SmartHub is a startup that creates online courses in Tajikistan.

Lutfullo Tagoev, city — Dushanbe, founder and head of Smarthub, @lut_tagoev

How it all began

We launched a startup — the first online educational platform in Tajikistan in 2021. The idea came during the pandemic, when people faced significant difficulties adapting to online and distance learning. Many simply didn't know what it was. We saw this as an opportunity and decided to create a platform to help people.

Team

At the start, our team consisted of 10 people. At that time, there were no specialists in instructional design and online education in Tajikistan, so we had to train the team for over three months before we could create the first online courses.

Target audience

Our main target audience is young people, but we are not limited to them. We have three directions:

1. Creating our own courses for young people

2. Developing courses with local experts

3. Creating courses for organizations that use them to train their employees or implement various projects.

More than 1,700 students and learners are already registered on the platform, along with nearly 30 partners and experts who collaborate with us.

Incubation programs

We did not go through acceleration programs; however, we primarily work on grants, which allows us to develop the startup and move forward.

Challenges

The main challenge was people's distrust of online education. Many believed it was ineffective or simply didn't understand what it was. My team and I worked day and night to prove to people that online education is effective, cost-efficient, and saves time and resources. It is encouraging that those who have taken our courses leave positive reviews and recognize the value of our programs.

Achievements

From 2022 to 2023, we grew significantly. We are trusted by major organizations such as the U.S. Embassy, international organizations, and banks in Tajikistan, including IMON International. We also collaborate with well-known experts at both the local and international levels.

Plans

By the end of the year, we plan to increase the number of students on the platform, the number of subscribers to the smarthub.tj website, revenue from course sales, and partnerships with organizations. We aim to expand cooperation and collaborations.