Over $1 Million in Investments: The KinesteX Startup Case"
This episode is about fundraising without rose-colored glasses. The KinesteX team shared how a startup from Turkmenistan managed to attract over a million dollars in investments—through dozens of rejections and hundreds of negotiations. CEO Nikita Starov shares his experience, while experts Mikhail Smolyanov and Murat Junusov explain how to build trust with investors and avoid burnout in the process.

"What to Do to Generate More Global Stories from Central Eurasia"
Murat Abdrakhmanov and Yelzhan Kusekbayev discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping the venture industry. How "just startups" evolve into global companies, what lies behind the Higgsfield AI story with $50 million in investments, and why "skin in the game" matters. This episode is about market maturity, risks, new investment formats, and why venture capital in Central Asia is no longer catching up but setting trends.

"How to Become a Business Angel: The Path, Mistakes, Exits, and Faith in Startups"
Marat Tolybay openly discusses his failures before founding the successful Activat VC fund. This episode features an honest conversation about burnout, trust, and what transforms an entrepreneur into a true investor, without pretension or clichéd advice.

"How Much Does Artificial Intelligence Help in the Legal Field? A Conversation with Tuzuk.ai Founder Askar Zhumanov"
Askar Zhumanov, founder of Tuzuk.ai, explains how his team is making LegalTech a reality. Their AI service helps lawyers and entrepreneurs work with documents faster and without bureaucracy. This episode is about how technology simplifies what once seemed insurmountable. And how to build a product from Uzbekistan that is competitive in the global market.

"How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing Everything"
Artem Panfyorov, founder of AI Lab, explains how neural networks help businesses today, why an AI law is needed, and why AI is not a "black box" but a tool that elevates the economy to a new level. The conversation includes specific cases, hackathons, and ideas that you want to apply tomorrow.

"Ilyas Jeentayev, Founder of ArtSkin; Artificial Leather, DevKit, and Clinical Trials"
Arstkin founder Ilyas talks about his journey and explains why he declined to participate in the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, while sharing lessons that helped his hardware startup survive.

"AI for Business: Applying gro.now"
Tanya Plotnikova, co-founder and CEO of gro.now, shared how to use artificial intelligence in marketing analytics, task automation, and data-driven decision-making. Investor and entrepreneur Murat Junusov added that marketing is not something you can outsource. AI helps businesses "predict the future," enhancing the entrepreneur's intuition with numbers and facts.

"Artificial Intelligence and Money"
This episode, recorded live at the Digital Bridge 2025 forum, brings together three prominent speakers: Nik Davydov, Yelzhan Kusekbayev, and Alisher Ashekeev. The conversation covers investments, analytics, and whether AI can replace human intuition.

"Why a Unicorn Needs a Tracker"
Evgeny Frolov, CEO of Red Team Accelerator, discusses why startup success is more than just investments. He talks about systems thinking, visionaries, and the role of accelerators in shaping a new entrepreneurial culture in Central Asia.

"Behind the Scenes of Business Forums: Where Do Entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan Go?"
This episode discusses how community forums help businesses develop and strengthen connections. Speakers share their experience organizing large-scale events, discuss competition, criticism, and how to maintain focus and efficiency when working with thousands of participants.

"Agent Builder for Business: Overview and Practice of the New AI Tool from OpenAI"
This episode discusses the hot new release—Agent Builder from OpenAI. Experts Artem Panfyorov and Murat Junusov demonstrate how companies can create their own AI agents without coding, connect them to websites, and integrate them with Google, Slack, and Notion. The conversation focuses on practical applications: how to automate routine tasks, improve customer service, and increase team efficiency.