At the last Pizza Pitch this year, nine IT startups were able to present. Projects came from various fields and industries, from education and mobile alarm clocks to developing a system for engines. In particular, the GoodMo project - mobile app, the world's first buttonless alarm clock that responds to a person's emotions.

When asked by the jury what makes this alarm clock different from alternatives on the market, which, for example, wake people up with vibrations, the representative of GoodMo, Azamat Nurdilda, said: “Our alarm clock addresses the mental health, and there are very few such alternatives on the market”. The experts noted that the idea is exciting, but the project should be finalized, and the issues regarding the target audience should be studied better. 

During the presentation, the startups shared the origin stories of the project ideas. “When I returned from Europe to Kazakhstan, I was surprised that the prices of products in small stores near my home were comparable to those in Europe. The experts explained the reason. I learned that some small stores lacked a proper accounting system. As a result, I had the idea of creating a B2B platform for wholesale and retail trade and the systematization of business processes in the trade.”

Additionally, at PIZZA PITCH November '22, such startups were presented:  

Arnion - an online school for IT careers.

UniPark - A transport platform for solving logistical problems

Monojet – mono injection systems for the engine.

Finflow - service for automated financial modeling.

QazaqSchool.online – an online Kazakh language school.

Izidos - a mobile app that facilitates the organization of sports events for sports fans and companies.

Alacall -  solution for a vendor-independent contact center.

Competent experts examined the presentations of the startups - Tatiana Khasanova, tracker at Google for Startups and Techpreneurs, a qualified EBRD expert in marketing strategy and management; Yerzhan Nauruzbaev, deputy director of KTZ Business Transformation Center; Taisiya Trukhina, Head of the Scouting Department of MTS.

The winners of the final Pizza Pitch of this year were QazaqSchool.online, Finflow, and Monojet. Kazakhtelecom Business, an event partner, awarded the winners with valuable prizes. Moreover, the Alacall and Arnion projects received special prizes from Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and MTS. The other startups were also not left out - Yandex Cloud in Kazakhstan awarded each of them with a grant worth 300,000 tenge to use Yandex Cloud.

“Throughout the year, each Pizza Pitch participant received a professional assessment of their performance, advice on the further development of the startup, and practical recommendations. I want to note that the contingent of spectators was also pleased with its diversity; the event was attended by schoolchildren, students, and professional entrepreneurs as guests. Next year, expect an even bigger and better Pizza Pitch event!”, - said Olga Izmailova, head of the Astana Hub event office.

Astana Hub would like to thank the partners of Pizza Pitch - Kazakhtelecom Business, Yandex Cloud in Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan network of delicious food "SF" and energy partner RedBull Kazakhstan.

As a reminder, Pizza Pitch is an informal platform where startups try their hand and practice speaking in front of an audience. Each participant is given only 3 minutes to speak, after which a signal horn sounds, and competent experts evaluate the startup. At the previous Pizza Pitch, the winners were startups:

InStroy - a marketplace for building materials. 

SmarTestPrep - an automated platform for international exam preparations and a recommendation system of universities and educational programs.

Kwaaka - integration of online orders from aggregators directly into the cash register.

OILA.app - an educational app for children.