Mohirdev — a startup that educates IT professionals

Anvar Narzullaev, 40 years old, Tashkent, CEO of Mohirdev

How it all began

The idea for Mohirdev emerged during the pandemic. At the time, I was working in Malaysia, teaching Information Security at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. During this period, millions of people lost their jobs — especially low-skilled workers in industries such as construction and food delivery. Meanwhile, my friends and I, who were IT professionals, continued working remotely and earning good salaries. The key difference? Education.

That realization inspired us to create an educational platform aimed at teaching people IT skills. Before launching, we were already sharing educational content on YouTube and Telegram. In 2021, we decided to bring everything together and launch Mohirdev, which means 'talented programmer' in Uzbek.

Team

Before the official launch, we tested the platform, experimented with different content formats, and worked on the business model. From the beginning, our project had a social mission. Our goal was to provide as much free content as possible, allowing students to explore different fields before committing to a paid subscription.  

Many experts agreed to provide free courses, which we arranged through connections in the IT industry. We built our team in a similar way. One of the co-founders, Muhammadhalil, was a digital marketing instructor, and many of our first team members were his former students.  

Our first courses were structured as bootcamps. However, we rejected the marketplace model, where anyone can create and sell a course on our platform. Instead, we adopted a curated content approach, selecting experts, developing curricula, and ensuring high-quality lessons.  

Target Audience  

Our primary audience consists of young people who could not get into university. In Uzbekistan, only 10-12% of applicants are admitted, leaving the other 90% as potential students.  

Another key segment is low-income workers looking to change careers. Many of our students are migrant workers, primarily from South Korea, the United States, and Russia.  

In just three years, over 50 000 people have studied on our platform. Recently, in partnership with the Agency for Youth Affairs of Uzbekistan, we launched Ibrat Academy, a mobile app for learning foreign languages. Within a week, it became the most downloaded app on Google Play and the App Store, surpassing Duolingo in the Education category. Today, over 500 000 users are learning one of 13 languages available on the platform.  

Acceleration Programs  

Our first experience with acceleration programs was through the Seedstars Financial Times Challenge in late 2021, where we reached the top five EdTech finalists. Although we did not win, we gained valuable pitching experience for investors. Immediately after the program, using a pitch developed under expert mentorship, we secured our first investment — $500 000 from the angel investor Pulse Group.  

We also participated in Draper University’s accelerator in partnership with Astana Hub and Plug and Play. Additionally, we attended TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco, won the Open Data Challenge 2021 organized by IT Park Uzbekistan, and ranked among the top 10 finalists in the Startup Challenge at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Geneva.

Challenges

Finding skilled professionals is difficult across all fields — marketing, sales, development, and education. Early on, this was not an issue, but as we grew, we had to actively hunt for top talent.

Trust Issues with Online Learning. Many people prefer face-to-face interactions when purchasing a product or service. As a result, a large percentage of our sales come through call centers, even though buying online would be more convenient. To address this, we rent a large office in IT Park, where we host meetups, alumni gatherings, and masterclasses to establish trust.

Lack of Startup Experience. When we started, the concept of a startup did not exist in Uzbekistan. There was no startup community or mentors to seek advice from. Now, with more acceleration programs, venture funds, and government support through IT Park Uzbekistan, the startup ecosystem is growing.

Achievements

From 2022 to 2023, we focused on building our portfolio. In two years, we expanded our course offerings to cover the entire spectrum of IT skills, from web development to artificial intelligence.

Today, we offer 18 bootcamps and over 30 free courses. We have raised 450 000 dollars in investments from AloqaVentures and UzVC, doubled our annual revenue, and entered the business-to-business market with a school-based IT curriculum, developed by Uzbekistan’s top education specialists.

Recommendations

Follow your passion. Do not start a startup just for the sake of it. You need to personally experience a problem before you can build a meaningful solution.

Plan carefully before launching. Do not be afraid to ask for advice or share your idea — no one will steal it.

Find the right co-founders. Building a startup is like a marriage — if things go wrong, you could lose half of everything.

Assemble a diverse team. A startup made up solely of IT specialists may fail because success requires business, marketing, and sales expertise as well.

Do not fear failure. The average successful founder fails at three to five startups before achieving success.

Plans

Uzbekistan has over 2 000 educational institutions offering IT training, but many struggle with high-quality curricula and mentorship. Over the past two years, we have developed the most advanced IT curriculum in the country.

This year, we are launching hybrid education partnerships with training centers. Our students will study theory online and practice in person with mentors.

We are also launching MohirPool, an acceleration program for developers looking to advance their careers. For example, someone working at a local company who aspires to join a global technology firm but lacks experience can gain real-world project exposure through our program.

Additionally, we are testing Mohirdev, a platform created in collaboration with AloqaBank, which will give employers access to a talent pool of top graduates. This will help bridge the gap between global companies and local IT talent.

Finally, we aim to quadruple our revenue by expanding into new markets and launching new projects.