Uzbek names are once again making waves in the global tech market. Our compatriots Beknazar, Aziz, and their partners, who are building the AI startup Hupo, have announced raising $10 million in a Series A funding round.
The round was led by one of the world’s most prestigious venture funds — DST Global Partners (an early investor in giants like Facebook, Twitter, Alibaba, and Spotify). This serves as a testament to the global recognition of a project built with the participation of Uzbek specialists. The project’s journey was not without its challenges. The team initially built a mental wellness platform called Ami. However, after re-analyzing market demand and their own strengths, they decided to make a sharp change in direction (a “pivot”).
The result was Hupo. They channeled their unique expertise in mental resilience and human psychology into the field of sales coaching. Today, Hupo teaches banking and insurance staff how to sell better using artificial intelligence.
Why Hupo?
The startup astonished investors with results achieved in less than a year. According to Hupo’s official blog:
- Global clients: Currently, over 20 major corporations, including HSBC, AXA, Prudential, Manulife, and Grab, are using the system created with the involvement of these young Uzbek men.
- Contract growth: Clients expanded their collaboration volume with Hupo by 3 to 8 times within the first 6 months.
- Efficiency: Sales team conversion rates improved by 3 times.
- Rapid onboarding: The time it takes for new hires to make their “first sale” was reduced by ~75%.
The Hupo team stated in their blog:
“Capital alone doesn’t solve problems; execution does. We are proud of the results we’ve achieved so far and the team behind it.”
The hard work and intellect of our compatriots lie at the very heart of this “execution.”
The raised $10 million will allow the startup to enter the U.S. market, further strengthen its technology, and expand the team. We wish Beknazar, Aziz, and the entire Hupo team the best of luck in this massive success! Seeing Uzbek youth achieve such results in Silicon Valley and on global stages is a source of pride and motivation for us all.
It is worth noting that Pivot.uz previously covered Hupo’s journey when the team raised their earlier $4 million round.
