How a Young Uzbek Entrepreneur Builds an AI Business
Technology
The story of 25-year-old Samandar Tursunaliev traces a journey from a small border village to building an AI startup that is reshaping Uzbekistan’s digital future.
Samandar Tursunaliev has emerged as one of the notable figures in Uzbekistan’s growing tech ecosystem. At just 25, he is the founder and CEO of KOTIB AI, a startup developing artificial intelligence solutions for businesses and representing a new generation of innovators putting Uzbekistan on the global AI map.
Born near the Kyrgyz border, Tursunaliev later studied in South Korea but chose to return home to build his own company. He saw an opportunity to adapt global AI technologies to local needs.
His first product, a speech-to-text tool for journalists, eventually evolved into KOTIB AI — a multifunctional platform offering speech recognition, AI-powered customer support agents, call center analytics and multilingual content tools.
The platform supports Uzbek, Russian and English, including local dialects often overlooked by global solutions. Tursunaliev emphasizes that AI should enhance human productivity rather than replace people.
Aligned with Uzbekistan’s national push to develop AI as a strategic sector, KOTIB AI is now aiming beyond domestic borders, with plans to expand into Central Asia, the MENA region and the United States.
Born near the Kyrgyz border, Tursunaliev later studied in South Korea but chose to return home to build his own company. He saw an opportunity to adapt global AI technologies to local needs.
His first product, a speech-to-text tool for journalists, eventually evolved into KOTIB AI — a multifunctional platform offering speech recognition, AI-powered customer support agents, call center analytics and multilingual content tools.
The platform supports Uzbek, Russian and English, including local dialects often overlooked by global solutions. Tursunaliev emphasizes that AI should enhance human productivity rather than replace people.
Aligned with Uzbekistan’s national push to develop AI as a strategic sector, KOTIB AI is now aiming beyond domestic borders, with plans to expand into Central Asia, the MENA region and the United States.
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