The first unicorn, Ozum, jumps to an evaluation of $ 1.5 billion

While the world feels an increased division between East and West, Uzbekistan has appeared as a rare land, as local Onicorn in Central Asia, EnzymeIt raised 65.5 million dollars in a new financing round led by China -based Tinsit and VR Capital, with the participation of the United States Capital.

The tour of all shares reaches post-money evaluation in Tashkent, which is located in Tashkent, to approximately $ 1.5 billion-by approximately 30 % of the assessment of $ 1.16 billion in which it declared it at that time Hit the first unicorn mode In March last year.

Ozum was founded in 2022, her journey began in Uzbekistan with an e -commerce market called Uzum Market, and shortly after her success, it added the start of Fintech with the discount card and later expanded to the fast food delivery service, Uzum Tezkor.

Uzum currently includes more than 17 million active users per month-approximately half of the adult Uzbekistan population, or about two-thirds of all smart phone users-and 16,000 merchants. In the first half of 2025 alone, the startup company recorded $ 250 million in the total value of goods (GMV), an increase of approximately 1.5 times on an annual basis.

Her digital banking arm, Ozum Bank, launched a discount card on a shared visa with pre -accredited credit boundaries in August last year. This product has already released two million cards and is on the right track to exceed 5 million by the end of the year. Meanwhile, unaccounted lending work in Ozum reached 200 million dollars in the camouflage in the first quarter, as it increased 3.4 times from the same period last year. Starting also to publish 150 million dollars of net income in 2024-jumping by 50 % on an annual basis.

With an e-commercial wallet, Fintech, and digital banking services, how a startup is a little more than three years old to expand this quickly-attracting the attention of global investors such as Tencen?

The founder of Ozum is attributed by the CEO of Djasur Djumaev to success to a set of deep local knowledge and disciplined implementation. He believes that understanding the country’s culture, consumer behavior and business environment – and linked this to the technical and operational experience developed by international companies – was very important to build work that could expand quickly and sustainable.

The startup company built its digital and material infrastructure from the zero point to start its business in Uzbekistan. This includes a logistical capacity that grew to more than 112,000 square meters, with a storage capacity of 1.1 million square feet, allowing it to process more than 200,000 requests per day.

The startup company has also established more than 1500 points captured across 450 cities, cities, settlements and villages in the country to enable delivery operations the next day. These capture points also allow the release and distribution of Uzum bank cards.

“The bet on local experience and infrastructure in the border markets gives you an advantage to perform and expand your business very quickly,” said Djumaev in an exclusive interview.

Initially, Uzum works on a model separately to enable delivery delivery operations. It has ever expanded to include loyalty options for loyalty and delivery seller, with the aim of directing 20-30 % of deliveries through these new models. These new delivery models will also help the expansion of their stock conservation units, which are currently more than 1.5 million for delivery service the next day, up from more than 600000 SKU at the time of the last financing announcement in March 2024.

When asked what was brought in the maximum table this time, Nikolai Celesniev, the chief development official of Ozum, told Teccrunch that strong growth standards at Startup have convinced the Chinese investor after several quarters of continuous discussions.

Uzum plans to develop its Fintech business by providing a deposit product in September and a long -term credit facility (more than 12 months in the eligibility phase) to its customers in B2C. The startup also plans to expand its merchant base and help the current and new merchants through the system of processing the rapid response icon, expanding its discount card program, and building new products to support small and medium -sized companies in the country.

Likewise, startup plans to provide new products that add value -added services to their e -commerce business, including those who help generate advertising revenues. It also works to limit its financial infrastructure more with the increasingly inclusion of artificial intelligence by registering credit, protecting fraud and customer’s customized experiences.

Moreover, Ozum plans to open the e -commerce market for international traders, starting with those in China and Turkey in September.

“We expect 10 to 15 % of the activity across the coming borders of these countries,” said Celesniev.

The startup includes more than 12,000 people in the workforce, including blue -collar workers at its capture points, as well as technology, engineering and products teams in all members of its business.

Like other companies of its kind, which are profitable and have multiple ways to generate continuous income over time, Uzum has plans to become general in the medium term. But before that, it aims to raise a tour of the series B from 250 to 300 million dollars in the first half of 2026.

However, the startup has so far raised $ 137 million of shares, including the last round.