The Central Asian Startup Cup took place in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, on April 24-25. This major regional competition brought together top startups from four Central Asian countries. Among the participants was the Tajik startup A1 eSpace, which made it into the top three.
A1 eSpace: digital transformation of workspaces
The A1 eSpace startup was created within the IT company A1 Project, an international team that has been operating for over nine years, with offices in Dushanbe, Tashkent, and Bishkek. The company focuses on software development, digital transformation, cloud technologies, and IT consulting.
A1 eSpace emerged as a response to a real problem. “The idea came in 2022 when I was leading American Space Dushanbe. The space was full of activities, but behind the scenes, there was chaos: everything was done manually, one administrator, tons of spreadsheets, switching between tasks. It was holding us back. We conducted a survey and realized this was a widespread issue. That’s how the idea for a universal solution was born,” says Nilufar Muradova, Business Development Director at A1 Project.
A1 eSpace is a web platform that enables management of educational, cultural spaces, and cowering hubs through a single interface: scheduling, bookings, events, inventory, databases, and reporting.
To-date, the project has been implemented in all American Spaces in Tajikistan and is being piloted in new locations.
Team roles and work principles
The project is being developed by an interdisciplinary team with over 20 years of combined experience.
- Developers handle the architecture, programming, AI integration, and scalability.
- Business analysts identify client needs and turn them into development tasks.
- The product team manages strategy, market expansion, partnerships, and investment attraction.
“The platform includes more than 20 modules. We tailor it to each client and don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s simple: UX/UI, security, no installations — works right in the browser,” says Nilufar.
What makes A1 eSpace stand out?
- Niche focus: designed for cultural, educational spaces, hubs, and cowering areas
- High flexibility and customization
- 100% client retention since launch
- Centralization of processes, especially useful for networked centers
“We help organizations with multiple branches synchronize their operations — from inventory to events. It saves resources and reduces chaos,” Nilufar explains.
Participation in the Central Asian Startup Cup
The team learned about the competition through the TechRox acceleration program by Accelerate Prosperity: “TechRox gave us mentors and helped us refine the product. One of the bonuses was the invitation to the Startup Cup. We were aiming for that from the beginning.”
The team was selected from among 106 startups from across Central Asia. Nilufar represented the project at the event.
“This was our first pitch battle. We were nervous — there were experienced startups. But the atmosphere was amazing. So much inspiration, especially from female founders and speaker stories. There were many venture investors, and we received great advice, particularly about entering new markets,” Muradova says.
In the finals, A1 eSpace placed third: “We had just two minutes to prepare — it was pure adrenaline. But everything went well. When they announced we placed third, we had mixed emotions. On the one hand, it was just one step away from a prize. On the other — we got into Slingshot, and that was our main goal. The real victory was internal!”
What’s Next?
A1 eSpace's future plans include:
- Improving the platform based on user feedback
- Negotiating with new clients, including those outside Tajikistan
- Preparing for the Slingshot accelerator
- Aiming to enter the EBRD’s Star Venture program
“We need funding to scale. Mentorship and partnerships are also vital. After the competition, several investors showed interest — that’s proof we’re on the right track,” Nilufar notes.
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