Building Fonus Kids: A Student Startup with National Impact

For many students, university is a place to gain knowledge and prepare for a future career. For Diyorbek Tavakkalov, a recent Finance programme graduate, it became the starting point of something much bigger: building a startup with the potential to positively impact thousands of families.

Diyorbek is one of the founders of Fonus Kids, an educational digital platform designed to create a safer and healthier online environment for children. Today, more than 70,000 families use the app, and the project continues to grow rapidly across Uzbekistan and beyond.

Diyorbek says he chose WIUT because of its international environment and approach to education. “I liked that students were encouraged to think critically, speak openly, and work on real projects,” he explains. “My journey at university was not only about studying Finance — it was also about personal growth, leadership, and meeting ambitious people.”

While studying, he became increasingly interested in entrepreneurship and startups. Participation in startup events, business communities, and the MFaktor Business School exposed him to young founders who were already building impactful businesses.

 Seeing students create real businesses and solve problems inspired me a lot,” he says. “It made me realise that I also wanted to build something meaningful.

That idea eventually became Fonus Kids.

The idea behind Fonus Kids came from a very personal observation. Diyorbek and his co-founders noticed how difficult it had become for parents to fully control the content children consume online. While digital platforms offer endless entertainment, much of the content available to children can be low-quality or even harmful.

“We realised there should be a better alternative,” Diyorbek says. “A platform where children can watch quality educational content while parents feel more confident and safer.”

Like many early-stage startups, the journey has not been easy. “One of the biggest challenges has been building the right team and moving fast with limited resources,” Diyorbek recalls. “In startups, you manage many things at the same time: product development, partnerships, strategy, and content.”

Working in the children’s education sector also comes with greater responsibility. Quality and safety remain central priorities for the team at every stage of development. Despite the challenges, the progress has been significant. One of the moments Diyorbek is most proud of was transforming an idea into a real product with a growing user base and community.

Another major milestone came in May 2025, when the team won the national stage of the GSMA Euroasia 360 competition in Tashkent, an achievement that strengthened their confidence and opened new opportunities for future investment.

Winning the national stage of the Hult Prize in Uzbekistan, one of the world’s largest student entrepreneurship competitions represented much more than just a title. “We worked hard on the idea and pitch, so it felt rewarding to see that effort recognised,” he says. “More importantly, it gave us confidence that Fonus could grow into something much bigger and create real impact.”

According to him, the team stood out because they focused on solving a real and relatable problem faced by modern families. Their social mission, long-term vision, and growing traction helped demonstrate the project’s relevance in today’s market.

Balancing university studies with startup life was often challenging. Diyorbek admits there were times when academic deadlines and startup responsibilities collided, requiring discipline, organisation, and sacrifice.

He encourages other students not to wait until they feel “fully ready” before pursuing their own ideas: “You don’t need a perfect idea or perfect skills in the beginning,” he says. “Competitions are not only about winning, but they are also chance to learn, meet people, test your ideas, and grow confidence.”

Over the next few years, Diyorbek envisions Fonus Kids becoming one of the leading educational entertainment platforms for children in Central Asia, with ambitions to expand globally through multilingual content and international partnerships.

“What motivates me most is knowing that we are building something meaningful. Knowing that Fonus can positively affect children’s lives and help families gives me motivation to continue working, even during difficult moments”.